90 Best Academic Writing Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best academic writing books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

Featuring recommendations from Sergey Brin, Susan Cain, Richard Branson, and 67 other experts.
1
Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, Stephen King’s critically lauded, classic bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.

"Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood...
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Mark MansonI read a bunch of books on writing before I wrote my first book and the two that stuck with me were Stephen King’s book and “On Writing Well” by Zinsser (which is a bit on the technical side). (Source)

Jennifer RockIf you are interested in writing and communication, start with reading and understanding the technical aspects of the craft: The Elements of Style. On Writing Well. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. (Source)

Benjamin Spall[Question: What five books would you recommend to youngsters interested in your professional path?] On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft by Stephen King, [...] (Source)

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2

The Elements of Style

You know the authors' names. You recognize the title. You've probably used this book yourself. And now "The Elements of Style"-the most widely read and employed English style manual-is available in a specially bound 50th Anniversary Edition that offers the title's vast audience an opportunity to own a more durable and elegantly bound edition of this time-tested classic.
Offering the same content as the Fourth Edition, revised in 1999, the new casebound 50th Anniversary Edition includes a brief overview of the book's illustrious history. Used extensively by individual writers as well as...
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Tobi Lütke[My] most frequently gifted book is [this book] because I like good writing. (Source)

Bill NyeThis is my guide. I accept that I’ll never write anything as good as the introductory essay by [the author]. It’s brilliant. (Source)

Jennifer RockIf you are interested in writing and communication, start with reading and understanding the technical aspects of the craft: The Elements of Style. On Writing Well. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. (Source)

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3

How to Read a Book

The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading

With more than half a million paperback copies in print and now in this stunning hardcover keepsake edition, How to Read a Book is the classic and definitive guide to reading comprehension and retention for students of literature, scholars across disciplines, and anyone who just loves to read.

Originally written in 1940 and first published by Simon & Schuster in 1972, How to Read a Book introduces and elucidates the various levels of reading and how to achieve them in order to gain the most understanding and insight from any book. From elementary reading, through systematic...
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Sergey Brinhad “How to Read a Book” by Mortimer J. Adler as one of his most recommended books. (Source)

Ben ChestnutI also love How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler. I’m teaching its tips to my children while they’re young, so they can consume books much faster and have more fun reading. (Source)

Kevin Systrom[The author's] thesis is that the most important part of reading a book is to actually read the table of contents and familiarize yourself with the major structure of the book. (Source)

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4
Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, 'Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.'" "Superb writing advice... hilarious, helpful and provocative." -- "New York... more

Susan CainI love [this book]. Such a good book. (Source)

Timothy FerrissBird by Bird is one of my absolute favorite books, and I gift it to everybody, which I should probably also give to startup founders, quite frankly. A lot of the lessons are the same. But you can get to your destination, even though you can only see 20 feet in front of you. (Source)

Ryan HolidayIt was wonderful to read these two provocative books of essays by two incredibly wise and compassionate women. [...] Anne Lamott’s book is ostensibly about the art of writing, but really it too is about life and how to tackle the problems, temptations and opportunities life throws at us. Both will make you think and both made me a better person this year. (Source)

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5
On Writing Well has been praised for its sound advice, its clarity and the warmth of its style. It is a book for everybody who wants to learn how to write or who needs to do some writing to get through the day, as almost everybody does in the age of e-mail and the Internet. Whether you want to write about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts or about yourself in the increasingly popular memoir genre, On Writing Well offers you fundamental priciples as well as the insights of a distinguished writer and teacher. With more than a million copies... more

Mark MansonI read a bunch of books on writing before I wrote my first book and the two that stuck with me were Stephen King’s book and “On Writing Well” by Zinsser (which is a bit on the technical side). (Source)

Tim O'ReillyOn Writing Well, by William Zinsser. I wouldn't say this book influenced me, since my principles of writing were established long before I read it. However, it does capture many things that I believe about effective writing. (Source)

Derek SiversGreat blunt advice about writing better non-fiction. So inspiring. (Source)

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6
All academics need to write, but many struggle to finish their dissertations, articles, books, or grant proposals. Writing is hard work and can be difficult to wedge into a frenetic academic schedule. How can we write it all while still having a life?

In this second edition of his popular guidebook, Paul Silvia offers fresh advice to help you overcome barriers to writing and use your time more productively. After addressing some common excuses and bad habits, he provides practical strategies to motivate students, professors, researchers, and other academics to become better and...
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7

They Say / I Say

The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing

The book that has taught millions of students to present their arguments as a response to what "they say" has been expanded to define as broadly as possible who's included in "they."

Readings demonstrate the moves that matter in academic writing and represent a multitude of perspectives.

The Fourth Edition includes an anthology of 40 readings--half of which are NEW--that will prompt students to listen, think, and write about five important issues, including new "How Can We Bridge the Differences That Divide Us?"
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Recommended by Raul Pachecovega, and 1 others.

Raul PachecovegaThey Say/I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing (my reading notes) https://t.co/wLOB6VMiSO Best book ever to write analytical and argumentative writing. (Source)

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8

Style

Lessons in Clarity and Grace


"For courses in English and Writing." Emphasizes the importance of style in writing for a global audience "Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace" asserts that style is a matter of making informed choices in the service of one s readers. While writers know best what they want to say, readers ultimately decide if they ve said it well. This flagship text builds on that premise, with updates on subjects such as gender-neutral writing and writing for global audiences. It brings the authors innovative approach to the needs of today s students, while maintaining that writing with style is a...
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Recommended by Hadley Wickham, and 1 others.

Hadley WickhamWriting well and describing things well is very valuable to a good programmer, and even more to a data scientist. (Source)

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9
As a scientist, you are a professional writer: your career is built on successful proposals and papers. Success isn't defined by getting papers into print, but by getting them into the reader's consciousness. Writing Science is built upon the idea that successful science writing tells a story. It uses that insight to discuss how to write more effectively. Integrating lessons from other genres of writing with those from the author's years of experience as author, reviewer, and editor, the book shows scientists and students how to present their research in a way that is clear and that... more

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10

Academic Writing for Graduate Students

Essential Tasks and Skills

Like its predecessor, the third edition of Academic Writing for Graduate Students explains understanding the intended audience, the purpose of the paper, and academic genres; includes the use of task-based methodology, analytic group discussion, and genre consciousness-raising; shows how to write summaries and critiques; features Language Focus sections that address linguistic elements as they affect the wider rhetorical objectives; and helps students position themselves as junior scholars in their academic communities.

Among the many changes in the third edition:
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Don't have time to read the top Academic Writing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

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  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
11

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association(r)

With millions of copies sold, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is the style manual of choice for writers, editors, students, educators, and professionals in psychology, sociology, business, economics, nursing, social work, and justice administration, and other disciplines in which effective communication with words and data is fundamental.


In addition to providing clear guidance on grammar, the mechanics of writing, and APA style, the Publication Manual offers an authoritative and easy-to-use reference and citation system and comprehensive...

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12
A short and entertaining book on the modern art of writing well by New York Times bestselling author Steven Pinker
Why is so much writing so bad, and how can we make it better? Is the English language being corrupted by texting and social media? Do the kids today even care about good writing? Why should any of us care?

In The Sense of Style, the bestselling linguist and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker answers these questions and more. Rethinking the usage guide for the twenty-first century, Pinker doesn’t carp about the decline of language or recycle pet...
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Recommended by Ellen Lupton, and 2 others.

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13
"This book is a wonderful addition to a graduate course on professional writing, to a writers' group in need of some structure, or even to the lone writer who needs assistance becoming an academic writer."
--Chronicle of Higher Education

Wendy Laura Belcher's Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success is a revolutionary approach to enabling academic authors to overcome their anxieties and produce the publications that are essential to succeeding in their fields. Each week, readers learn a...
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14
Dewey. Bellow. Strauss. Friedman. The University of Chicago has been the home of some of the most important thinkers of the modern age. But perhaps no name has been spoken with more respect than Turabian. The dissertation secretary at Chicago for decades, Kate Turabian literally wrote the book on the successful completion and submission of the student paper. Her Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, created from her years of experience with research projects across all fields, has sold more than seven million copies since it was first published in 1937. more

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15
Expert writing advice from the editor of the Boston Globe best-seller, The Writer's Home Companion

Dissertation writers need strong, practical advice, as well as someone to assure them that their struggles aren't unique. Joan Bolker, midwife to more than one hundred dissertations and co-founder of the Harvard Writing Center, offers invaluable suggestions for the graduate-student writer. Using positive reinforcement, she begins by reminding thesis writers that being able to devote themselves to a project that truly interests them can be a pleasurable adventure. She encourages them...
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16
Research is all about writing, but most PhD programs don't teach students how to produce the writing needed to get a PhD, publish research, or win fellowships and grants. Plus, the academic environment can feel as cold and harsh as the South Pole. But just as penguins form social huddles to survive the Antarctic winter, researchers can form writing groups to help them learn how to write more, write better and be happier in academia. The Writing Workshop tells you everything you need to know about forming and running a successful writing group, and provides invaluable tips on how to become... more

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17

Stylish Academic Writing

Elegant data and ideas deserve elegant expression, argues Helen Sword in this lively guide to academic writing. For scholars frustrated with disciplinary conventions, and for specialists who want to write for a larger audience but are unsure where to begin, here are imaginative, practical, witty pointers that show how to make articles and books a pleasure to read and to write.

