When I started this blog thirteen years ago I wanted to provide advice and resources about academic writing and doctoral research. Along the way I sometimes meandered into more general academic issues and occasionally things that were more about me. Sometimes I shared what I was writing. As in the last post where I posted […] … learn more→

Academic writing can be challenging, even for experienced scholars. You may find yourself making common mistakes that undermine the quality and credibility of your work. Recognizing and avoiding these errors will significantly improve your academic writing skills. Common Grammatical Mistakes Subject-Verb Agreement Errors Subject-verb agreement is essential for clear communication in academic writing. Errors occur […] … learn more→

The arrival of artificial intelligence has put all educational models in check. The current paradigm of the teaching-learning process has been questioned and there are many voices that have supported the need to integrate everything that AI offers in the training of students, from basic education to higher education. This is because AI has multiple functions that […] … learn more→

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→

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→

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→

I work a lot with artists and designers. Because I’m a bit of a magpie, I have a habit of collecting – and then using – their principles and approaches. A lot of them are interesting, because they make you – well, they make me – stop and think a bit.  I reckon that visiting […] … learn more→

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→

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→

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→