Academic resources

Lund University-specific guides

• Academic Writing in English at Lund University (AWELU) is an excellent online resource for all students, staff, and faculty writing texts in English. It explains text types, the writing process, grammar issues, referencing, academic integrity, and other writing-related concerns.
• Hints of Layout and Style – for Writers of Dissertations and Theses at the Faculties of Science, Engineering and Medicine, Lund University (PDF 1 MB, new window) by Helen Sheppard (2015).
• The Art of Writing & Speaking (PDF 1 MB, new window) from the Department of Political Science at Lund University (2011). Many departments across the university refer to this guide, though it is written directly to political science students. It covers writing and speaking topics relevant to students at all levels, including those working on a thesis.
• Lund University Libraries website. Do not underestimate the knowledge of your librarians. Ask them questions about referencing, starting research, or navigating the library’s website. Don’t miss the 'subject guides' with information specific to your programme.

General writing-related topics

Online:

• Harvard Writes. One of our favourite resources, this website decodes academic writing expectations by focusing on argument, stakes, structure, and evidence, including videos, example texts and exercises for multiple disciplines. Start here for an overview of why academics write and the essential elements of all academic writing. 
• Online Writing Lab (OWL) at the purdue.edu. Purdue University's OWL was launched in 1994 as the world’s first online writing lab and has been widely successful. The site features information on many writing-related topics, from overcoming writer’s block to grammar instruction to revision strategies to visual rhetoric. Use this resource!       
• Writing Center at unc.edu – handouts and several videos on writing-related topics from The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina. Updated often.        
• Writing Resources and Guides at Harvard University's Writing Center online. Here you’ll find guides to writing papers in several different disciplines as well as general strategies for essay writing. You can ignore the 'course specific writing guides', which are most helpful to Harvard students in those classes, although if you do browse through them, you’ll find advice applicable to similar courses here at LU.
• Grammar Girl website – Described as “your friendly guide to the world of grammar, punctuation, usage, and fun developments in the English language.” You’ll find lots of quick grammar tips on topics like the difference between 'affect' and 'effect', what a dangling participle is, and 'how to make weird nouns plural'.
• How to Evaluate Sources guide and quiz at the Ithaca College Library website. Educates users about five criteria used to deem a source as credible or not. 

Print:

• Becoming an Academic Writer: 50 Exercises for Paced, Productive, and Powerful Writing by Patricia Goodson (2013).
• Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers by Nigel. A. Caplan (2015).
• Just Write It! How to develop top-class university writing skills by Greta Solomon (2013).
• Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing by Claire Kehrwald Cook (1985).
• Scientific Writing and Communication: Papers, Proposals, and Presentations by Angelika H. Hofmann (2014).
• Scientists Must Write: a guide to better writing for scientists, engineers and students by Robert Barrass (2002).
• Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace by Joseph Williams (2007).
• The Sense of Structure: Writing from the Reader’s Perspective by George D. Gopen (2004).
• They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein (2010).
• Writing With Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process by Peter Elbow (1998).

Thesis/Dissertation writing

Online:

• Explorations of Style blog — Written with graduates and post-graduates in mind, this blog tackles all kinds of issues in academic writing and “discusses strategies to improve the process of expressing our research in writing”. The posts are well-written and strike the perfect balance of theoretical contemplation and practical advice. This is one of the ASC’s favourite resources.        
• The Thesis Whisperer blog, “dedicated to helping research students everywhere.” The majority of posts are geared toward PhD students, with topics like 'you and your supervisor' and 'your career'.  Other topics including 'getting things done' and 'on writing' are relevant to both PhD and Master's students.

Print:

• The Craft of Research by Wayne Booth, Gregory Colomb, and Joseph Williams (2008).
• Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day by Joan Bolker (1998).
• Writing the Successful Thesis and Dissertation: Entering the Conversation by Irene L. Clark (2007).

Referencing guides & plagiarism information

Online:

• Tutorial on avoiding plagiarism (watch at www.stopplagiat.nu), a joint venture from several Danish universities, asks 'What is plagiarism?' and explains how to 'handle' quoting, paraphrasing, and referencing styles.
• Urkund’s plagiarism handbook online with tips and advice for students. Urkund is the software system LU uses to detect plagiarised passages in your writing assignments. Their tips will help you be sure that your text will pass Urkund’s system.
• APA Style, an online overview and workshop by Purdue's Online Writing Lab
• The Chicago Manual of Style by the Chicago Manual of Style Online (also available in print).
• Guide to the Harvard System of Referencing from Angila Ruskin University's website
• MLA Style, an overview and workshop by Purdue's Online Writing Lab
• Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) at the University of Oxford Faculty of Law website (PDF, 437 kB, opens in new window). Additional OSCLA resources can be found at https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/research-subject-groups/publications/oscola

Print:

• Cite Them Right: The Essential Referencing Guide by Richard Pears and Graham Shields (2013). This book covers citation examples in Harvard, APA, MHRA, MLA, and OSCOLA styles.        
• MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers by Modern Language Association of America (2009).
• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by the American Psychological Association (2009).

Presentation skills

Online:

• Speaking About Presenting blog – a New Zealand-based blog that addresses lots of presentation topics, including managing your audience and dealing with nervousness.           
• 5 TED Talks to Help Turbo Charge Your Next Presentation article at businessinsider.com – watch lots of TED talks and take note of presenters you like best and why.        
• Power Point slides on using Power Point's advanced features, at the University of Michigan website       
• Prezi.com – a popular alternative to PowerPoint. You can sign up for free!

Print:

• Speak with Confidence: Powerful Presentations that Inform, Inspire, and Persuade by Dianna Booher (2003).

Study skills

Online

• Cmap – free software for constructing and sharing concepts maps, a useful tool for visually structuring the relationship between abstract concepts. 
• 'Learning (Your First Job)' by Robert Leamnson (2002) – PDF document online – a short essay that we recommend you read at the beginning of your studies. It includes great advice in line with how our brains learn. If you develop the research-based habits suggested here in the beginning of your studies, you’re likely to remember and understand more, meaning you’ll find your studies to be especially rewarding. 
• Useful Handouts and Study Strategies, at Princeton University's MCGraw Center for Teaching & Learning webpage. These handouts include strategies for active reading, scheduling your time, overcoming perfectionism and procrastination, problem solving, and more.

Print:

• Study Skills for International Postgraduates by Martin Davies (2011)
• The Study Skills Handbook by Stella Cottrell