Dispelling the myth that you cannot get published without writing wordy, impersonal prose, Sword shows how much journal editors and readers welcome work that avoids excessive jargon and abstraction. Sword s...
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18

The ability to write clearly is critical to any scientific career. The Scientist's Guide to Writing provides practical advice to help scientists become more effective writers so that their ideas have the greatest possible impact.

Drawing on his own experience as a scientist, graduate adviser, and editor, Stephen Heard emphasizes that the goal of all scientific writing should be absolute clarity; that good writing takes deliberate practice; and that what many scientists need are not long lists of prescriptive rules but rather direct engagement with their behaviors and attitudes...

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Recommended by Jacquelyn Gill, and 1 others.

Jacquelyn Gill@GreenspaceGirl @StephenBHeard As a historian, I also think you'll enjoy his book, which includes a history of scientific writing. (Source)

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19

The Only Grant-Writing Book You'll Ever Need

From top experts in the field, the definitive guide to grant-writing

Written by two expert authors who have won secured millions of dollars in government and foundation grants, The Only Grant-Writing Book You'll Ever Need is the classic book on grant seeking, providing a comprehensive, step-by-step guide for government, nonprofit, and individual grant seekers. Drawing on decades of experience in grant writing and professional development, Ellen Karsh and Arlen Sue Fox demystify the process of securing grants while offering indispensable advice from funders and...
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20

The Craft of Research (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)

With more than 400,000 copies now in print, The Craft of Research is the unrivaled resource for researchers at every level, from first-year undergraduates to research reporters at corporations and government offices.

Seasoned researchers and educators Gregory G. Colomb and Joseph M. Williams present an updated third edition of their classic handbook, whose first and second editions were written in collaboration with the late Wayne C. Booth. The Craft of Research explains how to build an argument that motivates readers to accept a claim; how to anticipate the...
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Don't have time to read the top Academic Writing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
21
This useful guide educates students in the preparation of literature reviews for term projects, theses, and dissertations. The authors provide numerous examples from published reviews that illustrate the guidelines discussed throughout the book.

 

New to the seventh edition:

 



Each chapter breaks down the larger holistic review of literature exercise into a series of smaller, manageable steps



Practical instructions for navigating today's digital libraries



Comprehensive discussions about...
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22

Understanding Media

The Extensions of Man

Terms and phrases such as "the global village" and "the medium is the message" are now part of the lexicon, and McLuhan's theories continue to challenge our sensibilities and our assumptions about how and what we communicate.

This reissue of Understanding Media marks the thirtieth anniversary (1964-1994) of Marshall McLuhan's classic expose on the state of the then emerging phenomenon of mass media. Terms and phrases such as "the global village" and "the medium is the message" are now part of the lexicon, and McLuhan's theories continue to challenge our...
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Recommended by Cynthia Johnson, and 1 others.

Cynthia JohnsonThis book will help change the way you think about digital marketing tools or social media tools, or any sort of communication device. Really focus on what do they do and how do they work first, and then create the content. (Source)

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23
John Truby is one of the most respected and sought-after story consultants in the film industry, and his students have gone on to pen some of Hollywood's most successful films, including Sleepless in Seattle, Scream, and ShrekThe Anatomy of Story is his long-awaited first book, and it shares all of his secrets for writing a compelling script. Based on the lessons in his award-winning class, Great Screenwriting, The Anatomy of Story draws on a broad range of philosophy and mythology, offering fresh techniques and insightful anecdotes alongside Truby's own... more

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24
This book is designed to enable non-native English speakers to write science research for publication in English. It can also be used by English speakers and is a practical, user-friendly book intended as a fast, do-it-yourself guide for those whose English language proficiency is above intermediate. The approach is based on material developed from teaching graduate students at Imperial College London and has been extensively piloted. The book guides the reader through the process of writing science research and will also help with writing a Master's or Doctoral thesis in English.Science... more

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25

How to Write a Thesis

By the time Umberto Eco published his best-selling novel "The Name of the Rose," he was one of Italy's most celebrated intellectuals, a distinguished academic and the author of influential works on semiotics. Some years before that, in 1977, Eco published a little book for his students, "How to Write a Thesis," in which he offered useful advice on all the steps involved in researching and writing a thesis -- from choosing a topic to organizing a work schedule to writing the final draft. Now in its twenty-third edition in Italy and translated into seventeen languages, "How to Write a Thesis... more

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26
A special 10th anniversary edition of Roy Peter Clark's bestselling guide to writing, featuring five bonus tools.

