Make Sense to Your Reader with Improved Organization

by Janet Salmons, Research Community Manager for SAGE Methodspace
Dr. Salmons is the author of Doing Qualitative Research Online, which focuses on ethical research and writing, and What Kind of Researcher Are You? which focuses on researcher integrity. With the code MSPACEQ322 (through September) or MSPACEQ422 (through December) you receive a 20% discount when you order the books from SAGE.

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November is Academic Writing Month #AcWriMo at Methodspace! This post was part of the 2017 #AcWriMo series. The post has been updated to include current links to resources.

When the paper, article, proposal, case study, or book manuscript I am reviewing needs revisions (or is rejected), organizational issues are typically at the heart of the problem. I get lost because central thesis or argument is vague or missing. Sentences run on; paragraphs are disconnected from a clearly stated focus.

In an effort to sound like a scholar, the writer obscures important points behind wordy explanations. Motivated to demonstrate knowledge of the literature, writers insert strings of citations or veer off into tangents that don’t support the main points. Perhaps changes are made to one section, but not consistently carried out through the entire piece of writing. If as a long-standing academic I cannot understand what the writer is trying to communicate, it is unrealistic to expect student readers to grasp the meaning. At this point in the review process, my finger hovers over the reject button.

Don’t let this happen to you! Don’t allow poor organization or lack of coherence prevent your work from being approved for publication. This set of resources emphasizes thoughtful pre-writing and outlining techniques.

Organize your Thoughts and Choose Your Approach

• Before You Start Writing That Paper... A Guide to Prewriting Techniques from the University of California at Berkeley

• Writing a Paper: Organizing Your Thoughts  from the Walden University Writing Center

• Structure and Organization from Dartmouth University

For new academic writers:

• Good Essay Writing, Fifth Edition, by Peter Redman and Wendy Maples. Companion site.

• Essay Writing: A Student's Guide, by MunLing Shields. Chapter 1, Learning and Writing at University 

• Writing for Scholars: A Practical Guide to Making Sense & Being Heard, second edition, by Lynn Nygaard. Chapter 1: Introduction.

• I Don't Know What I'm Doing by Helen Kara.

Outlining:

• Outlining an Academic Essay  from Harvard University

• Academic Essay Structures & Formats from the University of Minnesota

• Outlining Strategies from the Walden University Writing Center

• Types of Outlines and Samples from Purdue OWL

• Outlining Your Scholarly Paper from Georgetown University

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