Explicit and Implicit Information

Explicit information
 written and explained in the text so you, the learner, will not be confused
Implicit information
 something that is not written or seen in the text but is suggested
Defining Claims
Evaluating the claims made by an author is one of the most important skills needed in critical reading. Your ability to identify
the explicit and implicit information in a text will help you recognize the writer’s arguments and evidence so you can begin judging
the writer’s work.
Whenever you read something, you find yourself looking for the writer’s point or position regarding the chosen topic. That
point is also known as the claim, or the central argument or thesis statement of the text. This claim is what the writer tries to prove
in the text by providing details, explanations, and other types of evidence. As such, it is usually found in the introduction or the first
few paragraphs of the text.
The claim is the most important part of the text. It defines the quality and the complexity of the reading as it gives direction
and scope to the text. The claim is a sentence that summarizes the most important thing that the writer wants to say as a result of
his/her thinking, reading, or writing experiences.
When reading a long argument, start by skimming the first couple paragraphs (and last paragraph if necessary) to figure out
what the author is trying to persuade you to believe or do. There may be more than one claim in a long argument so find the most
important claim.
It may help to pay attention to certain words that tell you that the statement is a claim. Claims sometimes begin with words
that indicate that it is a claim such as "therefore", "so", and "thus". Claims often include qualifiers such as "maybe", "probably",
"perhaps", "usually", "often", "I believe", "I think", "in my opinion". But these qualifiers are used for reasons as well. So be careful
relying on them.
Characteristics of a Good Claim
The following are the characteristics of a good claim:
1. A claim should be argumentative and debatable. When a writer makes a claim, he/she is making a case for a particular
perspective on the topic. Readers expect to be able to object to your claim, and they can only raise objections if the claim is
something that can be reasonably challenged. Claims that are only factual or based on opinion, thus, are not
debatable.
2. A claim should be specific and focused. If the claim is unfocused, the paper will be too broad in scope and will lack direction and a
clear connection to the support provided. It may also lead to over generalizations and vague assertions.
3. A claim should be interesting and engaging. It should hook the reader, who may or may not agree with you, to encourage them to
consider your perspective and learn something new from you.
4. A claim should be logical. It should result from a reasonable weighing of support provided.
Here are some questions to help you determine the writer’s claim while you are reading a text:
• What is the author’s main point?
• What is the author’s position regarding it?
There are three common types of claims. They are claims of fact, policy, and value. Identifying claims is easier if you know a
little about each claim type. Let us study briefly each of these claims.
Distinguishing Between the Types of Claims
CLAIM OF FACT
 states a quantifiable assertion or a measurable topic
 They assert that something has existed, exists, or will exist based on data
 They rely
 on reliable sources or systematic procedures to be validated; this is what makes them different from inferences
Claims of fact usually answer a “what” question. When determining whether something is a claim of fact, the following
questions are useful:
• Is this issue related to a possible cause or effect?
• Is this statement true or false? How can its truthfulness be verified?
• Is this claim controversial or debatable?
Take a look at the two examples below. What makes the claims of fact?
1. Smoking causes cancer.
2. People can reduce the severity of depression by increasing their sunlight exposure each day.
In the first claim, what causes cancer? The answer is smoking. Is it true? Can it be verified? How? Does it exist? Is this
debatable? Is there someone saying otherwise?
If most of your answers to these questions are yes, then it is a claim of fact.
How about the second claim? How will you prove its type? Can you use the same process of questioning? The answer is yes.

CLAIM OF VALUE
 asserts something that can be qualified
 consist of arguments about moral, philosophical, or aesthetic topics
 These types of topics try to prove that some values are more or less desirable compared to others
 They make judgments based on certain standards, on whether something is right or wrong, good or bad, or something
similar
 Claims of value attempt to explain how problems, situations, or issues ought to be valued. To discover these explanations,
you may ask the following questions:
• Which claims endorse what is good or right?
• What qualities should be considered good? Why?
• Which of these values contend with others? Which ones are more important, and why? Whose standards are used?
• What are some concrete examples of such values?
Consider this example: Your idea is valuable to the project. What makes this claim a value? Aside from the give-away term valuable,
the question that will guide you is “Whose standard is valuable?
When trying to find value claims look for terms like "valuable/ beautiful/ interesting", "good/ bad/ evil", "right/ wrong",
"superior/ best/ worse".
CLAIMS OF POLICY
 attempt to persuade you or others to take some action or change a behavior usually to solve a problem
 You can easily identify a claim of policy for it uses terms like "should", "ought" and "must"
Study the two ideas below. What makes the claims of policy?
1. Voluntary prayer should be permitted in public schools.
2. Smoking should be prohibited in public places.
Both claims use the word should which is associated with claims of policy. The questions “Is there a policy that supports the
claim?”, “Is there a problem? “, “Does it suggest a specific remedy to solve the problem?” when ask are answered. These qualify the
two ideas as claims of policy.