Читать книгу The Craft of Innovative Theology. Argument and Process онлайн

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The structure of your paragraphs should follow the roadmap in your introduction. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence that states the overall point of the paragraph. And at the beginning and end of each section (remember that each section is a step in the overall argument) you should include a “signpost” that references the roadmap in the introduction and indicates where the overall paper is going. If the argument is especially complex, your signposts can include summary reminders of the points in the argument that you have already established can be helpful. Topic sentences and signposts keep your reader oriented to the overall direction of the paper and how far along in the argument they are.

Once you have finished a draft and completed your first revision, ask a colleague to read it. This may become less necessary after you have become more experienced in publishing articles. Still, even experienced writers sometimes find it helpful to have a colleague read their essays. As the author, you know and have been living with your argument for some time. It’s therefore difficult for most authors to know how clear the essay’s argument is to someone reading it for the first time. It’s common in graduate school, however, to form dissertation groups of three or four students who read and discuss each other’s work before submitting it. This is especially helpful if you’re writing in a language other than your first language. Even if you don’t have a colleague read it, it’s a good idea to let it sit for a couple of days and then do a significant revision.