Resources for Writing in the Disciplines
The resources in this section address a range of writing issues, from general concerns across disciplines to specific and concrete concerns of individual disciplines. You will find writing samples from many campus graduate programs along with guidance for writing specific types of texts such as literature reviews.
If you have feedback or would like to add resources to this section, please contact Dr. Linda Macri, Director of the Office of Writing Initiatives.
Note: The Graduate School provides these resources as an aid to graduate students, but does not endorse any product or service featured on third-party websites. The materials on this site do not supersede the writing requirements of individual programs. The institutions and authors credited hold all applicable copyrights to the work featured. This material cannot be reproduced without the author's permission.
Arts and Humanities Resources
Writing about Books, Music, Film, and History
Writing in the Humanities and Arts
http://gsrc.ucla.edu/gwc/resources/writing-in-the-humanities-and-arts.html#introductionstowritinginthehum
This annotated bibliography surveys texts about writing in the Humanities.
Conquering the Humanities Conference
Presenting Conference Papers in the Humanities
http://www.cgu.edu/pages/864.asp
Claremont Graduate University Writing Center
This nicely laid-out article covers the abstract submission stage through the actual presentation, providing tips for maintaining depth of subject matter without sacrificing clarity.
From Making a Case to Making a Case Analysis
Writing in Specific Fields
http://www.cgu.edu/pages/794.asp
The Claremont Graduate University Writing Center offers a series of articles highlighting the main themes and structures of writing in humanities and social science disciplines.
Social Sciences Resources
Research Funding Advice from the Source
On the Art of Writing Proposals
https://www.ssrc.org/publications/the-art-of-writing-proposals/
This Social Science Research Council guide covers the absolute “musts” for a social science proposal and offers tips on creating a document that will set your research apart.
Read This Before You Submit
Checklist for Manuscript Submission (APA)
http://cirt.gcu.edu/documents/researchlibrary~2/checklistformanuscriptsubmissiondocx
Grand Canyon University, Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching
Consult this checklist before submitting an APA style article or manuscript. The short document covers APA formatting guidelines from references to margins.
Poster Bored No More!
Developing Poster Presentations in the Social Sciences
http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/resources-template.php?id=52
George Mason University Writing Center
This PowerPoint from the George Mason University Writing Center iguidessocial science students through the basics of constructing a poster presentation, including presenting in-depth data while maintaining visual clarity.
From Making a Case to Making a Case Analysis
Writing in Specific Fields
http://www.cgu.edu/pages/794.asp
The Claremont Graduate University Writing Center offers a series of articles highlighting the main themes and structures of writing in humanities and social science disciplines.
Coding Decoded
Atlas.ti
http://www.atlasti.com/
Some students have found this software helpful for coding qualitative data. Costing approximately $99, it includes unlimited colored and filtered codes as well as multitasking capabilities for storing and coding data.
Say Goodbye to the Pedal
HyperTranscribe
http://www.researchware.com/products/hypertranscribe.html
Some researchers use this software to transcribe interviews more efficiently. Costing approximately $79, it allows the interviewer to transcribe, listen to audio, and control audio via shortcut keys all within the same window.
Translating Data
Data Analysis and Evaluation
http://cirt.gcu.edu/teaching/resources/sswriting/analysisevaluation
Grand Canyon University, Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching
Grand Canyon University, Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching This guide illustrates language and structure that turn research data into clear and engaging prose. The article also provides examples of effective as well as ineffective phrasing.
Science and Engineering Resources
Grant Advice from the Source
The National Science Foundation provides instructions for crafting an NSF Grant proposal. In addition to helping with grant proposals, the article will help scientists and engineers to use the NSF Grant format for other academic documents, such as the dissertation proposal.
Even More Grant Advice from the Source
The National Science Foundation provides these longer-form instructions for crafting an NSF Grant proposal. The guide walks readers through stages from initial structuring to submission.
NSF Proposals that Work
This accessible article helps writers craft a winning NSF proposal. Shorter than the NSF guide, it is more advisory than instructional.
Why We Write
This article from American Scientist provides an overview of the philosophy that drives scientific writing. It reminds writers that the primary goals are clarity and attention to audience.
Voice Lessons
These basic articles review the importance of developing the "scientific voice" in your writing and break down scientific papers into such components as the methods and results sections.
Engineering Reports (and How Not to Engineer Them)
The Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides many documents and services, including this comprehensive guide to writing reports in the engineering fields. It overs all the basics, from notes on content and design to examples of how not to write reports.
Building Presentations, Building Confidence
This article provides advice on conference presentations specifically for researchers in the hard sciences and is especially helpful for scientists struggling with shyness or a lack of public speaking experience.
IMRaD Cheat Sheet
Follow this advice as you write your abstracts.
Your LaTeX Home Base
This site serves as a kind of LaTeX home base, providing instructions on how to install LaTeX, troubleshooting resources, and news forums.
The Three Faces of LaTeX
These .zip files are designed to help you put documents into three common LaTeX formats. The site also includes a list of journals and transactions compatible with each format.
LaTeX made (a little) Easier
This free download allowing you to produce LaTeX documents in a more user-friendly interface. The site also provides thorough instructions on how to operate TeXnicCenter.
LaTeX made (a little) Easier II
WinEdit is a free shareware program that allows users to work within the LaTex format while inputting work in a more user-friendly interface.
LaTeX made (a little) Easier III
Some students find this software to be a helpful resource for writing documents in LaTeX format. Costing $180, the software allows you to create LaTeX documents in an interface that mirrors the style of programs such as MS Word
Capturing Your Sources in BibTeX
Alexander Feder’s tutorial site will walk you through how to use BibTeX, the tool that organizes references for LaTeX formatted documents. The site also includes links to tools that can convert your BibTeX bibliographies into different formats.
Capturing Your Sources in BibTeX II
Dorothea Francis Ann Brosius (Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics at UMD) provides a succinct guide to using BibTeX for writers keeping track of references in LaTeX.