Writing Perfect & Effective Paragraphs for Academic Papers
Perhaps writing perfect paragraphs, like writing perfect sentences, is one of those ultimately unattainable ideals that accomplished authors aspire to achieve, but never really do. Paragraphs that fall slightly short of perfection but nonetheless do what they were intended to do by their authors and do it well are usually possible, however. Given that most writing must be produced within a limited period of time, such functional success is a reasonable and attainable goal – the primary goal, in fact, for most academics and scientists who are recording their latest research for publication.

Even writing effective paragraphs is far from a simple task. Paragraphs break text down into bite-size chunks of logic, so behind each paragraph there should be a specific logic. A paragraph might introduce a topic, for instance, present the findings of a particular trial or address the limitations of the methodology used. Since scholarly paragraphs are most effective in communicating information to readers if they are not too long, it is best not to stuff too much material into a single paragraph. How large the bite of logic for each paragraph should be will vary from document to document, so if the results of three trials can be reported briefly and would be usefully presented together, it may be better to include them in a single paragraph, especially if separating the trials would mean a string of paragraphs containing only a single sentence each.

Single-sentence paragraphs are more akin to long list entries than to true paragraphs. In some scientific journals, certain results might conventionally be reported in single sentences formatted as paragraphs, so do check the guidelines and articles already published by the journal to see if such a layout is preferred or allowed. Strictly speaking, however, each paragraph should contain more than one sentence, with the first sentence introducing the topic or logic of the paragraph and the following sentences, however many there may be, providing the information or developing the idea promised in that first sentence. Often the final sentence of a paragraph sums up the contents of the paragraph and nudges the reader on to the next paragraph.

Devising an outline for your manuscript that includes some indication of the number of paragraphs you anticipate in each section and the topic or bite of logic you expect to present in each paragraph can be immensely helpful. It is rare indeed for such plans to be fulfilled with precision in the actual composition of a document, but if you plan your paragraphs with an eye to the word limits you need to observe, you will have an excellent way of determining when you are waxing prolix or need to expand your argument. If the information you intended to include in a single paragraph runs on too long, you may need two or three paragraphs, but if that is simply not possible within the guidelines, you will have to shorten your discussion. Just the opposite is true when the paragraphs you planned turn out far too short. Although submitting for publication a document well under the word limit is usually acceptable, successful academic and scientific writing always includes detail and analysis. Short paragraphs can be fleshed out with both.