Coherence in academic writing is essential. It is the coherence that lets the ideas flow smoothly in the body of any scholarly text. It facilitates a smooth transition from one paragraph of the writing to another. Still, many are unaware of its importance in academic writing and do not pay proper attention to creating a coherent text. So, considering this, in today’s article, we will talk about the role of coherence in academic writing. There will be a mention of the points that explain why achieving coherence is important. However, before that, let’s explain coherence in detail and clarify some things about it.
What does it mean by coherence in academic writing?
Coherence means “clarity of expression” in its literal meaning. Coherence is defined as the logical bridge between words, sentences, and paragraphs, which facilitates a smooth flow of ideas throughout the writing. It is achieved when you use correct grammar and make correct choices of the words, i.e., vocabulary that fits into the particular academic writing context. Without coherence, the reader may experience choppiness of the ideas, which is very bad for the success of any kind of academic text.
Is coherence different from cohesion?
Many students confuse themselves in an attempt to understand whether or not coherence and cohesion are the same things. The answer to this question is a YES. Both coherence and cohesion are different things. Cohesion in academic writing is about the interconnectivity of paragraph lines. It explains whether or not the sentences in a paragraph are connected. On the other hand, coherence in academic writing explains the connectivity of the research ideas. It tells whether or not the ideas and concepts discussed in a particular research field are connected. Hence, there is a clear between coherence and cohesion.
The role of coherence in academic writing
Academic writing is a formal style of writing mostly used in universities and graduate colleges. In addition to who, why, and what, it also explains how. The explanation of this “how” is related to the organisation of the ideas and concepts in academic writing, which you can only achieve through coherence. A brief description of points explaining its role is as follows:
1. Maintains unity among the paragraphs
The first role of coherence is that it maintains unity among paragraphs of academic writing. Unity means there is only one idea being discussed throughout the writing, and it links to every section and every chapter of the writing. The paragraph coherence is achieved when all the sentences are written in a logical manner and there is the proper use of transition words.
2. Allows the readers to develop a strong connection
The second role of coherence in academic writing is that it allows the readers to solidify the connection between one idea and the upcoming idea. It is also about the contextual fitness of the concepts and ideas being discussed in academic writing. The contextual fitness of ideas is more important so that all the paragraphs make sense to the reader. Hence, this is an added role of coherence that it plays.
3. Facilitates quick learning
When academic writing is coherent, and there is a discussion on only one idea throughout the writing, the readers understand the overall concept pretty easily and quickly. It is because everything the reader needs to learn is in front of him in easy words. In addition to this, when there is coherence in academic writing, the reader understands the message of the writer easily. However, if, for any reason, you fail to formulate coherent sentences, do not worry. Think of hiring a coursework writing service that can do this for you.
4. Provides a flow to the information
The flow of ideas and information is critical to the success of any academic writing. When there is flow, it means there is no hindrance to understanding the concept. This is exactly what coherence does. It helps you organise the information logically and provides flow to the writing, which is missing in most academic writings. Hence, this is the 4th role that it plays.
5. Increases the acceptance rate
Lastly, coherence in academic writing increases the acceptance rate of your academic writing. This is especially helpful when you need to submit the writing for publication to a journal. The journal editors note these things with attention. So, if your writing is coherent, it means it is going to be published. Hence, it plays a major in the publication of your writing.
Conclusion
After the discussion above, we have reached the conclusion that academic writing must be coherent. Coherence in academic writing plays a few major roles in which increasing the acceptance of writing and facilitating quick learning are the most important. Well, others are also important. So, read every line and paragraph above, and make your writing coherent.
