Signposting

How it is used

Examples: 'This chapter is organized as follows', 'As discussed in Section 2', 'Turning now to ...', 'In the next section ...'. It is essential in long theses and in conference talks, where listeners cannot look back. The verb is signpost.

Example sentences

1. Your chapters need more signposting so the reader can follow the argument.

2. Good signposting at the start of a talk tells the audience what to expect.

Common collocations

• signposting language
• clear signposting
• signpost the argument
• signposting phrases

Related terms

• topic sentenceA sentence, usually the first in a paragraph, that states the main idea the rest of the paragraph develops.
• introductionThe opening section of an article, thesis or essay, which presents the topic, shows why it matters, identifies a gap and states the aim of the work.
• conferenceA formal meeting, often lasting several days, where researchers present their work, listen to talks and discuss ideas with others in their field.
• thesisA long piece of original research written for a university degree; also the main idea or position that an essay or article argues for.

More terms: Thesis and Article Structure

• abstract
• dissertation
• paper
• conclusion
• discussion
• draft
• limitation
• proofread
• IMRaD
• methods section
• keyword
• appendix