Ten years ago, Roy Peter Clark, America's most influential writing teacher, whittled down almost thirty years of experience in journalism, writing, and teaching into a series of fifty short essays on different aspects of writing. In the past decade, Writing Tools has become a classic guidebook for novices and experts alike and remains one of the best loved books on writing available.

Organized into four sections, "Nuts and Bolts," "Special...
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28
The Only Academic Phrasebook You'll Ever Need is a short, no-nonsense, reader-friendly bank of academic sentence templates. It was written for both graduate and undergraduate students who already know the basics of academic writing but may still struggle to express their ideas using the right words.

The Only Academic Phrasebook You'll Ever Need contains 600 sentence templates organized around the typical sections of an academic paper. Here are some examples:

1. Establishing a research territory: The last few years have seen an increased interest in...
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29
The Longman Academic Writing Series helps students master the academic writing skills needed to succeed in their academic careers. The five-level series spans writing topics from composing sentences to writing research papers. Each level covers the complete writing process from prewriting to revision. Level 5 teaches advanced students to write various genres of academic essays and research papers. The text's writing process approach integrates training in grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, and research techniques along with essay and research paper organization.... more

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Don't have time to read the top Academic Writing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
31
"Here is what I love about this book: It has gobs and gobs of student writing samples with smart and lively explanations of how to use each as the focus of a craft lesson to teach writing. The right models of student writing are the best mentor texts a teacher can find and with this book, you need look no further. . . . Breathe, fellow writing teachers. Much needed and wanted help has arrived." - Ruth Culham, Author of Traits Writing

Sometimes a student's best teacher is another student. If ever there were a book to respond to the pressure to increase students' test scores, this...
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32
Widely adopted by universities, colleges, and secondary schools, the MLA Handbook gives step-by-step advice on every aspect of writing research papers, from selecting a topic to submitting the completed paper. For over half a century, the MLA Handbook is the guide millions of writers have relied on.

The seventh edition is a comprehensive, up-to-date guide to research and writing in the online environment. It provides an authoritative update of MLA documentation style for use in student writing, including simplified guidelines for citing works published on the Web and new...
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33
Students and researchers all write under pressure, and those pressures—most lamentably, the desire to impress your audience rather than to communicate with them—often lead to pretentious prose, academic posturing, and, not infrequently, writer’s block.

Sociologist Howard S. Becker has written the classic book on how to conquer these pressures and simply write. First published nearly twenty years ago, Writing for Social Scientists has become a lifesaver for writers in all fields, from beginning students to published authors. Becker’s message is clear: in order to learn...
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34
The Longman Academic Writing Series helps students master the academic writing skills needed to succeed in their academic careers. The five-level series spans writing topics from composing sentences to writing research papers. Each level covers the complete writing process from prewriting to revision. Level 3 teaches intermediate students to write various genres of academic paragraphs and essays. The text s proven approach integrates training in grammar, mechanics, vocabulary, sentence structure, and paragraph and essay organization along with the writing... more

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35

Sourcework

Academic Writing from Sources

The second edition of Sourcework, designed to help students make use of outside sources, has been updated and enhanced to better guide writers through the challenges of their first academic research papers. With new university-level readings and updated activities, this flexible text helps students master the writing and critical thinking skills necessary to produce strong academic essays using supporting evidence. less

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36
Features

* An emphasis on core academic skills: Academic Writing introduces core concepts used across a variety of disciplines in order to help students recognize patterns that appear in all academic reading and writing situations.
* Connections across contexts: From traditional science reports written for fellow scholars to blogs written for general audiences, this interdisciplinary text contains a wide range of readings, allowing students to examine how context influences academic writing.
* "Concept...
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37
The Longman Academic Writing Series helps students master the academic writing skills needed to succeed in their academic careers. The five-level series spans writing topics from composing sentences to writing research papers. Each level covers the complete writing process from prewriting to revision.

Level 1 teaches beginning students to write sentences and paragraphs. The text's proven approach integrates training in grammar, mechanics, vocabulary, sentence structure, and paragraph organization along with the writing process.

