Finding academia frustrating, and with zero ideas on how to proceed with that essay or abstract of yours? While the formula comes with practice, here are a few tips to help
Flag your argument in the introduction- This is very important! It is an open secret that most academicians read the introduction with more care than the rest of the paper. So make sure you demarcate what your argument in the paper is right at the beginning, and then map out what exactly you will explore in this paper of yours, what approach you are undertaking, and what should the reader expect!
Sub-Headings- Subheadings are always recommended because it brings to light how you have structured the paper, and it gives an aspect of clarity within your paper that is crucial for the reader.
First and the last sentence of every paragraph- When short of time, which academicians usually are, after the introduction, sometimes, people skim through the paper by reading the first and last line of every paragraph. As a result, the reader, it is usually recommended that the first line should explain the argument of the paragraph, and the last line of the paragraph should explain the conclusion! Though this may be tedious at first, it is recommended to go back while editing to just see through these lines and make sure they are clear!
Avoid using I- Using “I” in the paper, unless absolutely necessary should be avoided. Instead, try replacing it with a third person. For example, instead of saying, “in the light of the above evidence, I would conclude” you could say, “in light of the above evidence, it could be concluded that…”.
Conclusion- The conclusion is something that reinforces the whole point of the paper. Therefore it is vital! ALWAYS write a conclusion, stating how you have read the evidence, with the help of the approach that you undertook.
Give Examples- This is a must! Academic arguments can be extremely flat if you don’t substantiate them with a proper basis as it leads to overgeneralization. When you provide an example, you provide a certain connection with reality. Moreover, it gives a stronger relevance to your paper, and gives a more concrete output of your methodology!
Print and Edit- An important method, which would ensure a good outcome for your paper is to take a printout after you have typed a draft and read it aloud. This is useful to strengthen the structure, formulate your argument more coherently and refine the theoretical sentences, which can get confusing for the reader.
