Resource recommendations to help in writing process

[universitystudent]

So my writing is still not polished enough at the graduate level. :/

Could you recommend some resource(s) to help in writing process of a research paper?

[fuzzylogician]

Two ideas:

First, just do it. Write a lot, at any level. Keep a blog or a diary. The experience of writing a lot will teach you at least something about what works or doesn't and how to put your ideas on paper.

Second, use the resources at your school. I assume you have been getting feedback on your writing from your advisor. Go over it carefully. See if you can identify themes in the comments, and maybe even have a meeting with your advisor specifically about writing to ask if there are specific pointers s/he can give you. With new drafts, use your university's writing center, if one exists. Also try to set up a peer process -- maybe there is a fellow student around who can help you edit your work, and you can help them by commenting on their papers as well. That's actually a very useful resource to have, even if you don't need help specifically with editing. It's always good to have someone around who is willing to read your work who isn't your advisor. 

[EmmaBonet]

Hello! Sometimes it is really hard to a research paper. I am a Psy.D. and an active content writer, so here are the main tips, that may help you:
1. Consult Your Professor - Who better than your professor to guide you with ur task?

2. Brainstorm - It may seem like a no-brainer but most students think too much about it and end up making nothing, get confused and are unable to start. Keep it simple and work with any ideas which come to mind.

 

[savay]

I second @fuzzylogician's advice. Keep writing, it really does help -- even just nonsense. And also utilize any type of writing centers at your institution.

I've heard a few different professors rec this book, specifically for research writing: http://www.amazon.com/Research-Edition-Chicago-Writing-Publishing/dp/0226065669 

I also relied on Victoria Nelson's books on writers block while getting through my undergraduate thesis -- I realize that may not entirely be what you're up against, but perhaps helpful. Additionally, if you think your vocabulary/mechanics/sentence structure are not advanced enough or that it's less a structural issue and more just coming across as an upper level academic, one of the best ways to improve that is to read more. Ask professors or peers in your field about who they think is writing high level interesting research and then read their stuff, study it for the written aspect, not necessarily the content. Interrogate what it is about their construction and their style that makes their papers so successful, and find what approaches you can incorporate or modify in your own writing. Even fiction or non-academic non-fiction can help here too -- a good narrative is a good narrative, regardless of what kind of story it's telling.

 

[universitystudent]

Thank you Savay, that sounds really helpful.

[Applicant 1746]

I've had professors recommend these books to students, too: 

http://www.amazon.com/They-Say-Academic-Writing-Edition/dp/0393935841/ref=pd_bxgy_14_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GS5VK8XY9Z8ZJF22XNW 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Elements-Style-Fourth-Edition/dp/020530902X/ref=pd_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=51q3tYpGjnL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR101%2C160_&refRID=1GS5VK8XY9Z8ZJF22XNW 

[eternallyephemeral]

I would also recommend the Elements of Style, as @Applicant 1746 mentioned. Here are two more that may be helpful:

APA 6th Edition Manual - even if you are not in psychology this is very helpful with writing introductions, discussions, formatting tables, figures, papers in general, and it gives you tips on style and word usage.

Sense of Style: Scientific Writing in the 21st Century - Steven Pinker - this is an excellent book by an excellent writer, who talks about communicating clearly and without jargon/excessive complexity. Dr. Pinker also studies these topics in his research, and has great talks based on this book that you may be able to find on the computer.

Also, I find outlines really help me. Even if it is just jotting down the main ideas or papers you want to discuss. Try to do this with as little judgement as possible. I don't think I could have finished my undergraduate thesis without an outline, and people can give you feedback on these outlines if you're having trouble.

Writing clearly and concisely is a rare skill, but something that you can develop with constant revision and helpful tools. Good luck!

[AP]

Hey! 

I struggle with writing too! Here is what I do:

1. I use my school's writing center. They help a lot with good strategies for learning how to assess my own work. It is not a proof-reading service. It is a guided self-reading one.

2. As others say, I write and write and with several spare days to allow for revision. I have learned that if I plan to finish section by Monday, I will actually do it by Wednesday. So, I need to start earlier than I thought. This also implies lots and lots of planning. Oh yeah. Planning.

3. A friend in English recommended three books that have been AMAZING in helping me polish my work: The Craft of Research, Mastering the Craft of Writing, and Lessons in Style and Grace.

4. I write better with a good software. For my prospectus/dissertation, I am using Scrievener. It is so much better than trying to work directly on Word. I feel overwhelmed by the blank page of Word, but Scrievener is designed for writers so it has a lot of the writing process features that Word doesn't (brainstorming, annotations, references, key words, etc etc etc).

 

Hope it helps!

AP