Argument and Persuasion in Technical Communication

In engineering, making a strong argument is just as important as finding the right technical solution. In a proposal, for example, you must convince others—whether a client or another decision-maker—that your solution is worth pursuing. This involves earning trust, addressing different viewpoints, and demonstrating that your ideas can withstand scrutiny. When you argue effectively, good solutions are more likely to be understood, accepted, and implemented, even in complex situations. 

Understanding Rhetorical Situation  

Rhetoric is the art of effective or persuasive speaking and writing. When you use rhetoric, you aim to convince others to accept your interpretation of facts, help them understand those facts, or motivate them to act in response. The most persuasive messages are well adapted to the knowledge, values, and expectations of readers. Therefore, before you write or speak, ask yourself:

• Who is the audience?
• What is the main message you need to convey?
• How will you adapt to the audience’s level of knowledge? (This doesn’t mean “dumbing down” the message. Instead, it means choosing wordings and explanations that make the content clear and accessible.)
• How will you establish credibility and demonstrate your expertise through your communication?

Elements of the Rhetorical Situation  

The rhetorical situation is the context in which communication takes place. Understanding this context means examining several key elements that shape how a message is created, delivered, and received. While different textbooks may categorize these elements in slightly different ways, the core components are generally the same: the writer (or speaker), the purpose, the audience, the topic, and the broader context.

In most cases, it is also useful to consider constraints—factors that limit or guide the communication process. These may include time limits, word counts, available evidence, organizational policies, cultural norms, or even the medium of communication. Such constraints can significantly influence the way you structure, organize, and present your arguments. By understanding these elements, you can craft messages that are both strategic and effective.

Let’s look at the elements of rhetorical situation in a bit more detail:

Writer

Writers inevitably bring their own experiences, perspectives, and identities to the act of communication. This includes prior knowledge and learning that shape their approach, as well as personal background factors such as culture, gender, values, and beliefs. These elements—a writer’s “personal baggage”—influence decisions about what to include, how to frame ideas, and even which arguments feel most compelling. Far from being purely neutral, writing is always shaped by the writer’s viewpoint. Recognizing these influences in yourself, along with potential biases they may create, is essential for crafting messages that are credible and trustworthy.

Purpose

Purpose is the reason for writing—the outcome you want to achieve through your message. Common purposes include the following:

• Persuade – Convince the audience to adopt a viewpoint or take a specific action.
• Educate – Help the audience deepen their understanding of a topic.
• Call to action – Motivate the audience to act, change behavior, or support a cause.
• Inform – Provide clear, accurate facts or explanations.
• Entertain – Engage and delight the audience through storytelling, humor, or other creative means.

In practice, many pieces of writing combine multiple purposes. For example, a proposal primarily aims to persuade but also informs and educates readers about the problem and possible solutions. Being clear about your primary and secondary purposes helps you focus your content, choose the right tone, and structure your message to achieve your writing goals.

Audience

An audience’s ability to understand, connect with, and appreciate a message depends on a range of factors, including

• Age – which influences familiarity with certain topics, references, and communication styles.
• Social class – which shapes access to resources, life experiences, and perspectives.
• Education and experience – which affect background knowledge, vocabulary, and the ability to grasp technical details.
• Culture – which influences values, communication norms, and interpretations of meaning.
• Expectations – which shape what the audience anticipates in terms of content, tone, and structure.

By clearly identifying your audience—whether it’s a single decision-maker, a broad public group, or a specialized professional community—you can adapt your content, tone, and level of detail to meet their needs and expectations. Effective communication begins with meeting the audience where they are, then guiding them toward where you want them to be.

Message

The message is the core content of your communication—the ideas, information, or arguments you want to convey. It includes not only the main points but also how those points are structured, emphasized, and supported. An effective message is tailored to the specific situation, aligning with the purpose, audience, and context.

Context

Context refers to the external circumstances that create the need for communication and that influence how the message is received. It shapes both the urgency of the message and the strategies used to convey it. Context can include

• Timing – The contextual moment—including crises, decision deadlines, or key project milestones—during which communication occurs.
• Location – The physical or virtual setting where communication takes place, which can affect tone, formality, and accessibility.
• Events – Current or recent developments—political, social, economic, or organizational—that frame how the audience interprets the message.
• Cultural expectations – Shared norms, traditions, and values that shape what is considered appropriate or persuasive.

Recognizing context allows writers to adjust their message for maximum relevance and impact. Even a well-crafted argument may fail if it doesn’t account for the situation in which it will be delivered. 

Constraints

Constraints are the limitations or requirements that influence how you present your message. After identifying your purpose, audience, message, context, along with your influence as the writer, consider the possible constraints that may shape your communication.

• Writer-related limits – your own expertise, position, or level of authority on the topic 
• Purpose-related limits – requirements to meet organizational objectives
• Audience-related challenges – limited technical background, time constraints for reading, or pre-existing biases
• Message-related issues – Availability and reliability of data, or the complexity of the subject matter
• Context-related pressures – deadlines, budget constraints, institutional policies, or prevailing cultural norms

Identifying constraints early can help you refine your approach to better fit the situation.

Once you have clearly defined the elements of the rhetorical situation—writer, purpose, audience, message, context, and constraints—you can plan, draft, and deliver your communication with greater confidence. Every communication task exists within a rhetorical situation. Whether you are writing a report, giving a presentation, or composing an email, success depends on your ability to assess the situation and adapt your approach. Effective communication is built on this awareness and the flexibility to tailor your message to fit the circumstances.

