Be Ethical
One way to establish credibility and authority is to follow both spoken and unspoken rules of research conduct in both your introduction and throughout the argument. Here is a list of guidelines to keep in mind:
- Respect previous research and authority.
- Take all publications seriously, even when you disagree.
- Respect your opposition: No name-calling.
- Cite all sources: No plagiarizing.
- If it's relevant, include it, even when it hurts your case: No sins of omission.
- If it can't be backed up, don't include it: No generalizing.