Tag Archives: academic writing

Write short to help write with authority

Write short to help write with authority

One of the hardest aspects of academic writing is working out how to take a suitably authoritative stance. To be read as an expert. To sound like an authority on your topic. It’s all very well for people like me to say Well don’t be too assertive but don’t be too shrinking violet. What does this […] … learn more→

A letter to reviewer 2

A letter to reviewer 2

Dear Reviewer 2, I guess your ears often burn. You know how it is when people read your reviews. That must be hard for you – I know you spend time reading and working out what to say. I also guess you must be used to getting letters which answer back and/or show how trying […] … learn more→

Building a second brain – for academic writing

Building a second brain – for academic writing

I always feel the need for more information, at the same time as feeling completely overwhelmed by what I already have. What I’m describing is a weird (highly privileged of course), 21st century form of anxiety… But perhaps you can relate? Certainly, a lot of people wrote to me after my most recent post on […] … learn more→

Make your case stronger – argue against yourself

Make your case stronger – argue against yourself

Argument is crucial to academic writing. It’s argue argue argue all the way. Once we have identified a problem or puzzle that we think is worth researching, we then make a case for research, creating the warrant for our work. We present evidence in a persuasive sequence. We argue that the research results have a […] … learn more→

Required, desirable and delightful elements of academic writing

Required, desirable and delightful elements of academic writing

This is the time of year that I run writing workshops and courses. And because I’m preoccupied with teaching, I’m also thinking about new and different strategies for authoring and revision. Authoring and revision strategies are inter-related – heuristics used for authoring can often be converted for revision purposes and vice versa. I sometimes find […] … learn more→

Revising like a reader

Revising like a reader

Academic writing is generally intended to be persuasive. The writer – let’s say that’s us – wants to put a proposition to the reader, and convince them that what we have presented is credible. Our writing is worth taking seriously because it has something serious, or interesting, or important to say. Most academic writers don’t […] … learn more→

Academic writing is visual

Academic writing is visual

Writing is a visual medium It may seem odd to say that writing is visual. Writing – and academic writing in particular –  is about words and what they say isn’t it? Well of course it is. But the way in which we engage with words can be pretty seriously affected by the ways in […] … learn more→

Check for ‘code words’ – revising your writing

Check for ‘code words’ – revising your writing

It is not uncommon for doctoral writers to get supervisor feedback saying they need to unpack an idea. But what does this unpack really mean – and how does a writer get in a situation where they have something that needs to be unpacked? Well. Let me start with the last question first of all. How do […] … learn more→