2. Focus on one element of the Toulmin model at a time.
No unique Debategraph instructions for this step.
The order of elements that you analyze is important. You can waste a significant amount time randomly selecting elements to analyze. You also risk mislabeling sentences. I suggest the following order of elements when analyzing any argument
| Order | Why |
| Claim | - Identifying claims is comparatively easier than identifying other elements because claims are often (but not always) explicitly included in the text of arguments.
- Identifying claims precedes identifying data because identifying claims is the most important skill a student of argument ought to develop.
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| Data | - Identifying data is relatively easier than identifying other elements because data is often (but not always) a product of research provided by the author.
- Identifying data precedes identifying warrants because data is often (but not always) explicitly included in the text of an argument.
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| Warrant | - Warrants are relatively more difficult to identify than many other core elements because warrants are often (but not always) implied by the author of an argument.
- Identifying warrants precedes identifying backing because it is one of the three core elements of any argument, whereas backing is an optional element that may not be a part of an argument.
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| Backing | - Identifying backing is relatively easier than finding the other optional elements of the Toulmin model because backing is often (but not always) a product of research provided by the author.
- At this point in the analysis, analyzing the rebuttal may precede the backing if the analyst so chooses.
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| Rebuttal | - Identifying the rebuttal is relatively more difficult because a rebuttal might be written with a good deal of rhetorical flair.
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| Qualifier | - Identifying the qualifier might happen immediately after identifying the claim because the qualifier often is found within the claim.
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