Arguments in hypertext: a rhetorical approach

The qualities of non-sequentiality that make hypertext so appealing to writers and readers of informative and literary texts are also those that problematize arguments in the same settings. For a hypertextual argument to succeed, it should clearly employ the fundamentals of giving good reasons and ample evidence. But such an essay should also deal with the loss of control over order by making use of recent developments in rhetoric and argument theory. Specifically, the author presents concepts of informal logic, stasis theory, primacy/recency/repetition effects, spatial metaphors, and textual coherence as a starting point for building a rhetorical understanding of argumentation strategies in hypertext.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2000
• Where: HT
• Authors: Locke M. Carter
• Keywords: Ample Evidence, Author Presents Concepts, HT 2000, Hypertextual Argument, Internet Technology