Writing Resources by Topic
Academic Essays
KU Writing Center Resources
- Abstract
- Editing and Proofreading
- Essays
- Prewriting Strategies
- Research Papers
- Revising Content
- Revising Organization
- Thesis Statements
- The Writing Process
Related Links
- Argumentative Essays, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Thesis statements, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Writing Tips: Essay Builder, actden (Digital Education Network)
Avoiding Plagiarism
KU Writing Center Resources
Related Links
- Plagiarism Resource Site, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- How to Recognize Plagiarism, Indiana University Bloomington
Citing/Documenting Your Sources
MLA (Modern Language Association)
- MLA Format Works Cited Page
- MLA 8th Edition Web-based Resource, Saginaw Valley State University
- MLA Formatting and Style Guide, Purdue OWL
APA (American Psychological Association)
- APA Format References Page
- Using APA Format, Purdue OWL
- APA Style Blog, American Psychological Association
- Citing a website in APA, APA Style Blog
Chicago/Turabian Style
Other Citation Styles
- AAA Citation Style - American Anthropological Association
- ACS Citation Style - American Chemical Society
- AIP Citation Style - American Institute of Physics
- AMA Citation Style - American Medical Association
- APS Citation Style - American Physical Society
- APSA Citation Style - American Political Science Association
- ASA Citation Style - American Sociological Association
- CSE Citation Style - Council of Science Editors
- I-EEE Citation Style Manual - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
- LSA Style - Linguistic Society of America
- Medicine (Vancouver) Citation Style - Vancouver Style
Critical Thinking, Reading, and Study Strategies
- AAAC Tips for Effective Studying
- How to Read a Primary Source, Bowdoin College
- Taking Notes from Lectures, University of Minnesota, Duluth
- The Learning Toolbox: Notetaking, James Madison University Special Education Program
- Improving College Reading Comprehension Skills
- Reading to Write, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Dissertations
KU Writing Center Resources
Related Links
- How To Write A Dissertation, Purdue University
- Thoughts on Dissertation Proposal Writing
- Demystifying the Dissertation Proposal, Chronicle of Higher Education
- Writing Your Dissertation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Dissertation Calculator, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
- Choosing a dissertation topic, Academic Coaching & Writing
- The Thesis Whisperer (with tips for students working on theses or dissertations)
ESL Learners
For KU Writing Center Resources, see our page for Multilingual Writers
Suggested Resources
- Oxford Advanced Learners' Dictionary
- Oxford's Learner's Dictionary allows you to type any word and learn about its definition, the different parts of speech in which it can be used, and how it is commonly used in speech and writing. It also shows idioms, and includes a list of synonyms.
- Dave's ESL Cafe for Students and Teachers
- Dave's ESL Cafe has a variety of resources both for ESL learners and teachers. There are links to grammar help and practice quizzes, language instruction jobs, places to upload a resume, teacher and student forums, a bookstore, and even podcasts.
- Tips for Writing in North American Colleges, Purdue OWL
- Transitions for ESL, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Grammar and Usage
Suggested Resources
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Writing Techniques Handbook »
This handbook offers guidance for comma use, thesis statements, resumes, abstracts, and more.
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Writer's Handbook »
The Writer's Handbook helps in getting started with assignments like research papers, reviews, and literary analysis papers. There is also information about writing style, citations, grammar, and punctuation.
Rutgers University
Resources for Writers and Writing Instructors »
This page provides a list of websites and other resources for writers, most resources are annotated.
Interactive Grammar Review
Grammar Bytes! »
Grammar Bytes offers definitions of grammar terms, practice exercises, presentations, and quick grammar tips. This site is helpful for teachers and students.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Grammar Handbook »
This Handbook explains basic grammatical rules on parts of speech, clauses, sentences, and other common usage questions.
Capital Community College
Guide to Grammar & Writing »
This Guide answers common writing questions at many stages of writing. There are essay examples to complement discussions on thesis statements, tone, and conclusions.
Oxford Online Punctuation Guide
Guide to Grammar & Writing »
This Guide will help you with punctuation rules.
