Links to resources you might find useful as an academic writer. Note: More resources will be added over time. If there is a specific resource you think should be listed here, please let me know!
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Advive • Book Recommendations • Newsletters • Websites & Tools
Advice, in Various Formats
- Ask Dr. Editor – Advice column written by Letitia Henville for academics. Topics range from how to revise and resubmit your journal article to preparing persuasive promotion and tenure documents.
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How to Win Acceptances by Psychology Journals: 21 Tips for Better Writing
A list of 21 tips for better writing from Prof. R. J. Sternberg. The article was originally published in 1993 in a newsletter from the American Psychological Society, but the advice applies to all fields and disciplines and is as valid today as it was back then. You can find the piece in various places on the internet, including here.
Book Recommendations
- The Best Punctuation Book, Period (June Casagrande, 2014)
A highly useful guide not only for academics but also other writers, as Casagrande explains punctuation rules in book-editing (B), news media and business writing (N), science (S), and academia (A).
- The Book Proposal Book: A Guide for Scholarly Authors (Laura Portwood-Stacer, 2021)
A step-by-step guide for academics hoping to publish their work in bookform. Covers everything from how to select the right press for you to what matters in your book proposal. Available for purchase at bookshop.org, Amazon, or your local bookstore.
- The Subtleties of Scientific Style (Matthew Stevens, 2007)
The 103-page guide is available for free download from various locations, including here. If you wish, you can also send a payment to the author (details on his website).
- Writing Science in English: A guide for Japanese scientists (Matthew Stevens, 2021)
Stevens has also produced a guide specifically for Japanese scientists, which can be downloaded from the website of the European Association of Science Editors here. Some of the more general advice may be helpful for scholars from other disciplines too.
Newsletters
- Macro of the Month: Jennifer Yankopolus sends out information on one macro a month. It’s an easy way to learn how to use macros without feeling overwhelmed. (See also: Word Macro Tools under Websites & Tools)
- Manuscript Works: Laura Portwood-Stacer’s newsletter on book publishing for academics provides lots of useful information.
Websites & Tools
- The Academic Phrasebank: http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk
A resource for phrases used in different sections of a research paper or dissertation. You can search the phrasebank by “Major Sections” or “Language Functions.” An expanded version of the phrasebank can be purchased in PDF or Kindle format.
- Methods Map from Sage: https://methods.sagepub.com/methods-map
A visualisation tool that allows you to select a specific scientific method (e.g., archival research or video interviewing) and shows you its broader as well as narrower terms, as well as related concepts.
- Word Macro Tools
In MS Word, you can use macros to automate tasks, something which can be useful for both writing and (self-)editing. To get started, Paul Beverley’s website Word Macro Tools is immensely helpful. It’s aimed at editors, but equally useful if you are a (somewhat technically inclined) scholar editing your or other people’s writing.
- Writing Well Is Hard: writingwellishard.com
A tool that can help you detect patterns in and improve your writing.