VCSEwiki:Text analysis

Usual text structure (in academic articles)

 * Title (abstract)
 * Introduction (purpose)
 * Background paragraph
 * Body paragraphs (in journals) following:
 * Literature review
 * Research design/methods
 * Results/Analysis)
 * Discussion
 * Conclusion

Paragraph
“A paragraph is generally understood as a single "unit" of a text – paragraphs are the workhorses of the paper. If a single paragraph is incoherent or weak, the entire argument might fail. Every paragraph has a "job" to do. Every new paragraph would declare a point and then offer support for that point. So, the paragraphs cannot wander aimlessly among a half dozen points, or declare points without offering any evidence to support them – otherwise the reader becomes confused or irritated by presented arguments. Good paragraphs also have a very precise relationship with other paragraphs.” (Gocsik, 2005 )

Logic
Paragraphs Argument Connected to the style
 * Each deals with one aspect, clearly stated in a topic sentence
 * All sentences within each paragraph are related
 * Paragraphs in each section of the article are linked, in a logical order
 * All aspects are covered
 * Each aspect is adequately discussed
 * Definitions are provided (where required)
 * Argument is developed logically
 * Argument is convincing
 * Logical outline of headings and subheadings
 * The article / thesis flows (reads easily)
 * The style is concise
 * The language is clear

Other links

 * Choice of structure http://www.criticalreading.com/choice_of_structure.htm
 * Scaffolding the academic writing process: A focus on developing ideas http://jalt.org/pansig/2005/HTML/Hayashi.htm
 * How to Write an Abstract http://core.ecu.edu/engl/snyderh/3870/how2abs.html
 * READING-TO-LEARN AND WRITING-TO-LEARN SCIENCE ACTIVITIES FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM http://www.ed.psu.edu/ci/Journals/97pap1.htm
 * DESTINATION READING OPENER http://65.196.230.73/EdSchool/LMS4Resources/LessonPlans/LP-Pkg_C4U22_R_TT.pdf
 * Towards a Validated Analysis of Scientific Text Structurestructures in technical writing University of East Anglia http://applij.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/7/1/57.pdf
 * Scientext http://w3.u-grenoble3.fr/lidilem/scientext/res_en.php