We make and ask for arguments all the time. For instance, suppose your friend says she doesn't eat meat. You ask her why, and she gives you an argument:
1. Nonhuman animals can feel pain.
2. We shouldn't inflict unnecessary pain on anything that can feel pain.
3. Slaughtering animals for meat inflicts unneccessary pain on those animals.
Conclusion: We shouldn't slaughter animals for meat.
As the example shows, in an argument you offer a series of reasons, which we call premises, that are connected to each other and which, if correct, entail that the conclusion is correct. This structural feature -- the conclusion being true if all the premises are true-- is called validity. An argument is valid if and only if, when all the premises are true, the conclusion must be true.
Sometimes, an argument is valid but not convincing because one or more of the premises isn't true. For instance, you might reply to your friend that (3) isn't true:
Objection to 3: Some instances of slaughtering animals for meat don't inflict pain unnecessarily. For instance, if you're on a desert island alone with no food supply, it would seem necessary to inflict pain on an animal to eat it. Also, if you anesthetize an animal before slaughtering it, then slaughtering won't cause unnecessary pain.
If you're right, then the argument your friend gave is not sound. An argument is sound if and only if it is valid and all the premises are true. But you've given a reason to think one of the premises above, (3), is not true.
Check out "Getting Started with Argument Mapping," Adam Elga, adapted from Simon Cullen.
Philosophy Mapped- a page containing pointers and explaining terminology and method for argument mapping in philosophy (see especially the Students page)
Example map of Michael Huemer's article on the right to immigrate
Practice exercises for arguments
We will use the Mindmup 2.0 software for argument maps.
Using Mindmup with google drive
Here is some help for philosophy students written by Simon Cullen.
Here are instructions for submitting your argument map for stage 1 of the position paper.
Here is the submission form link: https://goo.gl/forms/xTJhzlKP5NS28Znr2.