Elements of Academic Texts

Paragraph

The division into paragraphs is an important feature of any type of writing. A paragraph is a collection of related sentences dealing with a single topic (Another definition: a paragraph may be defined as a textual unit usually consisting of a number of sentences which deal with one main idea). Skillful paragraph division greatly assists readers in following a piece of writing. The basic rule of thumb with paragraphing is to keep one idea to one paragraph. If you begin to transition into a new idea, it belongs in a new paragraph. You can have one idea and several bits of supporting evidence within a single paragraph.

In writing, a paragraph is defined by indentation. Indentation means starting a line (of print or writing) farther from the margin than the other lines. Indentation signals the beginning of some kind of a change. In English academic writing, all paragraphs with the exception of the first one should be indented.

The length of a paragraph is often between 75 to 125 words (although it can be much longer). In a short piece of academic writing (for example, the conference abstract or text summary), each major point may be developed into a separate paragraph. In longer types of papers (e.g., the journal paper), several paragraphs may be necessary to develop one point.

Paragraphs should be short enough for readability, but long enough to develop an idea. Overly long paragraphs should be split up, as long as the cousin paragraphs keep the idea in focus. One-sentence paragraphs are unusually emphatic, and should be used sparingly. Articles should rarely, if ever, consist solely of such paragraphs.

A paragraph is a group of closely related sentences dealing with a single topic or idea. Usually, one sentence called the topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. All the other sentences must be related to this topic sentence. These sentences further explain or support the main idea and give the paragraph a feeling of unity.

The topic sentence of a paragraph tells what the paragraph is about. It indicates in a general way what idea or thesis the paragraph is going to deal with. A topic sentence can be put in any place in the paragraph, but putting it at the beginning guides paragraph development. Sometimes the main idea is implied rather than stated.

Academic Names

The names of English academic authors normally consist of the first (given) and last (family) names, the given name always being placed before the last name (but, certainly, not in bibliographies), for example, "Richard Winkler." Sometimes a middle initial is added, e.g. "Dwight K. Stevenson." Academic names are considered to be formal, although shortened versions of the first names may sometimes be met, e.g. "Bob Jordan" (instead of "Robert Jordan") or "Liz Hamp-Lyons" (instead of "Elizabeth Hamp-Lyons"). Such a naming practice may not be acceptable for Ukrainian academics accustomed to a more formal style of self-presentation. On the other hand, the Slavic tradition of using patronymics is not generally known to English and international audiences. Ukrainian authors writing in English may be advised, therefore, to use their full first and family names with the observation of appropriate rules of transliteration.

Titles

Titles are important components of academic and research writing, "responsible" for gaining readers' attention and facilitating positive perceptions of any kind of written research.

Titles may have quite different syntactic structures. The main structural types of English titles are as follows:

1. Nominative constructions, that is titles with one or more nouns as principal elements. E.g.:

Non-verbal Communication and Language Teaching

A Script of Today's Russian Feminist Biography

2. "Colon"-titles consisting of two parts separated by a colon. E.g.:

Gossip and Insecure Workplace: Look before You Speak

Academic Writing for Graduate Students: What Do They Really Need?

3. Verbal constructions, that is titles containing a non-finite form of a verb as a principal element. E.g.:

Analyzing and Teaching Research Genres

4. Titles in the form of complete sentences. E.g.:

Language is not a Physical Object

Proxemics is Relevant in Foreign Language Teaching

There are also some other types of titles, which are, however, less widespread in English academic discourse (than, for example, in Ukrainian and Russian ones):

1. Titles beginning with the prepositions on, to, toward(s):

Toward a Sociocultural Theory of Teacher Learning about Student Diversity

On the Reproductive Behavior of the Seal in Atlantic Canada

2. Nominative titles with the conjunction as:

Writing as Language

Political Speech as Discourse

Sometimes, articles in the titles may be omitted, e.g.:

Clinical Aspects of Modeling Cancer Growth

Titles of books, plays, movies, music should be capitalized. But do not capitalize articles, conjunctions, or prepositions unless they are the first word of the title, e.g.:

How English Works (a book)

The New Yorker (a magazine)

The Marriage of Figaro (an opera)

My Fair Lady (a movie)

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements, that is expressions of gratitude to colleagues, sponsors, supervisors, etc., have become a standard part of English academic papers and research publications. They are usually placed at the end of the paper, or, in case of books, at the beginning before the main text. Acknowledgements also allow the author to demonstrate that he/she is a member of a certain academic community. They are usually written in the first person – I for a single author and we for co-authors.

Below are several patterns of the most widespread elements of acknowledgements:

1. Financial support. E.g.:

This research was supported by a grant from … (e.g., International Fund…)

The work of … was supported by …

2. Thanks to colleagues. E.g.:

I would like to thank Prof. X for his invaluable commentary and guidance.

3. Thanks to editors and reviewers. E.g.:

I wish to thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions.

We are grateful to the (…) publishers for the permission to use copyright material

Date: 2015-01-02; view: 1418