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ARGUNET

 * Argunet Blog
   
   a blog on argumentation

 * Argunet Editor
   
   Create Your Own Argument Map

 * Argunet Browser
   
   Embed Your Argument Map Into Your Website

So, what exactly is an "argument map"?


A NEW BEGINNING: INTRODUCING ARGDOWN

by Christian Voigt, Friday, October 26th, 2018

By now, Argunet belongs to the senior citizens of the software realm. While it
has grown quiet around this blog, behind the scenes, we were busy experimenting
with a different technological approach to argument mapping. The result is a
completely new software tool that we are very excited about. This post
introduces Argdown to the Argunet community and explains why it has become our
new tool of choice.



 

Screenshot of the Argdown Sandbox

 


ARGUNET - A BRIEF LOOK BACK

We (Gregor Betz, Helen Bohse, Sebastian Cacean, David Schneider, and myself)
started working on Argunet back in 2006 and published the first version in 2007
(with funding from the Free University Berlin). Over the years it has been
downloaded more than 50.000 times, which is a lot, given the small number of
argument mapping enthusiasts and the limited publicity of the software.

But first and foremost, we developed Argunet because we needed such a tool in
our own work. And overall it did its job well! We have used it for many
different purposes, be it in philosophy seminars, in research projects, for
reconstructing huge debates, or for the moderation of live events.

Over time, however, three problems emerged. By design and through the technology
used, Argunet is a “monolithic” application:

 * Instead of “doing one thing and doing it well”, Argunet tries to be the swiss
   army knife of argument mapping. This makes it a comparatively large and
   complex software that is neither easy to use, nor to maintain.
 * Because of the technology used, Argunet became more and more difficult to
   maintain with our limited resources. Argunet is a Java application and uses
   the Eclipse application framework. Eclipse is known for its complexity and
   has continuously evolved over the years. Working on Argunet on our free time,
   we never could keep up, let alone extend Argunet with new features.
   Differences between operating systems only made matters worse and caused a
   lot of installation problems.
 * Argunet is closely coupled to the Eclipse framework and can not be used as a
   part of other software that use other application frameworks. Other software
   can neither directly interact with Argunet nor can its data be read or
   written without extra export and import steps. Instead, Argunet tries to do
   everything “on its own”. Additionally, it is very complicated to extend the
   existing code base with new plugins.

At some point we had to decide if we should rather invest a huge effort into
practically rewriting Argunet, or if it made more sense to completely rethink
our approach and start anew. We decided to do the latter.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH ARGUNET?

As a result of this decision, we currently do not plan to release any new
Argunet versions.

This site will remain online and you can still download and use Argunet. If you
have installation problems, take a look at the questions asked in the google
group or post a new question. We will still try to answer your questions as best
as we can.

We are considering, however, to provide additional tools (possibly Argunet
Export Plugins) that allow you to save your existing Argunet debates as Argdown
files. (If you want to support us in doing so, please get in touch!)


ARGDOWN’S ORIGIN STORY

Around 2012 I started experimenting with combining argument mapping with
real-time chat and forum applications. I needed an intuitive way how non-expert
users could “augment” their text messages so that it software could extract and
visualize the argumentative structure of their discussions. My idea was to
define a syntax for text messages that was as easy to use as writing a Twitter
message. The inspiration for this syntax was Markdown, so I simply called the
new syntax “Argdown”.

While I ultimately abandoned the prototype in pursuit of other projects, Argdown
was so much fun to use that we (by now the DebateLab Karlsruhe) finally decided
to develop it into a free and open software tool that was expressive enough to
let experts logically reconstruct complex argumentation. I released the first
version in 2017 and internally we started using it more and more, until it
completely replaced Argunet in our work. This week I finally released version
1.0.0 together with an extensive documentation. Argdown is now ready to be used
by anyone interested in argument mapping.


WHAT IS ARGDOWN?

Argdown itself is not a software, but a syntax. It is a light-weight markup
language that is easy to read and write for humans and for computers alike (to
borrow a slogan from Markdown). That means that it consists of a set of simple
rules how to format text in a text file. By following these rules you can write
an Argdown file in any text editor you like.

If you have no experience with markup languages like Markdown, Wikitext or HTML,
using a text editor and a markup language to create argument maps can seem
daunting and unintuitive. But in fact it is much easier than you might think and
has many advantages:

 * Easy to learn, fast to use: The basic rules can be learned in three minutes
   and after that you will already be able to do many things a lot faster in
   Argdown using your keyboard, than it took you in Argunet using your mouse.
   Argdown was not invented as toy for nerds. It was originally invented for
   making argument mapping accessible to everyone. This remains one of our core
   development goals.
 * No distraction: Additionally, using Argdown is not only faster, it also
   allows you to focus on the essentials. Because you are never leaving your
   text editor, you can completely concentrate on your writing instead of being
   distracted by the graphical aspects of your map or the quirks of your editor.
 * Easy access: Because they are simple text files, you can merge or split up
   Argdown files by copy & paste. You can send them as E-Mail or even per text
   message. You can use a version control system like git to archive different
   versions of it and collaborate with other authors.

