1. What is the general conclusion of the argument? 
2. What are the central terms used in the argument, and are they adequately defined? 
3. What premises are supplied to support the argument? Are the premises consistent with one another? Do the premises presuppose the conclusion as a condition of their own acceptability? 
4. What kind of claim is advanced and what kind of evidence might serve to disprove it? What evidence is offered for these premises? Is the kind of evidence offered appropriate to the conclusions the argument seeks to establish? Are the premises relevant to the conclusion the argument is trying to prove? 
5. Do the premises adequately support the conclusion, or are they too weak to support the conclusion drawn? 
6. Can any counter-examples be offered that might require the conclusion to be qualified or rejected? 
7. What assumptions does the argument employ, and are these assumptions plausible? 
8. Are the logical consequences or implications of the argument--beyond its immediate claim--plausible?