Sections and topic sentences

As a researcher, you can hardly avoid having to communicate your research in written English. You may be working on your PhD and are about to write your first scientific article in English, or you may be a more experienced researcher who has primarily written in Danish but is now about to publish in English.

We hold courses in academic writing in English specifically for PhD students and researchers, and we edit research articles for more experienced researchers, where we work with the language of the scientific article. A recurring theme in both our writing courses and editing assignments is to ensure that the text is reader-friendly. A key approach to achieving this is the use of logically structured paragraphs and clear and concise topic sentences.

In the following, we share some tips on how to ensure a reader-friendly text by focusing on your paragraphs and topic sentences. And although our focus here is on written English, you can also benefit from our tips when writing in Danish.

What is a section?

Put simply, a paragraph is a coherent block of text that develops or explores a topic or idea. A paragraph can consist of one or more sentences. In academic writing style, a paragraph typically consists of a topic sentence that introduces the topic or idea of the paragraph, followed by a series of supporting sentences that elaborate or explore the topic.

How long should a paragraph be?

You can't quite put into words how many lines or sentences the ideal paragraph should contain. When teaching academic writing, we often mention the rule of thumb: one paragraph = eight lines. But it's a rule with many exceptions. Instead of counting lines or sentences, we encourage you to focus on the idea or topic that the paragraph highlights. When you change focus and start talking about a new topic, it's time to hit the back button and start a new paragraph.

Why should you use topic sentences?

A topic sentence should clearly identify the topic or idea you want to discuss in the paragraph and is typically the first or second sentence of the paragraph. You could say that the topic sentence is a kind of heading for each paragraph, helping the reader to get a quick overview of the individual paragraph and the text as a whole.

Write short and concise topic sentences

You should strive to make your topic sentences relatively short and concise. When editing scientific texts, we often see long and complex topic sentences. The author simply wants to say too much at once. We recommend that you cut to the chase in your topic sentence and only include the most necessary details.

For example, this relatively long topic sentence:

The gut microbiota, influenced by dietary habits and environmental factors, emerges as a pivotal player in the development and progression of insulin resistance, offering potential targets for microbiome-based interventions in diabetes management.

cut down to:

The gut microbiota's pivotal role in insulin resistance is influenced by dietary habits and environmental factors.

What comes after the topic sentence?

After the topic sentence, you can add facts, examples or arguments.

If we continue with the example from before, the next sentence could look like this:

Understanding this dynamic relationship offers insights into potential microbiome-based interventions for improved diabetes management.

To stay within the scope of your overall topic sentence, make sure that all subsequent sentences in the paragraph are relevant to and support the central idea that you have presented in your topic sentence. A good tip here is to bold your topic sentence as you write - this can help you stay focused.

Create context

Help your reader follow the progression of your "story" by creating a clear connection between your sentences.

When editing scientific articles, we often find that the logic is flawed - what is clear to the author is less clear to the reader. Make sure that the logical connection between sentences is clear to the reader. You don't want your reader to ask, "How does this sentence relate to what I just read?"

Create variation in the length and complexity of your sentences

While you should strive to keep your topic sentences short and concise as a general rule, it's okay for subsequent sentences to be a little longer and a little more complex. Variation helps make your text more interesting and stimulating to read.

Use conjunctions and sentence connectors

Conjunctions and sentence connectors help to create cohesion between sentences and paragraphs. In English, conjunctions are called "conjunctions" - examples of such words in English are "and", "but" and "yet" - and connectives are called "connectives" - examples of which are "however", "therefore", "moreover" and "thus".

Create logical connections between sentences

When you create logical connections between your sentences, you make it easier for the reader to follow the "common thread" of your story. In addition to using connectives and sentence links, you can create coherence in your text by repeating and building on a concept you've already mentioned.

In the following example, we have made use of all the tools described above.

The short and concise topic sentence presents the main topic: "intergenerational dynamics in immigrant families" and "caregiving roles".

The next sentences build on the key concepts of "intergenerational dynamics", "immigrant families" and "caregiving roles" in different ways, with the phrase "moreover" linking the sentences together:

"Studying intergenerational dynamics in immigrant families in Denmark reveals nuanced caregiving roles. These roles are shaped by various factors, including cultural values, socioeconomic status, and acculturation processes. For instance, younger generations often navigate between preserving their heritage and adopting the norms of the host society, influencing their participation in caregiving activities. Moreover, the availability of support networks within the immigrant community and access to formal healthcare services further impact caregiving arrangements. Understanding these complexities is crucial for developing effective support systems and policies tailored to the diverse needs of immigrant families, enhancing their well-being and integration into Danish society."

When you use these tips, you make your text more reader-friendly and your reader can focus on your ideas rather than your words.