Features
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38
Research shows that five strategies correlate with the successful completion of a dissertation:

Establishing a consistent writing routine
Working with a support group
Consulting your advisor
Understanding your committee's expectations
Setting a realistic and timely schedule

Building on these insights, this book is for anyone who needs help in preparing for, organizing, planning, scheduling, and writing the longest sustained writing project they have encountered, particularly if he or she is not receiving sufficient guidance about the process, but...
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39
A storehouse of practical writing tips, written in a lively, conversational style. less

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40
With its friendly, step-by-step format, Becoming an Academic Writer by Patricia Goodson helps writers improve their writing by engaging in deep and deliberate practice--a type of practice adopted by expert performers in areas such as sports or music. Featuring 50 exercises, this practical, self-paced guide is flexibly organized so readers can either work their way through all of the exercises in order or focus on the specific areas where they need additional practice building their skills. The Second Edition is enhanced by a new appendix on literature review,... more

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Don't have time to read the top Academic Writing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
41

The Craft of Scientific Writing

We are all apprentices 01 a craft where no one ever becomes a master. -Emest Hemingway In October 1984, the weak writing in a scientific report made national news. The report, which outlined safety procedures during a nuclear attack, advised industrial workers "to don heavy clothes and immerse themselves in a large body of water. " The logic behind this advice was sound: Water is a good absorber of heat, neutrons, and gamma rays. Unfortunately, the way the advice was worded was unclear. Was everyone supposed to be com- up for air? Be- pletely submerged? Was it safe to come sides being... more
Recommended by Dr. Martin Gibala, and 1 others.

Dr. Martin GibalaOne of the books that I’ve given out a lot. (Source)

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42

Effective Academic Writing 2

The Short Essay

Effective Academic Writing, Second Edition provides the tools necessary for successful academic writing:
-Step-by step Writing Process guides and refines writing skills.
-Timed Writing practice prepares students for success on high-stakes tests.
-Online Writing Tutor on Oxford Learn improves academic writing inside and outside the classroom.
-Online Grammar Practice provides extra practice where and when your students need it the most.
Step-By-Step Instruction takes students through the complete academic writing process starting at the sentence level and ending with...
more

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43
Dissertations aren't walls to scale or battles to fight; they are destinations along the path to a professional career. Destination Dissertation is a handbook that helps students successfully develop and complete their dissertations. It uses travel as a metaphor framing the process as an exciting trip of 29 steps that can be completed in less than nine months. Designed for use by students in all disciplines and for both quantitative and qualitative dissertations, the book shows concrete and efficient processes for completing those parts of the dissertation where students tend to get stuck,... more

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44
Telling people about research is just as important as doing it. But many researchers, who, in all other respects, are competent scientists, are afraid of writing. They are wary of the unwritten rules, the unspoken dogma and the inexplicably complex style, all of which seem to pervade conventional thinking about scientific writing.

This book has been written to expose these phantoms as largely smoke and mirrors, and replace them with principles that make communicating research easier and encourage researchers to write confidently. It presents a way of thinking about writing that...
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45
Writers and publishers depend on one another, but it often seems as if they speak two different languages. Getting It Published is a lively, insider's guide to academic publishing—a book that will tell you not only how publishing works, but how you can make it work for you. Written by a veteran editor with experience in both the university press and commercial worlds, the book fields the big questions in a scholar's life. Why do editors choose some books and decline others? How does a writer decide where to submit a project? How does the review process work, and why is it necessary?... more

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46
Despite your graduate education, brainpower, and technical prowess, your career in scientific research is far from assured. Permanent positions are scarce, science survival is rarely part of formal graduate training, and a good mentor is hard to find. This exceptional volume explains what stands between you and fulfilling long-term research career. Bringing the key survival skills into focus, A Ph.D. Is Not Enough! proposes a rational approach to establishing yourself as a scientist. It offers sound advice of selecting a thesis or postdoctoral adviser, choosing among research jobs in... more

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47
English language and linguistics shares many of its writing conventions with those of other disciplines, but there are certain features and expectations that distinguish it as a subject. This book is written specifically to help undergraduate students of English language and linguistics develop the art of writing essays, projects and reports. Written by an author with over 30 years' experience of lecturing in the subject, it is a comprehensive and very readable resource and contains numerous discipline-related examples, practice exercises and an answer key. It includes chapters on referencing... more

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49

Effective Academic Writing 1

The Paragraph

Effective Academic Writing presents the writing modes and rhetorical devices students need to succeed in an academic setting. less

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Don't have time to read the top Academic Writing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
51
Effective Academic Writing, Second Edition provides the tools necessary for successful academic writing:
-Step-by step Writing Process guides and refines writing skills.
-Timed Writing practice prepares students for success on high-stakes tests.
-Online Writing Tutor on Oxford Learn improves academic writing inside and outside the classroom.
-Online Grammar Practice provides extra practice where and when your students need it the most.
Step-By-Step Instruction takes students through the complete academic writing process starting at the sentence level and ending with...
more

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52

The Unwritten Rules of Ph.D. Research

"A breath of fresh air - I wish someone had told me this beforehand." PhD student, UK

"If you are contemplating a PhD, buy the book and read it straight through to get the larger picture; then re-read each section in greater detail as you tackle each stage of your work.
I did the basic research for my PhD in about twelve months, then spent two years writing up the results - and producing possibly too much. It succeeded, but I think I might have made a better job of it if I had read a book like this first. But they didn't exist in those days."
...

