Tag Archives: academic writing

three thesis writing modes

Posted on August 12, 2019 by

It’s pretty common to hear academic writing described in three stages – (1) thinking and preparation or pre-writing, (2) writing, and (3) post writing revision. In the doctorate you do pre-writing until you get to ‘writing up’. And that’s when … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, creative writing, foundation, generation and response, Graeme Harper, three modes of writing | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

what is “measured” writing?

Posted on May 13, 2019 by

I was recently part of a small discussion on another social media platform where someone reported that their supervisor had said their writing wasn’t sufficiently “measured’. Without seeing the actual work it was pretty hard to understand what the supervisor … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, argument, boosters, disciplines, hedges, measured writing, nominalisation, passive voice, stance, thingification | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

giving feedback on writing – be specific

Posted on March 18, 2019 by

One of the characteristics of academic life is feedback. We get it whether we want it or not. Students feedback on our teaching. Reviewers feedback on our papers. Supervisors feedback on draft thesis texts. Of course, most of us also … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, feedback, Joni Cole, specific | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

counting down to #thesis completion

Posted on February 25, 2019 by

Many PhDers are under pressure to complete their research and thesis within set time frames. In the UK where I work, studentships are generally only for three years with a fourth unpaid year of ‘thesis pending’. This roughly equates to: … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, completing, thesis abstract, thesis introduction, thesis revision, time | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

revising a thesis chapter

Posted on October 15, 2018 by

You’ve written a first draft of your chapter. Hooray! That’s an achievement. You can’t get anywhere without a first draft. Pat yourself on the back. And then… Step away from the desk. Take a break. Leave your draft and do … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, chapter, crappy first draft, revision, revision strategy, thesis, thesis revision | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

check for ‘code words’ – revising your writing

Posted on October 8, 2018 by

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 … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, code words, revision, revision strategy, unpacking | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

writing more than one thing at the same time – part three, managing

Posted on September 10, 2018 by

Writing several things at once is often called multi-tasking. This is a term I try to avoid, as it focuses on an action – ‘tasking’. Tasking has two problems – first of all, it doesn’t really highlight the thinking involved … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, academic writing voice, authority in writing, reflection, reflection on learning, time, writing and thinking, writing more then one thing at once, writing regularly | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment