AP Seminar Glossary

Alignment

cohesion between the focus of inquiry, the method of collecting information, the process of analysis of information, and the conclusions made to increase understanding of that focus

Argument

a claim or thesis that conveys a perspective developed through line of reasoning and supported by evidence

Assumption

a belief regarded as true and often unstated

Author

the one who creates a work (e.g. article; research; study; foundational, literary, or philosophical text; speech; broadcast, or personal account; artistic work or performance) that conveys a perspective and can be examined

Bias

a personal opinion, belief or value that may influence one’s judgment, perspective, or claim

Claim

a statement made about an issue that asserts a perspective

Commentary

discussion and analysis of evidence in relation to the claim which may identify patterns, describe trends, and/or explain relationships

Concession

acknowledgment and acceptance of an opposing or different view

Conclusion

understanding the resulting from the analysis of evidence

Context

the intent, audience, purpose, bias, situatedness, and/or background (larger environment) of a source or reference

Counterargument

an opposing perspective, idea, or theory supported by evidence

Credibility

a measure of how accurate and trustworthy the findings of a study are

Evidence

information (e.g. data, quotations, excerpts from text) used as proof to support a claim or thesis

Fallacy

evidence or reasoning that is false or in error

Implication

a possible future effect or result

Interdisciplinary

involving two or more areas of knowledge Issue

Lens

a filter through which an issue or topic is considered or examined

Limitation

a boundary or point at which an argument or generalization is no longer valid

Line of reasoning

logical arrangement of claims and evidence that lead to a conclusion

Literature

the foundational and current texts of a field or discipline of study

Perspective

the viewpoint of various stakeholders within a topic or issue; can be a point of view conveyed through an argument

Plagiarism

failure to acknowledge, attribute, and/or cite any ideas or evidence taken from another source

Primary Source

an original source of information about a topic (e.g. study, artifact, data set, interview, article)

Qualitative

having to do with text, narrative, or descriptions

Quantitative

having to do with numerical data, numbers, or measuring

Refutation

disproving an opposing perspective by providing counterclaims and counterevidence; responding to a counterargument

Reliability

the extent to which a source and/or author can be trusted to be accurate

Secondary Source

a commentary about one or more primary sources that provides additional insight, opinions, and/or interpretation about the primary source, data, study, or artifacts

Solution

a means of answering a question or addressing a problem or issue

Thesis

a claim or position on an issue put forward and supported by evidence

Tone

the way in which an author expresses an attitude about his or her topic or subject through rhetorical choices

Vocal Variety

changing vocal characteristics (e.g. pitch, volume, speed) in order to emphasize ideas, convey emotion or opinion, or achieve other specific purposes