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Jun 25, 2026

Argument Builder

The Argument Builder (Research OS Stage 12) lets you sequence the claims in a project into a structured nine-step argument and warns you about weak spots before you commit to a conclusion.

What it does

You drag claims from the Claim Ledger into an ordered argument. Each step fills one of nine canonical slots that together make a complete scholarly case:

  1. Problem - the situation or puzzle the work addresses.
  2. Gap - what is missing or unresolved in current knowledge.
  3. Frame - the theoretical or conceptual lens applied.
  4. Method - how the claim is established or tested.
  5. Evidence - the core supported finding the case rests on.
  6. Analysis - what the evidence means once interpreted.
  7. Counterargument - the strongest objection and the response to it.
  8. Contribution - what this adds that did not exist before.
  9. Implication - why it matters: consequences and next steps.

Claims are reused, not rebuilt

The builder never duplicates your claims. It reads them live from the Claim Ledger (the same research_assertion records, with evidence from research_assertion_evidence). Attach a claim to a slot from the picker on each step; the step stores only a reference, so editing the claim in the ledger updates it everywhere.

If a project has no claims yet, add them in the Claim Ledger first, then attach them here.

Weak-spot warnings

As you build, the system runs a heuristic check (no AI required) and flags:

  • Uncited step - a step whose claim has no evidence attached at all.
  • Single-source over-reliance - a step whose claim has two or more citations but they all come from one source.
  • Missing step - any of the nine slots not yet placed in the chain.
  • Contested claim - a step using a claim marked rejected, contested, disputed or weak, which signals a contradiction to resolve.
  • Conclusion stronger than the evidence - a Contribution or Implication step resting on a low-confidence, weak-status or uncited claim.

Warnings appear inline on each step and collected in the side panel. They are advisory: nothing blocks you from saving, but a clean panel means every step is cited and the chain is complete.

Using the canvas

  • Central thesis - name the argument and state the single claim it exists to defend.
  • Add step - choose a slot and (optionally) a claim, then add it.
  • Attach / change claim - use the per-step picker to bind a claim, or pick "No claim attached" to clear it.
  • Reorder - the up/down arrows move a step within the sequence.
  • Remove - the trash button takes a step out of the argument (the underlying claim stays in the ledger).
  • Missing steps - the side panel offers a one-click button to add any slot you have not placed yet.

There is one argument per project; it is created automatically the first time you open the builder.