Page 60 - English for Writing Research Papers

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speakers into account. The paper also proposes a new approach to assessing the level of
readability of texts to account for such diffi culties.

This version is designed to immediately attract the reader’s attention. In contrast,
the first 50 words of Version 1 contain no new information at all. Version 2 has

40–50% new information or more, depending on whether readers are familiar with
the limitations of readability formulas with regard to non-natives.

So, which version should you use?

The best version to use depends on two factors:

1. the section of the paper
2. what you are trying to achieve

Version 1 would only be appropriate in an Abstract if the journal where it is being
published does not usually deal with communication and / or readability indexes. In
this case the readers need the context to be set for them. It might be more acceptable
in an Introduction in a slightly more specialized journal. In an Introduction the aim
is not principally to attract attention. If readers are reading your Introduction you
can presume that you already have their attention.

So the information contained in Version 1 would be used in an Introduction just to
remind the readers of the context. This is a very typical way to begin an Introduction –
it is what readers expect and therefore it is generally a good technique.

Version 2 would be appropriate as an Abstract or Introduction in a specialized jour-
nal on business communication.

Version 3 would only be appropriate in an Abstract and exclusively in a very spe-
cialized journal. It can only be used if you have clear findings, or a clear new meth-

odology, to report. It works very well because it does not force readers to read
background information that they are probably already familiar with.

You might also choose Version 3 as an Abstract for a congress. In such cases you are
competing for the attention of the referees who will use your Abstract to decide
whether to include your contribution at the congress. If your Abstract is accepted,
you will then be competing with other authors / presenters in motivating the audi-
ence to come and watch you rather than a parallel session.

In many languages Versions 2 and 3 would not be acceptable. In the words of one
of my Greek PhD students:

New information in Greek comes at the very end. The rule is that first the author gives
extensive background information and only at the end he / she introduces the new concept.
This is the generally accepted (and considered correct) way of writing.