BA Art History and BA Arts, Media, Society

What?

After the introduction of an academic text, the argument follows: the main body of the article/chapter(s). This is the core of the research, in which depth should be added to the research results as the arguments are put forward.

 

Why?

It is important that the reader is presented with the research, the arguments and the accompanying results in a logical way, because:

• the argument will be easier to follow

• the conclusion will be more plausible; something you hope to accomplish as an author

• large pieces of texts will be more clear

Persuasiveness and clarity go hand in hand.

 

How?

The author can provide this clarity by creating a consistent structure in his or her text.

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Tips:

• First, create an argumentation scheme

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• Use the ‘Say Say Say’ approach

Say what you are going to say, say it, then say what you have said. Introduce the topic, treat the topic divided into different aspects, then briefly summarise the main points of the text and end the text with a concluding statement.

This structure of ‘question - argument - conclusion’ is not only relevant for the paper as a whole, but also for the subchapters and paragraphs. Therefore, in every part of the text, try to ask a question (or write in a questioning way), provide arguments or sources to answer this question, and then formulate a conclusion that answers this question.

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• Treat every major subquestion in a separate chapter (divided into paragraphs that contain parts of that subquestion).

Each chapter revolves around answering part of the research question; around answering a sub-question.

Within the chapter you again apply the say-say-say structure. Start with a short introduction in which you formulate and explain the sub-question (which you also mentioned in the general introduction). Then you expand on it in the middle of the chapter before you answer the sub-question in the conclusion of the chapter.

Give each chapter its own title and make sure the title covers the content of the chapter. Take the most relevant terms from the chapter and formulate the title with these. Note: the title is not the same as the sub-question!

 

• Do not write the text as a whole without interruption, but rather divide it into paragraphs

Highlight paragraphs by creating an indent at the beginning using a tab. For tips on visually structuring the argument (headings, blank lines, tabs), see Year 1, Argument.

 

• Make sure that each paragraph forms a coherent whole

Test this by summarising the content of each paragraph in a few keywords in the margin. By realising what each paragraph is about, you can judge whether you have combined the information in a logical way and you will become aware of what you are doing exactly in each part of the text, for instance: laying down conditions, answering questions, defining aim and necessity of your research, creating a timeline, discussing theorists in relation to the work of art, identifying similarities or differences, carrying out a visual analysis, etc.

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• Explicitly mention the structure in the introductory paragraphs of the article/chapter:

For example: "First, ... will be treated, after which, in the second paragraph ... will be discussed".

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• Throughout the text, refer back to the structure and signal your progress:

For example: "This brings me to the second point...", "After discussing ..., now ... will be examined". Do not exaggerate, however, because too much signalling can irritate the reader.

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• Make sure the most important authors and the most important publications are mentioned in the body of the text.

Do not hide them in the notes, but discuss them in the body of the text if they are crucial to answer your question. When you mention an important publication for the first time, make sure you mention the author’s first and last name, as well as the full name of the publication and the year of publication.

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• Use signal words (see Writing Style)​

These allow sentences to logically follow from one another and helps separate the supporting and opposing arguments.