Paragraphing (Part 1 of 2)

Abstract

The purpose of paragraphing is to make text understandable and easy to read, and to help you tell your story effectively. Paragraphing is difficult because the purpose of the documents we produce and their readership are diverse. To make matters worse, little guidance is given in school and during higher education. Paragraphing is not governed by standard rules; some conventions apply but often are – or have to be – ignored in scientific and medical texts. This is the first of two articles on paragraphing and deals with basic issues that face medical writers and editors. The second article will look at developing paragraphs from ideas when you plan a document.

Keywords:

• Paragraphing
• Rules
• Topic sentence
• Scientific writing
• Text flow
• Linking words

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Guy Whitehead of the American Medical Writers Association, Arndt von Campe of Aarau Cantonal Hospital, Switzerland, and Aristomenis Exadaktylos of the Inselspital, Berne, Switzerland, for some of the examples used.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alistair Reeves

Alistair Reeves has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 35 years as a translator, writer, editor, and trainer, for the last 10 years as a freelancer focussing on training and editing. He is a regular contributor on language issues to the journal and an honorary member of EMWA. Phillip Leventhal is a Scientific Writer for 4Clinics, Paris, France, where he specializes in manuscript writing. He also is Editor-in-Chief for Medical Writing and leads workshops and courses on medical writing.