The introduction or background may be written early, but will often need much more work once you have developed your conclusions. Whatever structure you choose to use, you should constantly check that you are adhering to it.
If you find that your structure does not work, then revisit it to see whether another structure might be more appropriate. You should also check the flow of your text as you write. Paragraphs and sections should flow logically from one to the next. Conclude one subject area before introducing another. Hopping from one topic to another with no clear structure confuses the reader and demonstrates a lack of clarity.
Two examples of common structures for writing different types of communication are provided below. Remember that these are simply examples, and many variations on these frameworks exist. Reports are always presented in sections and subsections, because they contain a lot of information. This needs to be organised in a way that makes sense to the reader.
Sections are often numbered, and long reports generally include a title page and a table of contents. A press release is a written statement to the media. They are used by organisations to try to generate a news story. Journalists receive numerous press releases every day. The key aim is therefore to capture their interest quickly and show them that you have a good story for them, which will repay their attention.
In this example, the headings and subheadings provided below should not be included within the press release. They are only to help you structure the text. Paragraph 1 Lead Sentence : Summarise the story - who, what, where, when and why. All key information needs to be in this paragraph. Paragraph 2 : Include more details to flesh out the story that you outlined in the first paragraph.
You may say that the first paragraph makes for a shortcut into the discussion: it should enable your readers to understand the discussion without reading all the sections of your thesis. The rest of the discussion should analyse and discuss your results. It may be helpful to keep the following questions in mind:. It is also common to divide the discussion into two parts: a results discussion and a methods discussion. If you do that, you first focus on the results of your study, and then scrutinise your methods.
In your conclusion you should fulfill your aim and account for what you have found in your study. When you write your conclusion you have a golden opportunity to make sure that all the sections of your thesis are connected and that the focus is consistent in each section.
Please remember that the conclusion is not merely a brief repetition of your results. Focus instead on what your results may imply after careful consideration the consideration that you outlined in your discussion. However, keep in mind that accounting for what you have found in your study does not mean that you can or even should make absolute claims; these cannot often be drawn from a small study, if ever.
Focus instead on what your results may imply — and it rarely hurts to note that more research is needed. Both your entire text and each paragraph that comprises your text should adhere to the conventions of paragraph structure in academic texts. Each paragraph should begin with an overarching statement or sentence that introduces the topic the rest of the paragraph then addresses in greater specificity and detail.
Each paragraph should also be unified: it should address one thing or idea only. Each paragraph should also add something new not found elsewhere in the text.
To achieve a clear structure in each paragraph, use topic sentences. Sentence structure also affects your text and your reader's ability to understand the information you are presenting.
What comes first in a sentence often appears more important than what succeeds it. Read more about the structure of sentences. A clear structure also entails that different parts are clearly connected to each other.
Two ways of connecting different parts to each other are using transition words and starting sentences with what your readers have just read about.
The Structure of Academic Texts. The Structure of the Entire Text and of Each Section Most academic texts in the sciences adhere to the model called imrad, which is an acronym for introduction, methods and materials, results, and discussion.
Aim The aim determines the entire academic text and the content found in each section. Research questions The aim is often rather general, and may have to be narrowed down with research questions. Introduction In order to make your delimited research interesting to others, however, you must place it in a larger context.
The introduction and the conclusion should be shorter than the body of the text. For shorter essays, one or two paragraphs for each of these sections can be appropriate. For longer texts or theses, they may be several pages long. See example essay. Your introduction should include the following points be aware that not all points may be relevant for your project :. The statements you make in the introduction are to be developed in the body of the text and returned to in the conclusion.
You may write the introduction at the beginning or at the end of the writing process. If you write it early in the process it can serve as a guide to your own writing, but be aware that you most likely will have to go back to it and edit it as the writing progresses. More advice about introductions. This is the main section of your text and it should also be the longest. Depending on the length of the text, the body may be divided into subsections.
If your text is divided into subsections, remember to briefly introduce each section. For longer works you may also need to conclude sections. The body of the text is where you as a writer and researcher are the most active. It is the most substantial part of the text; this is where the research or findings are presented, discussed and analyzed. This is also where you present your arguments that support your thesis or answer your question.
The structure and contents of this main part may differ depending on your discipline. More advice and tips on how to write the body of the text.
In the conclusion you should return to the thesis or problem that you presented in the introduction. But be careful to not merely repeat what you wrote in the introduction; instead, show your reader how what you have written sheds new light on the problem presented at the beginning.
For longer works a brief summary of your findings may be in place, but this should not be necessary for shorter texts. Be careful that your conclusion is not just a repetition of what you have already written. In your conclusion, you may also evaluate and explain whether or not you have reached the aim or solved the problem presented in the introduction, and how.
No new material should be introduced in the conclusion, but it is quite common to suggest topics for further studies. More tips and examples of conclusions. Watch this short film about the IMRaD structure:. See the description of the introduction in the above section about the three-part essay structure. In this section you describe how you have conducted your study.
Activity time: 20 minutes. Highlighting the importance of structure to constructing clear and effective communication, this resource offers advice on improving structure and planning in academic writing. The resource offers techniques, particularly essay focus and basic structures, which may help to improve student work. Academic Writing. Study guide. About this resource Share this resource. Related Resources What is academic writing? This resource identifies the common key features of academic writing, such as formality, correct grammar and a logical structure, and how this may be different from other forms of writing.
Writing for Assignments E-library Wrasse Students can browse examples of students work from a number of subject areas, and see comments from lecturers.
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