above discussion vs. discussion above

[palinkasocsi]

Hi there,

How would you refer back to a discussion in an academic essay:

As the above discussion attests, ... or As the discussion above attests ... ?

Thank you.

P.

[SUDHKAMP]

I think both are correct, though the second choice is better.

__________________________
SUDHKAMP

I am not a teacher of English. Just someone who loves the language.

[Raymott]

Hi there,

How would you refer back to a discussion in an academic essay:

As the above discussion attests, ... or As the discussion above attests ... ?

Thank you.

P.

They can be interchangeable.
There may be a slight difference in that "the above discussion" refers to anything preceding the current point in the paper, while "the discussion above" could mean "immediately above the current point".
If the "discussion above" is a few paragraphs back, it's best to say "the earlier discussion on X" or "as pointed out earlier", etc.
But I wouldn't sweat over it. If you've arranged the paper well, your reader will tell from the context what you mean.