The Department of Digital Journalism at the College of Mass Communication, University of Baghdad, organized a scientific workshop titled “Emphasis and Its Use in Writing University Theses and Dissertations,” presented by Assistant Professor Dr. Kholoud Jabbar Aidan. The workshop aimed to highlight the importance of using emphasis techniques in academic writing to enhance clarity of meaning and precision in scholarly expression.
The workshop addressed the concept of emphasis in the Arabic language as a stylistic topic that brings together grammar, rhetoric, and pragmatics. It emphasized that emphasis is not limited to verbal reinforcement but represents a linguistic response to the communicative situation, particularly in cases of doubt, denial, or hesitation.
Dr. Aidan also reviewed key grammatical markers of emphasis, including inna (إنَّ), anna (أنَّ), the introductory lām (لام الابتداء), and qad (قد), explaining their grammatical and semantic functions. She also presented examples of common errors found in university theses, noting that persuasion in academic research depends on the strength of evidence rather than the excessive use of emphasis markers.
The workshop is part of the Department of Digital Journalism’s activities aimed at developing students’ skills in rigorous academic writing, contributing to the quality of higher education and supporting Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education.
