Tài liệu Writing for Publication part 4 docx

elements. Unless you are writing in some of the less conventional genres,

which we will discuss shortly, these elements should include:

• A question, or questions, being addressed.

• An overarching argument that contains different strands and themes.

• Evidence to support the argument, which may consist of empirical

data collected from archives or fieldwork, or it might consist of the

writings of others. Most likely, it will include both.

Just as a pile of bricks, glass and concrete does not a building make, so

a poorly constructed pile of questions, arguments and evidence does

not constitute a convincing and powerful piece of academic writing.

Academic writing, like buildings, needs to be put together in a precise

and skilled fashion. As we’ve said, a plan is an essential first step in

such a construction exercise. Builders don’t just start randomly

arranging bricks and carry on until they find something that looks

interesting.

You must not make your reader do more work than is absolutely

necessary. Be kind to them by giving them signposts, explaining what

you are doing, using clear language and pointing to the significance of

what you are saying. If you do all this, the reader is more likely not only

to get real value from your writing, but also to read it in the first place.

It’s only when you are an academic mega-star (and sometimes not even

then) that readers will persist with impenetrable and poorly written

texts in order to uncover the meaning.

Our best and most basic advice on structure is that which we give to

undergraduate students:

• Say what you are going to say.

• Say it.

• Say what you’ve said.

By ‘say what you’re going to say’ we mean that near the start of your

writing you should introduce what the focus of your enquiry or

discussion is (that is, your question or issues) and explain what your

general line of argument and sources of evidence will be. You also need

to set out the order in which you will approach things. However, it’s

important not to pre-empt your argument. Rather, use this section as a

way of enticing the reader to go further. Of course there is no need to

be unduly ponderous about it.

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