Developing an authorial voice and narrative

In research writing, an author’s voice is an instrument that weaves all ideas, including background information and your own research, into a unified argument.

Authorial voice is created:

  • At a macro level: by consistently clarifying and justifying all your research decisions and findings in relation to your research question.
    • At a middle level: by connecting and interpreting sources and your own research using your analytical lens.
      • At a micro level: by using language that shows your involvement and evaluation, such as when you decide whether to write ‘Smith (2017) demonstrates that …’ or ‘assumes that …’ (reporting verbs show your attitude to the source).

Narrative is closely related to voice as another instrument for developing your research argument. If your voice expresses your creative and critical thinking, your narrative paces the progression of the argument through all thesis elements, from the research problem through to your methods, results and discussion.

Narrative can be seen most clearly in the structural and content alignment of introductory and concluding messages on the levels of the whole thesis, individual chapters, sections and paragraphs.

Use a U-shaped writing structure

Argument through voice and narrative can be shown through a U-shaped writing structure. Watch the following video to see the movement of ideas at the paragraph level.

Progressing your argument through the U-shaped paragraph

Extrapolate the U-shaped structure

In a model thesis or your own thesis:

  • Can you notice a similar progression from the general to the specific back to the general, not only at the paragraph level but also at the section, chapter and thesis level?
  • Is the thesis argument being developed in small steps at a lower level and in broader strokes at a higher one?
  • Put together the introduction and conclusion to each of the thesis chapters in one document. Do they make a smooth narrative?
  • Use the thesis abstract to overview the author’s voice and narrative.
    • Is there enough rationale and progression of the thesis argument?
    • Does the language help show these?

Use the side menu to go the next section: Demonstrating originality and strength of claim, where we look at an originality checklist and the language for stating your original contribution.