Writing Resources

Writing for Jobs

Cover Letter

• The Professor is in Cover Letters
  A collection of blog posts on how to search for jobs after graduating with a doctoral degree and how to write academic job cover letters.
• University Affairs/Affaires Universitaires cover letters
  Explains how to develop a focused cover letter
• Jobs.ac.uk
  Includes two sample academic cover letters.

CV/Resume

• Purdue University Online Writing Lab resumes
  Explains what basic and optional sections a resume can have. Provides samples such as chronological resumes and functional resumes.
• University Affairs/Affaires Universitaires resumes
  Explains the dos and don’ts in creating a CV/resume.
• The Greene Center for Career Education & Connections
  Provides samples from a variety of fields, suitable for entry-level job seekers. 

Teaching Philosophy

• University Affairs/Affaires Universitaires teaching philosophy
  Examines what teaching philosophy does, what to include, and how to structure it for your target position.
• The Chronicle of Higher Education
  Expounds the do's and don’ts in writing a statement of teaching philosophy.
• The Professor Is In teaching statements
  Points out what not to do in writing a teaching statement.
• How to Write a Teaching Statement
  Provides guidance on crafting an effective teaching statement for academic job applications.

Research Statement

• Cornell University Graduate School
  Expounds on how to write a research statement, including the content, style, do's, and don’ts.
• The Professor Is In research statements
  Elaborates the general rules for writing a research statement.

Handbooks

• Navigating Academia: Writing Supporting Genres by John Swales
  A book that demystifies writing genres related to graduate school and academic careers, such as fellowship applications, CVs and statements of teaching philosophy.
• Writing about Learning and Teaching in Higher Education 
  An open-access book that offers detailed guidance to scholars at all stages on how to write about learning and teaching in higher education.

Others

• The Academic Job Market Support Network Group Resources
  A library of resources on finding academic jobs, including how-to materials and job materials shared by group members.

Video Resources

• YouTube video on 17 Most Notable Changes in APA style (7th edition)
• YouTube video on APA (7th edition) referencing style
• YouTube video on summary and synthesis
• YouTube video on how to write persuasively
• YouTube video on what is an “IMRD” article and how to write one
• YouTube video on what makes good academic writing
• YouTube video on how to avoid plagiarism

Digital Tools 

• 750 Words
  This website helps you develop the habit of writing 750 words a day.
• Grammarly.com
  As you type, Grammarly flags writing errors and offers suggestions on correcting them. 
• Merriam-Webster Online
  An online dictionary for English word definitions, meanings, and pronunciation

Blogs

• A, the, an or some? Articles with abstract nouns in doctoral writing
  This blog post explains the rules for using articles with abstract concepts in academic writing.
• Dyslexic PhD
  A collection of resources for Dyslexic PhD Students.

All-Purpose Handbooks

• American Psychological Association, Publication Manual (7th Edition)
  Provides detailed instruction on referencing and page layout as well as advice on style and grammar.
• A Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers (8th Edition)
  Provides guidance on areas such as researching, grammar, punctuation and referencing. It is compact and clearly written.
• Keys for Writers: A Brief Handbook by Ann Raimes
  Includes keys on the writing process, documenting sources (APA, CBE and Chicago), and common sentence level errors, as well as keys for ESL writers.
• Roget’s Thesaurus
  A reference book of the English words and phrases used in different settings.
• Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers by Lynn Troyka and Doug Hesse
  Provides guidance on writing research papers and literary analysis papers.
• The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr and E.B. White
  Includes guidelines for usage and composition and lists commonly misused words and expression.

Online Writing Handouts 

• Practice Quizzes (UACG)
  Includes quizzes on citing and paraphrasing in APA format and provides immediate feedback. 
• Claremont McKenna College CWPD Online Resources
  Offers handouts on the stages of writing, types of writing, grammar and style.
• Paradigm Online Writing Assistant
  Offers advice on the writing process and other areas such as style and argument.
• Purdue University Online Writing Lab
  Includes handouts on all stages of writing. Provides several resources for ESOL writers.
• The problem of the problem by Larry McEnerney
  Explains how to write effectively by unpacking the function and value of academic writing.
• Troy University Learning Center
  Includes handouts on research, grammar, and the writing process.
• University of Auckland's ReferenCite
  Contains great information about the social purposes of referencing and citing as well as how to use the APA format.
• University of Adelaide Writing Center
  Provides guidelines on varied genres of academic texts. Includes handouts on reporting verbs.
• University of Alberta Academic Support
  Includes comprehensive information on academic integrity. 
• University of Bedfordshire
  Provides guides and exercises on synthesizing information and constructing an argument.  
• University of Minnesota Crookston Writing Center
  Includes handouts on brainstorming, researching, editing and more.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Includes handouts on brainstorming, thesis statements, paragraph development and grammar. Offers advice on writing a dissertation.
• University of Rochester Writing Center
  Links to resources on graduate writing strategies.
• University of Southern California Research Guides 
  Provides tips on writing social sciences research papers.
• University of Wisconsin at Madison Writer’s Handbook
  Offers guidance on the writing process, structure, style and language.
• The University of Queensland