Give it a try! Just read the three-minute introduction on the start page of the
Argdown documentation. After that you are ready to play with Argdown in our
browser sandbox.

(If you are a “visual thinker” you still might prefer to “draw” argument maps
with Argunet, instead of “writing” them with Argdown. In the future we plan to
add an Argdown-based map editor that will suit your needs. For now, just keep
using Argunet.)

OUR NEW SOFTWARE TOOLS

Screenshot of the VS Code extension

Software that reads and writes Argdown can be implemented in different languages
and optimized for different contexts and users. I have written a parser (an
Argdown reader) in JavaScript, so that it can run in the browser, as well as on
any server or computer (using Node.js). Based on this parser, we have so far
released three tools:

 * A browser sandbox for demonstration purposes.
 * An extension for VS Code, on of the best text editors around. The extension
   provides a live map preview, code highlighting and many other features useful
   for editing Argdown documents.
 * A commandline tool for advanced users.

Screenshot of the Argdown Sandbox

Our Argdown tool chain is modular at its core, and framework-agnostic. This
means

 * it can be integrated without much effort into other applications or
   application frameworks. An example is the Argdown documentation itself, which
   is compiled from Markdown files containing Argdown code snippets. It did not
   take a lot of effort to add a plugin to Markdown-It that parses these
   snippets and inserts widgets with svg argument maps into the compiled HTML
   files.
 * it can be easily extended by adding custom plugins via configuration files
   without having to wait for new Argdown releases and without having to write
   your own Argdown application.
 * other developers can also develop new tools completely independent of our own
   tools and still be able to interact with them through Argdown
 * because we rely on the syntax and a simple text editor as our user interface
   we can rapidly release new features and develop new software tools for
   specific use cases without having to spend time on developing new editing
   features on the GUI side.


WHAT ARGDOWN CAN DO FOR YOU

Right now, Argdown has nearly reached “feature parity” with Argunet and
surpasses it in many respects. In this section I will first list features that
Argdown shares with Argunet. After that I will list the exciting new
capabilities that make Argdown the superior software. Lastly, I will list the
Argunet features that Argdown is not (yet) able to match.

FEATURES SHARED WITH ARGUNET

Just like in Argunet, in Argdown you can

 * create an argument map that looks similar to an Argunet argument map
 * give your statements and arguments titles
 * assign short descriptions to your arguments
 * quickly sketch attack and support relations between statements and arguments
   in a debate
 * logically reconstruct premise-conclusion structures of complex arguments
 * precisely define which premises of an argument are attacked or supported
 * group and colorize statements and arguments
 * create different views of the same debate
 * automatically layout your argument map
 * assign multiple statements to the same equivalence class and define logical
   relations between these equivalence classes.
 * export your maps to dot, svg, png or pdf

NEW FEATURES

Unlike in Argunet, in Argdown you can

 * tag arguments and statements and automatically colorize them based on your
   tags
 * create hierarchies of groups (groups can now contain other groups)
 * quickly change grouping or colorization through configuration without
   changing the underlying data
 * use all the advanced features of a professional code editor: syntax
   highlighting, code diagnostics (linting), code completion, symbol search,
   hierarchical document outline.
 * focus on rapidly reconstructing and comment your debate in the same text
   document using rich text formatting, lists and headings for structuring your
   document, without being distracted by presentational details (colors, layout,
   grouping)
 * use additional relations (contrary, contradiction, entailment, undercut)
 * write custom plugins and add them to the Argdown tool chain in your config
   file
 * add arbitrary meta data in YAML format (for use in custom plugins)
 * export your data to JSON for further use in other software tools
 * export your complete document to HTML
 * use version-control systems such as Git to track changes and coordinate the
   work of multiple analysts

MISSING FEATURES

Unlike in Argunet, in Argdown you can not

 * manually layout your argument map
 * export to GraphML and import to yEd for editing
 * collaborate online with other users on the same file


THE FUTURE

We already have a lot of ideas for new features and tools, but we will likely
concentrate our work on

 * integrating Argdown into different environments and workflows (Embedabble
   widget for websites and blogs, Markdown & Latex integration, GraphML export
   for map layout in yEd)
 * adding a simply WYSIWIG map editor

Argdown is still a young software. We think it is stable enough to be used in
your work but it definitely needs more testing. If you should encounter any bugs
or have ideas how to improve the software, visit the Github repository and post
an issue. For general feedback or if you want to contribute to the project,
simply write us a mail. We appreciate your help!