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53
This book will inspire you to write, even if you have only a few minutes to spare. It may also change the way you think about writing. Drawing on a mix of disciplines, including psychology, art, linguistics, and advertising, each chapter offers you a writing-related discussion, followed by a five-minute exercise. Whether you are a beginner writer, an experienced writer looking for new ideas, or you simply want to use writing to gain self-awareness, the book will help you to: * Access your inner self, the personal memories that reflect universal patterns of the total human narrative. * Gain... more

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54
Authoring a Ph.D. Thesis involves having creative ideas, working out how to organize them, writing up from plans, upgrading text, and finishing it speedily and to a good standard. It also involves being examined and getting work published. This book provides a huge range of ideas and suggestions to help Ph.D. candidates cope with both the intellectual issues involved and the practical difficulties of organizing their work effectively.
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55

The Pre-Writing Handbook for Law Students

A Step-By-Step Guide

"This Handbook is the outgrowth of the author's empirical research into the struggles encountered by first-year law students as they begin their legal writing classes."-- page ix. less

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57

The Literature Review

Six Steps to Success

From daunting to doable in six steps

The process of literature search and composing a formal literature review can be intimidating. But masters and doctoral candidates in Education and related fields have found academic argumentation to be seamlessly intuitive with the six-step process pioneered by this book. This updated third edition features a wealth of all-new content including:

A flowchart that graphically illustrates Machi and McEvoy's process. Reflective Oversight boxes in each chapter, prompting readers to direct metacognitive...
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58

How To Tame Your PhD

Doing a thesis or dissertation can be difficult. How do you choose your topic, start your writing, think up new ideas and finish on time - without getting divorced, falling ill or going mad? In this short ebook Dr. Inger Mewburn, founder and editor of The Thesis Whisperer blog, shares her secrets for becoming a more productive researcher and writer. Inger finished her award-winning PhD in three years - despite having a small child, husband and demanding academic job. This book is a selection of her blog posts on thesis writing, which have been re-edited and expanded. This book introduces you... more

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59
The Longman Academic Writing Series helps develop student writing from basic composition of sentences and paragraphs to academic essays and research papers. At each level, students are offered guidance in the complete writing process from prewriting to revision, and are provided with clear explanations, extensive practice, and consistent coverage of sentence mechanics and grammar.
Highlights

Step-by-step approach helps students produce a well-organized, clearly developed portfolio that is the foundation of academic coursework. Realistic...
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60
Eloquent Science evolved from a workshop aimed at offering atmospheric science students formal guidance in communications, tailored for their eventual scientific careers. Drawing on advice from over twenty books and hundreds of other sources, this volume presents informative and often humorous tips for writing scientific journal articles, while also providing a peek behind the curtain into the operations of editorial boards and publishers of major journals. The volume focuses on writing, reviewing, and speaking and is aimed at the domain of the student or scientist at the start of her... more

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62

Refining Composition Skills

Academic Writing and Grammar

The new edition of this best-selling series combines comprehensive development and practice in the rhetorical modes while integrating instruction in reading, grammar, critical thinking, and vocabulary development. -Developing Composition Skills focuses students on narrating, describing, analyzing, comparing and contrasting, classifying, and evaluating at the paragraph level and offers a complete introduction that bridges the gap between the paragraph and the essay level. -Refining Composition Skills develops essay writing skills needed for success at the college level by thoroughly reviewing... more

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63

Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes

In this companion volume John van Maanen's Tales of the Field, three scholars reveal how the ethnographer turns direct experience and observation into written fieldnotes upon which an ethnography is based.

Drawing on years of teaching and field research experience, the authors develop a series of guidelines, suggestions, and practical advice about how to write useful fieldnotes in a variety of settings, both cultural and institutional. Using actual unfinished, "working" notes as examples, they illustrate options for composing, reviewing, and working fieldnotes into finished...
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64

The Handbook of Scholarly Writing and Publishing

The Handbook of Scholarly Writing and Publishing is a groundbreaking resource that offers emerging and experienced scholars from all disciplines a comprehensive review of the essential elements needed to craft scholarly papers and other writing suitable for submission to academic journals. The authors discuss the components of different types of manuscripts, explain the submission process, and offer readers suggestions for working with editors and coauthors, dealing with rejection, and rewriting and resubmitting their work. They include advice for developing quality writing skills, outline... more

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65
For anyone who has blanched at the uphill prospect of finishing a long piece of writing, this book holds out something more practical than hope: it offers a plan. The Clockwork Muse is designed to help prospective authors develop a workable timetable for completing long and often formidable projects.