Ethical and Professional Responsibilities in Argumentation

Making complex ideas accessible is a core part of both effective persuasion and ethical engineering communication. An argument should not exclude, confuse, or mislead its audience. As well as being convincing, ethical arguments must be transparent, fair, and grounded in respect for the people who rely on them.

There are several key reasons why clear and accessible argumentation is essential in engineering communication:

• Allowing readers to make informed decisions – Engineers often write for a wide range of stakeholders—such as clients, policymakers, interdisciplinary teams, or members of the public—who may not have a technical background. If ideas are not communicated clearly, these audiences cannot make informed, ethical, or safe decisions based on the information provided.
• Respect for the audience – Clarity demonstrates respect for the audience’s right to understand the implications of engineering work. Ethical persuasion involves transparency, not manipulation. Overwhelming the audience with jargon or unnecessary complexity can obscure risks or trade-offs and undermine informed consent.
• Building trust and credibility – Audiences are more likely to accept an argument when it is clear. Ambiguity or unnecessary complexity can create doubt, foster suspicion, or lead to misinterpretation
• Fulfilling social responsibility – Engineering decisions often affect public safety, the environment, and equity. Clear communication ensures that affected communities can understand what is at stake, participate in meaningful dialogue, and express concerns. This aligns with the engineer’s responsibility to serve the public good.
• Supporting accountability – Clear communication creates a transparent record of reasoning and decision-making. If a decision leads to harm, it is essential that the basis for that decision is accessible and understandable—not buried in overly technical language.

In short, ethical communication in engineering demands that ideas be not only accurate but also understandable. This ensures that decisions are fair, inclusive, and based on a shared understanding—strengthening both the persuasiveness of your argument and your professional integrity.

Formulating Effective Arguments 

Many documents in engineering or computer science are designed to present solutions to problems. One of the most important tasks, then, is to establish that the problem is serious enough to warrant attention. A common pitfall in effective argumentation is the tendency to either overstate or understate problems. For example, if a problem could lead to loss of human life, injury, or serious damage to equipment, you must communicate this idea clearly and forcefully. On the other hand, overemphasizing an issue the reader perceives as minor can weaken your argument and reduce your credibility.

One effective strategy for developing strong arguments is to appeal to the audience’s rationality. In engineering and computer science, this means using measurements, data, and observable facts to support your claims. Emotional appeals may sometimes add context or human perspective, but they should not replace evidence-based reasoning.

The evidence you provide should meet four key criteria. It should be

• Strong – clearly and convincingly supports your claims
• Specific – directly relates to your argument and fits the given context
• Credible – comes from reliable sources that have been reviewed or tested
• Reasonable – persuades an informed audience through its fair interpretations

Another effective strategy for creating convincing arguments is to use familiar examples. Examples are especially valuable when addressing readers who may not be deeply familiar with a specific technology or its applications. By illustrating problems and solutions in clear, real-world contexts, you make your argument more accessible and persuasive. Providing examples in an argument is like adding illustrations to a textbook: while text alone can convey information, illustrations make the material more engaging and help clarify complex ideas. In the same way, examples allow your audience to visualize your argument in action.

For instance, suppose you need to persuade a group of decision-makers who are skeptical about electric vehicles (EVs) because of their higher upfront costs compared to gasoline-powered cars. To promote EV adoption within your company, you might present your case in a meeting as follows:

Additionally, citing experts can strengthen your argument by lending authority and credibility to your claims. The opinions and findings of respected professionals in the field reassure your audience that your position is supported by established knowledge. For example, when persuading decision-makers about the cost-effectiveness and environmental benefits of EVs, you can reinforce your case by quoting recognized experts. When doing so, be sure to name the individuals and explain why they are credible sources—whether through their research, professional experience, or contributions to the field.

To promote EVs within your company, you can include the following paragraph in a report:

Another key strategy in building a convincing argument is to anticipate potential objections. Problems rarely exist in isolation, and solutions are often shaped—or limited—by factors beyond engineering design. These can include organizational priorities, technical feasibility, legal and ethical requirements, time constraints, and financial limitations. Readers will expect evidence that you have looked beyond the technical details to consider the broader social, environmental, legal, and ethical implications of your work. Addressing these concerns proactively strengthens your credibility and your argument.

To anticipate objections effectively, consider the kinds of questions your readers might ask:

• Do we really have a problem or need?
• If so, is it important enough to justify action?
• Can the problem realistically be solved?
• What potential solutions exist?
• What benefits can we expect?
• What risks or liabilities should we be aware of?

Reflecting on these questions before framing your arguments strengthens your logic and shows that you understand your audience’s concerns, which helps build trust with them.

Effective argumentation is never just about presenting the facts. It is also about showing why the problem matters to your audience. Therefore, think about their concerns, values, and priorities, and connect your ideas to what they care about.

Ask yourself:

• How is this problem personal to my audience?
• Do I have evidence demonstrating its importance to them?
• How can I connect my argument to what they need or care about?

Stepping outside of your own perspective to see issues from your audience’s viewpoint is one of the most challenging aspects of writing. However, it is also one of the most essential strategies for crafting powerful and effective arguments.

Finally, always be honest in your arguments. Present your case with integrity. Never manipulate or deceive. If readers sense dishonesty, your argument will lose credibility and ultimately collapse.