Ways to Think about Your Arguable Topic

Topos or topoi (plural): Greek: a traditional or conventional literary or rhetorical theme or topic.

Rhetorical questions provide ways to look at your arguable issue instictually, using multi-layered perspectives. In these questions, you hope to discover the "relationship of ideas".

Rhetorical Questions:

Common Ground: What commonalities do the opposing sides of the issue share?

Values: what the ethical questions or issues?

Comparison-Contrasts: What are analogies can the author draw with other issues or topics? What contrasts or differences can be found to help illustrate the issue?

Surface and Depth: Surface: What is happening on the surface of the issue? What is obvious or known about the topic? Depth: What are the underlying or hidden problems, questions or contexts?

End results: What is the resolution? How could the issue be resolved?

http://rhetoric.byu.edu/Canons/Invention/TOPICS%20OF%20INVENTION/Topics.htm