The idea of dashing off a manuscript in a fit of manic inspiration may be romantic, but it is not particularly practical. Instead, Eviatar Zerubavel, a prolific and successful author, describes how to set up a writing schedule and regular work habits that will take most of the...
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66

An Insider's Guide to Academic Writing

A Brief Rhetoric

PACKAGE THIS TITLE WITH OUR 2016 MLA SUPPLEMENT, Documenting Sources in MLA Style (package ISBN-13: 9781319084585). Get the most recent updates on MLA citation in a convenient, 40-page resource based on The MLA Handbook, 8th Edition, with plenty of models. Browse our catalog or contact your representative for a full listing of updated titles and packages, or to request a custom ISBN.

Click here to explore the book.

All academic writing requires skills in critical thinking, close reading, argumentation and research, but disciplinary differences among the...
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68

Effective Academic Writing 3

The Researched Essay

Effective Academic Writing, Second Edition provides the tools necessary for successful academic writing: -Step-by step Writing Process guides and refines writing skills.-Timed Writing practice prepares students for success on high-stakes tests.-Online Writing Tutor on Oxford Learn improves academic writing inside and outside the classroom.-Online Grammar Practice provides extra practice where and when your students need it the most. Step-By-Step Instruction takes students through the complete academic writing process starting at the sentence level and ending with the researched essay. less

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69

Academic Writing

From Paragraph to Essay

Academic Writing has been written for intermediate level students who are preparing to study, or are already studying, in an academic environment and need to improve their writing skills.

This book takes students from paragraph structuring to essay writing through a process approach. It teaches learners how to order and link paragraphs into cohesive and coherent essays and to create the various paragraph types that are used in written assignments.

Academic Writing includes work on how to generate ideas, organise material, draft, review and revise written work. It...
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70

How to Write Better Essays

This book takes the reader carefully through each stage of essay writing from interpretation of the question, to the research, planning, writing and revision. Readers are shown how to improve not just study skills like note taking, reading, organization and writing, but their thinking skills too. The reader will learn how to analyze difficult concepts, criticize and evaluate arguments, use evidence, and develop more of their own ideas. This book gives clear practical advice, with a troubleshooting section that deals with a range of common problems. less

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Don't have time to read the top Academic Writing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

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72

How to Write a Better Thesis

This concise guide emphasizes clear and logical structure as the key to a well-written thesis. Offering concrete examples of common structural problems, and numerous devices, tricks, and tests by which to avoid them, in a direct and conversational tone, it proves that the astute researcher must no longer regard writing as the last chore but rather as a crucial part of the research process. This updated edition reflects the changes in research style brought about by the Internet. less

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74


Telling a Research Story: Writing a Literature Review is concerned with the writing of a literature review and is not designed to address any of the preliminary processes leading up to the actual writing of the literature review.

 

This volume represents a revision and expansion of the material on writing literature reviews that appeared in English in Today's Research World.

 

This volume progresses from general to specific issues in the writing of literature reviews. It opens with some orientations that raise awareness of...
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75

The Elements of Editing

A good complement to The Elements of Style. It's a concise introductory manual that is helpful for anyone wishing to brush up on their editing. less

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76

From Dissertation to Book

All new Phd's hope that their dissertations can become books. But a dissertation is written for a committee and a book for the larger world. William Germano's From Dissertation to Book is the essential guide for academic writers who want to revise a doctoral thesis for publication. The author of Getting It Published, Germano draws upon his extensive experience in academic publishing to provide writers with a state-of-the-art view of how to turn a dissertation into a manuscript that publishers will notice.

