Finding evidence for an argument is often a discovery process. Sometimes you’re concerned not only with digging up support for an already established claim but also with creating and revising...

Finding evidence for an argument is often a discovery process. Sometimes you’re concerned not only with digging up support for an already established claim but also with creating and revising tentative claims. Surveys and interviews can help you figure out what to argue, as well as provide evidence for a claim. Interview a classmate with the goal of writing a brief proposal argument about the career that he or she should pursue. The claim should be something like My classmate should be doing X five years from now. Limit yourself to ten questions. Write them ahead of time, and don’t deviate from them. Record the results of the interview (written notes are fine; you don’t need to tape the interview). Then interview another classmate with the same goal in mind. Ask the same first question, but this time let the answer dictate the next nine questions. You still get only ten questions. Which interview gave you more information? Which one helped you learn more about your classmate’s goals? Which one better helped you develop claims about his or her future?