Structure of

information in
written texts
Coherence
Patterns of information structuring

Cohesion and coherence

Cohesion is a necessary condition for

creating text, though it is not

sufficient.
Cohesion expresses the continuity, the
links that exist between parts of
discourse.
Coherence works on the information
level of a text and involves:
topic and topic development
information structure
readability of texts

Topic sentence level

At the basic sentential level, a distinction can

be made between topic and comment;

Topic = grammatical subject +/- other
elements
Comment = predication
e.g.
Robot hands // have been employed for motion
control and assembling parts.

Sentence topic example

Computational reflection // is a well-known

technique applied in many existing

programming languages.
The problems that may be tackled by using

reflection // span a wide spectrum.

Topic in paragraphs
Topic sentence (name+controlling idea)
Supporting sentences
Concluding sentences

Topic in paragraphs

Topic and
topic sentence

/Historically, the deep circulation of the ocean has been

viewed from the perspective of property fields, mainly the

distributions of temperature, salinity, density, and dissolvedoxygen concentration. The practical reason for not
considering velocity measurements as well, of course, was a
technical incapacity for making them until very recently. /On
the whole, this was probably not a bad thing: not merely
because the property distributions are as interesting in
themselves as the motion field, but also because the scalar
fields are so much more stable than the velocity vectorsallowing spot measurements from different areas even
years apart to be combined into coherent pictures/ that tell
Supporting
a good deal aboutConcluding
general patterns of deep flow, albeit
statement
remark
indirectly.

Topic development and information

structure
The way topic develops on the level of

paragraphs or texts determines the structure

of information provided by the text.
Topic development = a subject introduction,
development, completion;
Topic shift = a break in the discourse to
introduce another subject.

Coherent or not?

Patterns of information structuring

Typical patterns in science discourse:

Given/known new
General specific
Problem solution

Known new information

Typically new information follows already

known information;
Known information can be
Something the speaker/writer and

listener/reader share because it has been

mention in their conversation;
Something that is/presupposed to be
general/common knowledge;
Something that is assumed as common
knowledge in their field of work/professional
field.

Known-new information
New information is usually:
The predication about the subject in a
sentence;
Added data/items of information;
Information introduced for the first time in the
conversation;
Novel interpretation of known data;
Personal interpretation of data/situation etc.

Known or new?

Known or new?

General specific
In this type of text, information moves from

general to more specific:

General
statement
Specific
details
Broader
statement
generalizatio
n

GS texts: definitions
GS pattern: class - - - particularities - -

-specific item
Sustainability is the endurance of systems and
processes.
The
organizing
principle
for
sustainability is sustainable development,
which includes the four interconnected domains:
ecology, economics, politics and culture.
(wikipedia)

Problem-solution
Information organization seen rather as steps

required to provide a solution;

PS texts are more argumentative and
evaluative;
PS texts contain several obligatory steps and
some optional;
Steps develop in a linear or cyclical structure;
Steps are often lexically signalled.

Problem - solution
Linear

Cyclical
Situation
Problem
Solution
Evaluation

SPRE
Situation gives the necessary background

information;
Problem describes the nature of an issue that
requires attention/solution;
Response/solution provides the necessary
information to solve/deal with the problem
identified;
Evaluation provides an assessment of the
response; it is often an optional step

Example 1
[situation] Mechatronics is a discipline that combines
elements from mechanical engineering, electrical
engineering, and computer science.[problem] Given its
cross disciplinary nature, it is typically reserved for
graduate or upper-level undergraduate courses.[solution]
This trend may be beginning to change as schools
introduce mechatronics centered curricula. [problem]
However, it is generally believed that beginning
engineering students are usually too inexperienced to
handle mechatronics concepts. [solution] While this may
be true for advanced mechatronics, the basic elements of
the topic can easily be grasped by undergraduate students
and even high school students.

Example 2
The use of laminated composites in engineered products has seen a rapid rise in recent
years. Companies dealing with projects involving laminated composites have a difficult
time trying to efficiently manage the large amount of knowledge throughout the product
life cycle. There is usually some loss of clarity about the information in the design-tomanufacturing process flow as the cycle advances . This is especially true in the case of
automobile and aerospace industries where laminated composites are heavily used. For
example, consider the construction of Boeings Dreamliner. It includes thousands of
parts and involves designing laminated

composite structures for which the design

engineers spend days trying to evaluate the right choice of material

combinations.

However, in reality, design, analysis and manufacturing engineers do not work together
constantly. Instead, they often tend to recede from the big picture and focus on their
own domains, often leading to conflicts of interest. Thus, the large amount of knowledge
coupled with a serial product development process usually causes multiple design
iterations, excessive design reviews, large lead times and high costs. Since the design
and manufacturing of laminated composites are highly knowledge intensive activities,
efficient mechanisms for capturing, reusing, and sharing the wealth of knowledge
involved are sorely needed.

Example 2 information structure

What is the topic of this fragment?
What is problem 1?
What is the cause of P1?
What example of real-life problem is given?
How is problem 1 usually solved?
Why this doesnt work? P2
What is P2?
What is the cause of P2?
What are the components of P2/negative outcomes ?
What is the solution of P2?

Example 2 information structure

Draw an information map of the text in Example

2 based on the answers to the previous
questions.

Example 2 SPRE
pattern
situation:

The use of
laminated
composites in
engineered products
has seen a rapid rise
in recent years.

Example 2 SPRE
pattern
Problem 1:

Solution 1:

Companies dealing with projects involving

laminated composites have a difficult time
trying to efficiently manage the large
amount of knowledge throughout the
product life cycle. There is usually some
loss of clarity about the information in the
design-to-manufacturing process flow as
the cycle advances . This is especially true
in the case of automobile and aerospace
industries where laminated composites are
heavily used. For example, consider the
construction of Boeings Dreamliner.
involves designing laminated
composite structures for which the
design engineers spend days trying to
evaluate the right choice of material
combinations.

Example 2 SPRE
pattern
Problem 2:

Solution 2:
Evaluation?

However, in reality, design, analysis and

manufacturing engineers do not work
together constantly. Instead, they often
tend to recede from the big picture and
focus on their own domains, often
leading to conflicts of interest. Thus, the
large amount of knowledge coupled with
a serial product development process
usually causes multiple design
iterations, excessive design reviews,
large lead times and high costs.
Since the design and manufacturing of
laminated composites are highly
knowledge intensive activities, efficient
mechanisms for capturing, reusing,
and sharing the wealth of knowledge
involved are sorely needed.

T/F Quizz
Coherence refers to the information
T/F
development in a text.
In GS texts, the hourglass structure
represents the movement from general
information to particular
T/F details.
The PS pattern is a linear two-step
development of information.
T/F