Literature Reviews
KU Writing Center Resources
Related Links
- Literature Review, North Carolina State University
- Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students (Youtube Video), North Carolina State University
- The Literature Review, University of Wisconsin - Madison
- The Annotated Bibliography, Cornell University
- The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It, University of Toronto
The Writing Process
KU Writing Center Resources
- The Writing Process
- Prewriting Strategies
- Outlines
- Essays
- Revising Content
- Revising Organization
- Editing and Proofreading
- Paraphrase and Summary
- Setting Writing Goals
Related Links
- Transition Words, Michigan State University
- Twelve Common Errors to Watch Out For, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- How to Proof Read, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Theses
KU Writing Center Resources
Related Links
- How to Write a Thesis, Columbia
- Computer Science Thesis
- Honors Theses, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- How to Write a Term Paper or Thesis
Personal and Professional Writing
Academic Job Search Materials
Applications for both tenure-track and non-tenure-track academic jobs call for certain materials, such as cover letters, teaching statements, writing statements, and writing samples. Find resources, advice, and explanations related to these genres below.
KU Writing Center Resources
Suggested Resources
Purdue University Owl
Academic Cover Letters »
This page outlines the academic cover letter.
The Professor Is In Blog
Teaching Statement »
A former tenured professor gives advice to academic job applicants.
The Professor Is In Blog
Teaching Statement »
A former tenured professor gives advice on how best to organize and structure the teaching statement.
University of Michigan
Teaching Statement »
In-depth advice, guidelines, FAQs, and a rubric for evaluating teaching statements.
The Professor Is In Blog
Postdoc Applications »
A former tenured professor gives advice on how to create application materials for a postdoc position.
Chronicle of Higher Education
Writing Sample »
Advice on how to choose and edit the writing sample as well as the Teaching Statement.
Conference Presentations
Suggested Resources
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center
This handout guides you through the process of preparing and writing a conference paper.
Colin Purrington
Designing conference posters
This is a great guide on how to design your poster and make it stand out.
DoctorZen.net
This site contains links and blog posts about creating better academic posters.
Funding Applications
KU Writing Center Resources
Journal Publications
What to Expect
Submitting an article for publication in a journal is often an exhausting but rewarding process. It is important to target a particular journal and tailor your work to it. If you submit to a peer reviewed journal, one or more people in your field will evaluate your article. This can add credibility to your work once it is published and provide you with valuable feedback. Peer review can be blind (the author remains unaware of the reviewer’s identity) or double blind (author and reviewer are unaware of the other’s identity). For many journals, a 40-60% rejection rate is standard, so do not be afraid to try several journals. A decision of “revise and resubmit" is even more common; try not to see that as a rejection, but as an invitation to improve your writing. (Acceptance rates are much higher after revision, so do revise in response to reviewers' feedback and resubmit your article.) Finally, expect the entire writing, submission, and revision process to be lengthy; it can sometimes take 2-3 years to be published.
KU Writing Center Resources
Suggested Resources
Higher Education Network
Writing for an academic journal: 10 tips »
10 extremely practical tips for writing journal articles (organizing, targeting, goal setting, etc.)
The Professor is In Blog
Journal Cover Letters »
A quick explanation of when and how to submit a cover letter with a journal publication
Résumés & CVs
Suggested Resources
University of Kansas Career Center
Resumes and Cover Letters
Comprehensive resources and examples for writing professional résumés and cover letters.
Purdue University OWL
Workplace Writing »
This guide provides links to resources for workplace writers and people writing during the job search process.
University of Wisconsin - Madison Writing Center
CV Writing Tips
This guide provides an introduction to writing your CV, including information about resumes vs. CVs.
Scholarship & Admissions Essays
Suggested Resources
University of Kansas
Writing Scholarship Application Essays (Currently Undergoing Revisions)
This handout provides a sample outline for a scholarship essay.
Purdue University
The Personal Statement »
This page suggests questions for the pre-writing process to help you start writing a personal statement.
University of Oklahoma
Statement of Purpose »
This page describes the differences between a "Personal Statement" and a "Statement of Purpose." It also provides useful tips for writing the Statement of Purpose and pitfalls to avoid.
Writing in Your Courses
Humanities
- Art History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Reading, Writing, and Researching for History, Bowdoin College
- History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Literature, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Music, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Natural & Applied Sciences
- Scientific Reports, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Writing Technical Articles, Colombia University
- Scientific Posters, Eastern Kentucky University
- Formatting Science Reports, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Social Sciences
- Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Communication Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
