Those Tricky Transitions in Scholarly Text | Tips on How to Get Your Research Published

Those Tricky Transitions in Scholarly Text | Tips on How to Get Your Research Published

Oct 01, 2024Rene Tetzner

Those Tricky Transitions in Scholarly Text | Tips on How to Get Your Research Published

Creating smooth and effective transitions is among the most challenging aspects of writing well. In fiction or poetry a transition might aim to startle or (temporarily) confuse a reader. Although a little of this thrill effect can be used with success in reporting groundbreaking scholarship, most transitions in academic and scientific writing should be clear and logical. The object is to share knowledge and ideas with readers, so transitions serve as guidance, nudging the reader along the story of your research and the line of your argument.

There are many levels of transitions in scholarly writing: transitions between the main points of an argument, between the sections of a document, between its individual paragraphs and even transitions from one sentence to the next. Transitions between the main points in a research argument often occur in unison with transitions between the sections of a document, particularly if the manuscript has been thoughtfully organised. They need not do so, however, and there are instances in which several major advances in an argument are presented within a single section of a scholarly document. Effectively worded transitions can clarify the importance of these advances for readers, and a brief summary at the end of the section will help situate readers in relation to your argument and prepare them for the next stage.

Often the most important transitions in scholarly documents are those between paragraphs. With the exception of lists and tables, all the textual material presented in an academic or scientific document should be written as well-developed paragraphs. In the individual paragraphs of a document the ideas, resources, procedures and data associated with a research project are introduced and discussed, so it is in those individual paragraphs that the reasoning propelling a scholarly argument is gradually presented. Effective transitions show the reader, for example, whether an author introduces a new idea or bit of evidence as a confirmation or contradiction of what has come before. More generally, they guide the reader across complicated terrain, often with many twists and turns, and render a sophisticated academic or scientific argument effective.

So how does an author create successful transitions? Well, there is no one strategy beyond imagining what the reader might need and providing it that will work in every case, and thankfully so, or reading would be a very dull activity. There are some basic approaches, however, that usually prove successful.

• Repetition of important terms is an excellent tool, with my use of the word ‘transitions’ from paragraph to paragraph above serving as a small but effective example. Choose the words you repeat with care and do not overuse repetition or your argument will become bogged down.

• Choose with care the other words you use to connect ideas as well. Try not to use standard words such as ‘therefore’ and ‘however’ too frequently to establish the movement of your argument and be sure to provide more detailed explanations when the material demands it. Keep in mind that the goal is to enable and encourage the comprehension of your readers.

• Be specific when making important transitions. Key terms should be used with precision and consistency or it may be unclear exactly what you mean. Avoiding pronouns and using the nouns instead when beginning new paragraphs and sections will help you keep your argument well grounded. 

Why Our Editing and Proofreading Services?
At Proof-Reading-Service.com we offer the highest quality journal article editing, dissertation proofreading and online proofreading services via our large and extremely dedicated team of academic and scientific professionals. All of our proofreaders are native speakers of English who have earned their own postgraduate degrees, and their areas of specialisation cover such a wide range of disciplines that we are able to help our international clientele with research editing to improve and perfect all kinds of academic manuscripts for successful publication. Many of the carefully trained members of our manuscript editing and proofreading team work predominantly on articles intended for publication in scholarly journals, applying painstaking journal editing standards to ensure that the references and formatting used in each paper are in conformity with the journal’s instructions for authors and to correct any grammar, spelling, punctuation or simple typing errors. In this way, we enable our clients to report their research in the clear and accurate ways required to impress acquisitions proofreaders and achieve publication.

Our scientific proofreading services for the authors of a wide variety of scientific journal papers are especially popular, but we also offer manuscript proofreading services and have the experience and expertise to proofread and edit manuscripts in all scholarly disciplines, as well as beyond them. We have team members who specialise in medical proofreading services, and some of our experts dedicate their time exclusively to dissertation proofreading and manuscript proofreading, offering academics the opportunity to improve their use of formatting and language through the most exacting PhD thesis editing and journal article proofreading practices. Whether you are preparing a conference paper for presentation, polishing a progress report to share with colleagues, or facing the daunting task of editing and perfecting any kind of scholarly document for publication, a qualified member of our professional team can provide invaluable assistance and give you greater confidence in your written work.

If you are in the process of preparing an article for an academic or scientific journal, or planning one for the near future, you may well be interested in a new book, Guide to Journal Publication, which is available on our Tips and Advice on Publishing Research in Journals website.



更多文章