Acknowledging first that not all theses can become books,...
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77

What They Didn't Teach You in Graduate School

199 Helpful Hints for Success in Your Academic Career

* 199 tips for getting your PhD and surviving and thriving in your first years of teaching* Irreverent, but serious, guide to what higher education institutions are REALLY like* Illustrated with original cartoons to bring the hints to lifeJust landed your first faculty position? Close to getting your Ph.D., and planning a career in academe? Already in your first job? This insightful guide will help you achieve success. What will academic life be like? How do you discover its tacit rules? Develop the habits and networks needed for success? What issues will you encounter if you re a person of... more

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78
A practical nuts and bolts guide for teachers from any discipline who want to design interest-provoking writing and critical thinking activities. Engaging Ideas
Shows how teachers can encourage inquiry, exploration, discussion, and debate in their courses. Presents a wide variety of strategies for stimulating active learning and for coaching writing and critical thinking. Offers teachers concrete advice on how to design courses, structure assignment, use class time, critique student performance, and model critical thinking activities. Demonstrates how writing can easily be...
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79
This newly updated guide describes how to effectively and efficiently manage the dissertation or thesis process in two semesters or less. Written for doctoral and master's degree students enrolled in on-campus programs and students pursuing accelerated and online-based degree programs, this book demystifies the seemingly daunting process. From choosing a topic and advisor, to efficient researching and the actual writing and defense, Complete Your Dissertation or Thesis in Two Semesters or Less provides students with all the information needed to conquer this academic experience. Updates to... more

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80
Designed to help law students write and publish articles, Academic Legal Writing provides detailed instructions for every aspect of the law school writing, research, and publication process. Topics covered include law review articles and student notes, seminar term papers, how to shift from research to writing, cite-checking others' work, publishing, and publicizing written works. With supporting documents available on http://volokh.com/writing, the book helps law students and everyone else involved in academic... more

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Don't have time to read the top Academic Writing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
81
Most international students need to write essays and reports for exams and coursework. Yet writing good academic English is a demanding task. This new edition of Academic Writing has been fully revised to help students reach this goal. Clearly organised, the course explains the writing process from start to finish. Each stage is demonstrated and practised, from selecting suitable sources, reading, note-making and planning through to re-writing and proofreading.

The book is divided into short sections which contain examples, explanations and exercises for use in the classroom or...
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82
This witty and practical guide to organizing, writing, and submitting scientific research for publication in a scholarly scientific journal is designed to help good scientists become good writers. Each edition of this popular work has quickly become an Oryx bestseller, and the new fifth edition has been extensively revised to reflect the significant impact of the Internet and other electronic resources on the writing and publishing of scientific papers.This new edition presents seven new chapters that cover the topics of equipment and software; electronic publishing formats; the Internet and... more

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83

From Inquiry to Academic Writing

A Practical Guide

Discover academic habits and skills that will help you succeed not only in college but beyond as well as From Inquiry to Academic Writing: A Text and Reader establishes strategies for cross-curricular thinking and writing. less

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84
This handy guide helps time-pressed students to write successful academic essays. less

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85

From Inquiry to Academic Writing

A Text and Reader

Discover academic habits that will help with in college and beyond as From Inquiry to Academic Writing: A Text and Reader establishes strategies for cross-curricular thinking and writing.


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86

A Sequence for Academic Writing

Rev. ed. of: A sequence for academic writing / Bonnie Beedles, Laurence Behrens, Leonard J. Rosen, 5th ed. less

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87

The Practice of Social Research

This thorough revision of Babbie's standard-setting book for the course (known as the "Bible of social research methods") offers students a comprehensive, straightforward introduction to the field of research methods as practiced by sociologists and other social scientists. Emphasizing the importance of the research process, the book shows students how social scientists design research studies, introduces the variety of observation modes used by sociologists, and covers the "how-to's" and "whys" of social research methods. Students learn how to conduct various types of research, when it is... more

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88
Writing assignments are road maps-or they should be. They guide the writer on a journey. They lay out a process, envision a destination. They are designed. As Jim Burke explains it: "What we are really doing when we create a year's worth of writing assignments, of experiences, is designing a story. Each day's class a sentence, each week a paragraph, each unit a chapter in the story of the year students spend in our classes. And as with any good story, there needs to be tension and transformation by the time one arrives at the end, or what I have called 'the user's journey.'"

These...
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89
The Handbook of Academic Writing for Librarians is the most complete reference source available for librarians who need or desire to publish in the professional literature. The Handbook addresses issues and requirements of scholarly writing and publishing in a start-to-finish manner. Standard formats of scholarly writing are addressed: research papers, articles, and books. Sections and chapters include topics such as developing scholarly writing projects in library science, the improvement of academic writing, understanding and managing the peer review process including submission, revision,... more

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90

Academic Writing, Real World Topics

Academic Writing, Real World Topics fills a void in the writing-across-the-curriculum textbook market. It draws together articles and essays of actual academic prose as opposed to journalism; it arranges material topically as opposed to by discipline or academic division; and it approaches topics from multiple disciplinary and critical perspectives. With extensive introductions, rhetorical instruction, and suggested additional resources accompanying each chapter, Academic Writing, Real World Topics introduces students to the kinds of research and writing that they will be... more

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Don't have time to read the top Academic Writing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.