Category Archives: introduction

why journal articles get rejected – #3

Every journal article is expected to make a contribution. The writer has to say something that adds to the conversation about the particular topic in the target journal. And through this addition, they participate in the discussion in the field. … Continue reading

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book writing – on introductions and some-we-prepared-before

I’m writing. As I guess are many of you. I’m writing another book. You may be writing a paper, a chapter, a magazine article., a graphic novel. But my writing right now is – book.  It seems no time at … Continue reading

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“showing” and “telling” in the thesis

The thesis must show and tell your examiner that its writer is ready to be called Dr. Yep. Dr (insert your surname here.) What do I mean by show and tell? Well, even if these are not the usual definitions, … Continue reading

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introductions – establishing significance

Introductions have to do a lot of work in a short space of time. The beginning of the conventional journal article, for instance, has to tell the reader what the paper is about and why it is important. And do … Continue reading

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‘internationalising’ a journal article

Thankyou for your paper… blah blah blah revisions… blah blah… You need to make sure that your paper speaks to an international audience. It’s not uncommon to get this kind of reviewer feedback on a journal article, particularly in the … Continue reading

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vignette variations

I was recently asked for an example of the use of vignette. Here it is.  There are many ways to write a journal article besides the standard Introduction followed by a Literature Review, Methods, Results and Discussion and Conclusion. While there are … Continue reading

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use a vignette – #wakeupreader

Most readers, even academic ones, like a bit of a story. And a vignette is just a bit of a story, a condensed version. A vignette is brief, evocative and descriptive. It provides information about key points of an event … Continue reading

Posted in #wakeupreader, creative writing, introduction, narrative, Uncategorized, vignette | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

paper not working? try the “what’s the problem?” approach

Ever find yourself with a draft of a journal article that you’re just not happy with? Can’t put your finger on what’s wrong? Well you’re not alone. The being-disgruntled-with-a-paper-but-unsure-of-the-reason syndrome is the most common problem I see in writing workshops. Unhappy … Continue reading

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introducing a literatures paper

The Introduction to a literatures paper has a specific job to do – the reader needs to be convinced that the review is needed, that is, the paper has a purpose and it is important for them to read it. The reader also … Continue reading

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is your research or your paper needed? #knowhow

A successful research proposal or published academic paper or book almost always justifies its own existence. Omitting the reasoning that produced the bid, project paper or book can lead to bid failure and paper rejection. A research project In order … Continue reading

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