How To Write for University: Academic Writing For Success, 1st edition

Published by Pearson (18 December 2013) © 2014

  • Kathleen McMillan University of Dundee
  • Jonathan Weyers University of Dundee
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Products list
$49.25 NZD
Instant access

Access details

  • Instant access once purchased
  • Fulfilled by VitalSource

Title overview

Strong academic writing doesn't happen by accident. It develops through practice, planning and knowing what university assessors expect.

How To Write for University: Academic Writing for Success provides a practical, step-by-step framework for developing the skills needed to write confidently at university. Whether you're tackling your first assignment or looking to improve your grades, this guide helps you navigate every stage of the academic writing process.

Built around a proven 12-step approach, the text takes students from finding and evaluating information through to planning, drafting, editing and reflecting on feedback. Drawing on extensive experience teaching and assessing university students, the authors provide practical guidance that can be applied across disciplines, assignment types and levels of study.

With clear explanations, real-world examples and actionable strategies throughout, students gain the tools they need to communicate ideas effectively and achieve stronger academic outcomes.

Who it's for

  • First-year university students adapting to higher education study
  • Students looking to improve academic writing and assessment performance
  • Learners developing research, critical thinking and communication skills
  • Students seeking guidance on referencing, structure and academic conventions
  • Anyone who wants a clear, practical approach to managing writing assignments successfully

Whether you're writing your first university essay or looking to strengthen your academic performance, How To Write for University: Academic Writing for Success provides practical tools, proven strategies and expert guidance to help you communicate your ideas with clarity and confidence.

Table of contents

  • Introduction
  • 1. The importance of writing at university - how your abilities in academic writing contribute to your sucess
  • Essentials for getting started – how to gather and record information
  • 2. University writing in context – how your academic  writing is shaped from the very start of your course
  • 3. Lectures, listening and academic writing – how information you hear in lectures contributes to your writing
  • 4. Researching information for writing assignments – how to use the library as a source of academic information
  • 4. Reading effectively – how understanding the structure of text helps your own writing
  • 6. Notes from lectures and reading – how to record information in note-form for use in your writing
  • 7. Speaking, thinking and academic writing – how discussing your work contributes to organising and wording your writing
  • Understanding the contexts and practices relating to academic writing – how to meet the standards
  • 8. Organising yourself for writing – how to use your time effectively to ensure successful completion of assignments
  • 9. The format of academic writing – how to structure your text appropriately
  • 10. Following the expected academic style in your writing – how to adopt the appropriate language conventions in your task
  • 11. Information-processing and critical thinking for writing – how to approach your analysis of source material
  • 12. Referring to source material in your writing – how to cite and reference correctly to avoid plagiarism
  • 13. Presentation of academic assignments – how to follow the relevant academic conventions in your written work
  • 14. What markers look for when assessing written work - how markers grade your academic writing
  • Writing technique – how to plan and write for assessment
  • 15. Planning writing assignments – how to reflect on and organise your response to the task
  • 16. Writing a first draft – how to shape your text using sentences and paragraphs effectively
  • 17. Reviewing, editing and proof-reading your writing – how to make sure your writing is concise and correct
  • Developing future academic writing – how to build on markers’ advice for good results in later writing including exams
  • 18. Acting on feedback in your coursework – how to use markers’ comments to develop your academic writing
  • 19. Academic writing in exams – how to translate the techniques of coursework writing into your exam script
  • Appendices 

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