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

External links

• How the parts of the text are related to each other and how you can recognize their relationships: http://www.criticalreading.com/choice_of_structure.htm
• How can the text be analyzed? http://www.criticalreading.com/inference_analysis.htm

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 )

External links

• What should the paragraph do: Gocsik, Karen. Writing: Considering Structure & Organization EDT Dartmouth College http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/write.shtml. You can write short annotation of every paragraph (few words – what is it about?) according to it. That will show you if the paragraph itself is consistent – and if it is related to the other parts of the text.

Logic

Paragraphs

• 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

Argument

• All aspects are covered
• Each aspect is adequately discussed
• Definitions are provided (where required)
• Argument is developed logically
• Argument is convincing

Connected to the style

• Logical outline of headings and subheadings
• The article / thesis flows (reads easily)
• The style is concise
• The language is clear

External links

• Look on the “Logic and argument” chapter from The Writing Program at Dartmouth College: Logic and argument http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/logic.shtml
• Or you can evaluate it briefly e.g. according to the Editing Checklist: see Guide to academic writing. Online: http://www.uwc.ac.za/students/postgraduates/downloads/ACADEMIC%20WRITING%20GUIDE%20-%20complete%20draft.doc

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