George M Whitesides – Harvard University Professor, answering questions about writing up research
UNDERTAKING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT
Frank Rennie, Keith Smyth, Gareth davies, Matt Sillars and Amy Woolvin
Chapter 10 – Writing up your research
All the content relating to the chapter above is below
Objectives
The main objective of this concluding chapter is to provide general guidelines and questions for beginning to write up your research. We will explore ways of approaching writing, and present key issues and areas that you will need to cover through the structuring of your writing. We also examine the practicalities of writing and highlight the importance of knowing when to finish writing.
Key Points
Writing up research projects and findings in a clear and defensible way is a daunting task, especially if you are new to doing this and are faced with producing your first substantial research report or dissertation. However it is a skill that can be learned and honed, with established and widely understood principles and conventions that can be harnessed to good effect.
Easy to read 10 step guide and advice for writing research projects by Dustin Wax (Community College of Southern Nevada). This is not an exhaustive guide but will provide you with a starting point to help plan and organise your writing.
An interactive tour for writing essays with hints and tips on how to approach writing. The webpage explains the purpose of writing essays and the benefits of incorporating writing throughout the research process. There are a number of shorter study guides for individual aspects as well as video links.
An overall guide to presenting research projects, written by S. Joseph Levine (Michigan State University). Different techniques are presented on how to write a research dissertation as well as advice on proposal writing and defending a thesis. The guide can also be read in Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic.
A short, practical guide with tips and suggested activities for the key stages of writing a research dissertation. The book is easy to engage with and covers a range of topics from the initial stages to understanding the research topic through to writing the final report. The book also has a companion website for additional reading and activities.
A feature article with advice on writing approaches and style. The article focusses in particular on scientific writing and making this clear and easy to read. The authors highlight the importance of the reader and what they need to understand what is being written.
Although targeted at doctoral students this website provides detailed information about approaching, structuring and writing a thesis. The same principles could be adopted for a range of academic writing and all stages of university life. There is also a ‘quick tips’ link which provides a simplified list of bullet points that could be used at the beginning to help plan your writing and as a checklist.
A short, practical guide with tips and suggested activities for the key stages of writing a research dissertation. The book is easy to engage with and covers a range of topics from the initial stages to understanding the research topic through to writing the final report. The book also has a companion website for additional reading and activities.
An answers thread for tips and strategies for writing an academic paper by academics and students. Easy to read tips and suggestions on writing strategies for writing up research proposals. Be aware that there are an extensive number of tips on this website which highlights that people have different approaches and it is important to develop your own writing style and environment in which to write.
A practical, informative and engaging presentation about principles for writing a research paper. The advice provided could be used at all levels from undergraduate to doctoral level. Video length 34 minutes.