Criticisms of library and information science (LIS) research abound and most focus on method, in the broad sense. This article examines the discourse on LIS from the standpoint of rhetoric and argument. Rhetorical and argumentative strategies are used in almost all formal communication, and these strategies themselves communicate purpose and point of view. Particular aspects of discourse on LIS are analyzed: science and scientific method, objectivity and neutrality, alternative approaches, and theory. The employment and the effect of rhetoric and argument demonstrate not only epistemological uses of research but also social uses and elements.