Placing your research within a wider academic discourse or ‘conversation’ is a standard requirement for academic writing, but what does it actually mean? In this cross-post, Pat Thomson, explores the concept and suggests that three principl…
Category: writing tips
10 Counter-intuitive insights from an academic writing coach
Academic writing is a difficult and creative undertaking and advice to authors can often be to follow a single method or to copy the approaches of other academics. In this post Chris Smith draws on his years of experience working as an academic writing coach, to provide 10 counter-intuitive insights to help you understand and improve your own writing practice. […]
Planning on writing over the holidays? Here is how to do it
Many academics use the summer holidays as a time to relax, unwind and finally get that writing project done. However, is setting aside large chunks of time over the holidays the best way to approach academic writing? Chris Smith argues that writing over the holidays can be effective, but should be approached thoughtfully. Whereas, the holidays may seem to present […]
How to save space and stick to the limit when writing research funding applications
Research funders impose length limits on applications for practical reasons: to discourage epic submissions, and to ease the burden on reviewers. It’s also true that concise ideas are generally stronger ideas. But sticking to these limits can often seem a difficult and frustrating task. Jonathan O’Donnell offers advice to researchers looking to find a little more space in their applications. […]
The Materiality of Research: Creating a community of writing practice in the classroom
Despite most students being partly or wholly assessed on their writing, very few would consider themselves to be writers. Nonia Williams Korteling explores how students might be supported in feeling more confident about writing processes and practices in the classroom, focusing on two methods that can help students begin to see themselves as part of a community of writers: freewriting, […]