Chapter 2. Sketching a debate
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Chapter 2. Sketching a debate

Table of Contents

1. Creating a local Argunet debate
2. Saving a copy of a Debate
3. Sketching arguments
3.1. Adding a sentence to an argument map
3.2. Adding an argument to an argument map
4. Sketching dialectical relations
4.1. Sketching an attack on a sentence
4.2. Sketching a support relation for a sentence

This tutorial describes the first steps in the reconstruction of the debate about software patents. First, a new Argunet debate with an empty argument map is created on the local computer. Then, the arguments and their attack and support relations are sketched on the argument map. For information on creating an online debate on an Argunet server, see Chapter 4, Visualization of complex argumentations .

1. Creating a local Argunet debate

Note

Local debates are saved locally as argunet files with the 'arg' extension. Opened local debates are saved automatically when the debate is closed. You can create a backup of the debate at any time using Save copy of debate .

An Argunet debate is created using a wizard.

  1. Start Argunet.
  2. Click the Start a New Debate button .
  3. Select the option Local debates , and then click Next .
  4. Choose a location and a filename for the new debate by selecting Browse .
  5. Choose a title (here: “Software patents”), an optional subtitle and a description for the new debate. You can select the debates language under Language .

    Figure 2.1. Entering the debate properties in the "Create Debate" wizard

    Entering the debate properties in the "Create Debate" wizard

  6. Click Finish to close the wizard.

Argunet now automatically adds an empty argument map "Untitled" to the new debate and opens it together with the debate manager .

Figure 2.2. The debate manager

The debate manager

The debate manager for the current debate (in this case "Software patents") appears below the toolbar. The new argument map view appears below the debate manager on the right-hand side.

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3. Argument mapping vs. mind mapping Home 2. Saving a copy of a Debate