ABSTRACT

Rather than giving prescriptive rules for sequencing that may not match expectations of a given field, this textbook explains general principles of sequencing and how authors can use them to enhance or clarify the argument structure. First, three kinds of logical reasoning are distinguished: deductive, inductive, and abductive. This is followed by a discussion of evaluative reasoning, revealed not only through words but also through ordering of information. Next, the chapter introduces extended and condensed styles, and why each is used in different parts of an article, using the metaphor of a GPS. Condensed style is analogous to turning the GPS off in familiar areas where it is not needed. Extended style not only announces the turns (in topic sentences), but warns of upcoming turns (in introductory summary paragraphs). The chapter closes with a consideration of different sequencing strategies, including physical, temporal, relational, and mathematical, including how strategies can be nested, causing components to appear in a cyclical (recursive) pattern. While these are not reasoning, per se, they help the reader follow the argument.