A straw man argument can weaken an argumentative research paper because this type of argument

shows disrespect for the counterclaim

A straw man argument can weaken an argumentative research paper because this type of argument distorts or misrepresents the position of the original argument.

Explanation:

Remember that a straw man argument is a fallacy, that means it is obtained by an erroneus reasoning. In this type of reasoning, the actual position of an argument is distorted, exaggerated, or misrepresented. This distortion is then attacked by the other, making it look wrong or with flaws.

Here is an example of the straw man fallacy in it's logical form:

Person 1 makes claim Y.

Person 2 restates person 1's claim (in a distorted way).

Person 2 attacks the distorted version of the claim.

Therefore, claim Y is false

This type of argument can make a research paper seem wrong without arguing with it in a logical and reasonable way.