If the hardest thing about writing is starting, then editing is probably a close second. YOU wrote the thing — if you could have written it differently, you would have, right? Editing is especially challenging if you approach it in the same way that you approach writing a first draft. The way that a good…Continue Reading Editing Techniques for Graduate Writing: AXES Highlighting
Category: Writing Tips
APA Style (and other styles that are not APA style) — FAQ
One or more of your professors may have mentioned (presumably in either hushed or frantic tones) that they want the papers you write for their class to adhere to “APA style” or “APA formatting.” If you had never heard of such a thing, this request may have seemed at once both urgent and deceptively understated,…Continue Reading APA Style (and other styles that are not APA style) — FAQ
Using Grammarly Effectively
If you’ve worked with someone on your writing–either me, another writing coach, or a consultant at the USC Dornsife Writing Center–you might have noticed that we tend to focus on “big picture” concerns (sometimes called higher-order issues) like argument, structure, and organization over discrete grammatical issues. I think this is important because, unless a grammatical…Continue Reading Using Grammarly Effectively
Outlining Your Prospectus
Your dissertation committee will be in charge of the specific guidelines of your proposal (length, format, expected scope, etc.). That being said, all effective proposals do at least four things: Contextualize and ask an answerable question; identify what existing scholarship has and has not done to address that question; explain how the researcher will answer…Continue Reading Outlining Your Prospectus
Introductions Done Three Ways
Some professors will tell you that the introduction should be the last thing that you write. Some will tell you that it should be the first. Both strategies probably have merits, but what’s most important is keeping in mind the purpose of your introduction. Your introduction should “introduce” your paper, sure, but what does that…Continue Reading Introductions Done Three Ways
Developing Research Questions
Developing a research question, like every other aspect of a research project—working with sources, the interpretation of data, the writing, the editing—takes work, and is a skill that you can practice, refine, and personalize. Here’s a short primer on how to come up with a workable research question, references included. Whether you’re just beginning, or…Continue Reading Developing Research Questions
Developing Sustainable Writing Habits
Here are some helpful guidelines for establishing a writing habit from several authors who have written books on long-term academic writing projects (such as theses, dissertations, book projects). Set a consistent day and time for writing. Choose a day, time, and frequency that works with your lifestyle and work style. Choose a duration when 1)…Continue Reading Developing Sustainable Writing Habits
Best Practices for Group Writing
Writing with a group can be challenging. How do you create a document or project that takes into account everyone’s ideas, reconciles what could be different “writerly voices,” and evenly distributes the work of researching, drafting, and editing? Though there are no easy fixes or formulas for group or collaborative writing, a few guidelines can…Continue Reading Best Practices for Group Writing
Asking for Letters of Recommendation via Email
The Spring semester is prime time for internship applications, which typically means students are requesting letters of recommendation from professors, mentors, and other professional networks. The infographic below from the Claremont McKenna’s Center for Writing and Public Discourse outlines some important steps and reminders when asking a professor for a letter of recommendation via email….Continue Reading Asking for Letters of Recommendation via Email