MEGA ARGUMENT MAP AT GAP.09

by Gregor Betz, Thursday, January 7th, 2016

Alexander Kremling has compiled a vast argument map of Descartes Meditations,
which he presented at the 9th conference of the German Association of Analytic
Philosophy.

Continue reading…


ARGUMENT MAPPING AND DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

by Gregor Betz, Friday, February 6th, 2015

Can we use argument mapping techniques to enhance empirical discourse analysis?
In a recent talk at KIT’s Science – Media – Communicaton Lab, I presented our
experience in merging argumentation-theoretic and empirical discourse analysis
so far.



Continue reading…


GOING LIVE: USING ARGUMENT MAPS FOR DEBATE MODERATION

by Christian Voigt, Thursday, August 21st, 2014

How can argument maps be used for debate moderation? In this post three short
“live reconstruction” case studies from 2007, 2011 and 2014 are presented. These
cases show that the challenges of the approach are not so much of a technical
but of a methodological nature. Even if the technology works perfectly it is
difficult to get the conditions right so that the “live reconstruction” is more
than just a nice gimmick.



A live reconstruction at the future conference of the German green party.

Continue reading…


ENGAGING THE AUDIENCE: CLIMATE ENGINEERING TALKS AND VIDEOS

by Gregor Betz, Sunday, October 13th, 2013

It’s not obvious how to present an argument map that consists in dozens of
arguments. That’s because, in a talk, you want to comment both on the macro
structure of the debate, providing an initial overview, as well as on individual
arguments featured in the map.

Continue reading…


THREE ONLINE TUTORIALS ON ARGUMENT ANALYSIS

by Gregor Betz, Monday, July 22nd, 2013

Do you ponder using argumentation software such as Argunet, but have not taken a
course in argumentation theory or logic yet? Or do you just want to refresh you
argument analysis skills? There’s plenty of learning material on the web that
helps you to improve you critical thinking skills. This post features and
comments on three free online courses.


Continue reading…


HOW TO RECONSTRUCT LINKED, CONVERGENT AND SERIAL ARGUMENTS WITH ARGUNET

by Gregor Betz, Wednesday, June 12th, 2013

Linked, convergent and serial argumentation are basic notions of argument
structure in Critical Thinking and Informal Logic. This post describes how these
argument patterns translate into Argunet argument maps.

Continue reading…


MAPPING THE CLIMATE ENGINEERING CONTROVERSY: A CASE OF ARGUMENT-ANALYSIS DRIVEN
POLICY ADVICE

by Gregor Betz, Monday, May 13th, 2013

Argument mapping represents a powerful framework for providing policy advice.
This post describes how Argunet has been used in a recent project on so-called
climate engineering methods.


Continue reading…


SIX CRITICAL THINKING TEXTBOOKS REVIEWED (TEXTBOOK REVIEWS SERIES, #1)

by Gregor Betz, Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

This post reviews the following textbooks on critical thinking:

[1] Tracy Bowell and Gary Kemp: Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide. Routledge:
London 2010 (3rd edition). [2] John Butterworth and Geoff Thwaites: Thinking
Skills. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge 2005. [3] Alec Fisher: Critical
Thinking: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge 2011 (2nd
edition). [4] Alec Fisher: The Logic of Real Arguments. Cambridge University
Press: Cambridge 2004 (2nd edition). [5] Joe Y. F. Lau: An Introduction to
Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better. Wiley: Hoboken 2011.
[6] Anne Thomson: Critical Reasoning: A Practical Introduction. Routledge:
London 2009 (3rd edition).

In a nutshell, my favourite is Bowell/Kemp [1], closely followed by Lau [5].

Continue reading…


FACTCHECK BY DEBATTENPROFIS: A COMMENT ON AN ARGUMENT MAPPING EXPERIMENT

by Gregor Betz, Monday, April 29th, 2013

Since October 2012, Ralf Grötker from Debattenprofis has been conducting a media
experiment involving argument maps and swarm intelligence. In the so-called
Faktencheck (Factcheck) series, Grötker sets up and moderates online forums on
controversial issues (e.g., “boycott of textiles — helpful or not?”).
Debattenprofis use argument maps to aggregate the discussions. In a recent
article Grötker sums up his experience so far.

Continue reading…

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ARGUNET BLOG

A BLOG ABOUT ARGUMENTATION THEORY

We are a team of philosophers with expertise in reconstructing, analysing and
teaching argumentation. Over the years we have developed a couple of tools to
facilitate our work. At the Argunet blog, we share and discuss our experience so
far.
 * more about us…



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