Difference between revisions of "Discussion"

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Open collaboration embraces participation. Therefore all contributions in the form of remarks or argumentative criticism on the content of the assessments, variables, methods as well as other content are most welcome. The contributions can change the outcome of the assessments by improving their information content and making it better understandable for decision makers, stakeholders and public. Documented discussions also show the reasoning behind the work done in assessments making it possible for decision makers, stakeholders and public to judge for themselves whether they agree with the reasoning behind the outcomes. In order to obtain an orderly discussion, rules and format for discussion in open collaboration have been created building on pragma-dialectics, a systematic theory of argumentation.  
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Open collaboration embraces participation, in particular deliberative participation. Therefore all contributions in the form of remarks or argumentative criticism on the content of the assessments, variables, methods as well as other content are most welcome. The contributions can change the outcome of the assessments by improving their information content and making it better understandable for decision makers, stakeholders and public. Documented discussions also show the reasoning behind the work done in assessments making it possible for decision makers, stakeholders and public to judge for themselves whether they agree with the reasoning behind the outcomes. In order to obtain an orderly discussion, rules and format for discussion in open collaboration have been created building on pragma-dialectics, a systematic theory of argumentation.
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Discussion has a central role in the collaborative process of formulating questions, developing hypotheses as answers to these questions, and improving these hypotheses through challenges and corresponding corrections. When a diverse group of contributors participate in an assessment, it is obvious that disputes may arise. Formal argumentation offers a solution also to deal with the disputes. In collaborative assessments every information object, and every part of these objects, is subject to open criticism according to the following rules:
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# Freedom of opinion. Everyone has the right to criticise the content of an assessment.
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# Critique with supporting arguments or comment or remarks is stated in connection to what is being criticized
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# Comments, remarks, statements and argumentation must be relevant to the issue that they relate to.
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# Only statements made and arguments given can be attacked.
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# Comments, remarks, statements and argumentation can NOT be redundant. They cannot be repeated.
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# The one who states criticism is supposed to be committed to the statements, that is:
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:a) if someone doubts the statement, one must explain it.
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:b) if someone attacks the statement, one must defend it.
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:c) if someone doubts an argument, one must explain it.
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:d) if someone attacks an argument, one must defend it.
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A discussion has four parts:
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* A statement relevant to the information object it relates to.
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* Argumentation, containing the actual discussion and organised as hierarchical threads of arguments. Each argument is either an attack against or a defense for an argument or the statement. Each argument is valid unless it has no proponents (a discussant promoting the argument) or it is attacked by a valid argument. Also neutral comments can be used for asking or offering clarification. Comments do not affect the validity of the target argument.
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* Outcome of the discussion. Outcome may be such that the statement is accepted or rejected, or the statement is accepted with some modifications. When a discussion reaches an outcome, the outcome must be incorporated into the actual information content of the particular object the discussion related to. It should be noted that outcomes are always temporary and discussions can be opened again with new arguments.
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== References ==
 
== References ==
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* [[Discussion structure]]
 
* [[Discussion structure]]
 
* [[Discussion method]]
 
* [[Discussion method]]
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* [[Dealing with disputes]]
 
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pragma-dialectics Pragma-dialectical argumentation theory]
 
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pragma-dialectics Pragma-dialectical argumentation theory]

Revision as of 13:55, 11 November 2009


<section begin=glossary />

Discussion is a part of an attribute of a formally structured object. In discussion, anyone can raise any relevant points about the property that the attribute describes. Discussion is organised using the pragma-dialectical argumentation theory[1]. A discussion usually consists of three parts: 1) the explication of a dispute; 2) the actual discussion, which is organised as hierarchical threads of arguments; and 3) the resolution.

<section end=glossary />

Open collaboration embraces participation, in particular deliberative participation. Therefore all contributions in the form of remarks or argumentative criticism on the content of the assessments, variables, methods as well as other content are most welcome. The contributions can change the outcome of the assessments by improving their information content and making it better understandable for decision makers, stakeholders and public. Documented discussions also show the reasoning behind the work done in assessments making it possible for decision makers, stakeholders and public to judge for themselves whether they agree with the reasoning behind the outcomes. In order to obtain an orderly discussion, rules and format for discussion in open collaboration have been created building on pragma-dialectics, a systematic theory of argumentation.

Discussion has a central role in the collaborative process of formulating questions, developing hypotheses as answers to these questions, and improving these hypotheses through challenges and corresponding corrections. When a diverse group of contributors participate in an assessment, it is obvious that disputes may arise. Formal argumentation offers a solution also to deal with the disputes. In collaborative assessments every information object, and every part of these objects, is subject to open criticism according to the following rules:

  1. Freedom of opinion. Everyone has the right to criticise the content of an assessment.
  2. Critique with supporting arguments or comment or remarks is stated in connection to what is being criticized
  3. Comments, remarks, statements and argumentation must be relevant to the issue that they relate to.
  4. Only statements made and arguments given can be attacked.
  5. Comments, remarks, statements and argumentation can NOT be redundant. They cannot be repeated.
  6. The one who states criticism is supposed to be committed to the statements, that is:
a) if someone doubts the statement, one must explain it.
b) if someone attacks the statement, one must defend it.
c) if someone doubts an argument, one must explain it.
d) if someone attacks an argument, one must defend it.


A discussion has four parts:

  • A statement relevant to the information object it relates to.
  • Argumentation, containing the actual discussion and organised as hierarchical threads of arguments. Each argument is either an attack against or a defense for an argument or the statement. Each argument is valid unless it has no proponents (a discussant promoting the argument) or it is attacked by a valid argument. Also neutral comments can be used for asking or offering clarification. Comments do not affect the validity of the target argument.
  • Outcome of the discussion. Outcome may be such that the statement is accepted or rejected, or the statement is accepted with some modifications. When a discussion reaches an outcome, the outcome must be incorporated into the actual information content of the particular object the discussion related to. It should be noted that outcomes are always temporary and discussions can be opened again with new arguments.


References

  1. Eemeren, F.H. van, & Grootendorst, R. (2004). A systematic theory of argumentation: The pragma-dialectical approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

See also