A public research facility should not patent its inventions. Such facilities, because they are supported by public funds, should encourage the free flow of ideas. A public research facility that retains the right to patent an invention has a motive to suppress the free flow of ideas in order to profit from the patent. Retaining the right to patent inventions is contrary to the public research facility' s obligation to do work intended for the benefit of the public. The claim that a public research facility should not patent its inventions plays what role in the argument? ['It is a claim that is later proven in the argument.', 'It is the conclusion of the argument.', 'It provides a roadmap for the passage.', 'It is an assumption upon which the argument is built.']