USC Dornsife – The Writing Center

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Individual Consulations and Workshops

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Writing References 

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The Writing Program 

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Handouts and Video Tutorials 

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Writing Center Appointments 

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Writing Program Research 

 

Academic Writing

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Graduate Level Writing Tips

Purdue University 

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Not Replacing but Enhancing: Using ChatGPT For Academic Writing

Times Higher Education (2023)

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Best Practices for Using AI for Academic Purposes

LinkedIn (2023)

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Writing a Research Proposal? Writing a Thesis? Here Are Some Tips

Medium (2019)

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ChatGPT and PhD Research

LinkedIn (2023)

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Academic Writing Style 

USC Library

 

Writing for General Audiences


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Op-ed Writing: Tips and Tricks

The Op-Ed Project (2020)

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5 Tips to Simplify Academic Writing for General Audiences

Washington University School of Medicine (2023)

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Tips For Communicating About Your Research With Non-Scientists

Stephanie Morrison -Office of Communications & Public Liaison (2022)

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How Do You Write a Research Article That is Engaging?

LinkedIn (2023)

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Write Content That Resonates With Your Target Audience

Medium (2023)

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Public Writing Resources

University of Washington (2022)

 

Grant Writing

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Grant Writing Tips for Graduate Students 

West Texas A&M University

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10 Tips on Grant Writing From a Seasoned Reviewer

Chronicle of Higher Education (2021)

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Use of a Grant Writing Class in Training PhD Students

Emory University

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Tips For Preparing Your Proposal

Vanderbilt University

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Writing a Grant Application as a PhD Student; Reflections, Advice, and Grievances

Medium (2018)

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USC Library – Grant Funding

 

References

Books

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Booth, Wayne C., et al. The Craft of Research: Fourth Edition. UChicago Press, 2016

This book is a classic on conducting research. It is valuable for writers because it explains how to formulate a cogent argument.

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Klinkenborg, Verlyn. Several Short Sentences About Writing. Random House, 2013.

This book is a brilliant exploration of style in writing. It encourages writers to make sentences “short enough to feel the variations in length” and points out, “The longer the sentence, the less it’s able to imply, and writing by implication should be one of your goals.”

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Longknife, Ann, and K.D. Sullivan. The Art of Styling Sentences. Barron’s, 2012.

This book provides twenty basic patterns that writers use to add style and variety to their sentences. Not all sentences fit within these twenty patterns, but these patterns provide useful ways to organize complex ideas. The book also discusses figurative language in sentences.

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Williams, Joseph M., and Joseph Bizup. Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace. Pearson, 2017.

This book is another tremendously valuable work on prose style. It emphasizes clarity in writing, and breaks down exactly how writers achieve this elusive quality. It includes tips such as, “Open your sentences with familiar units of information,” or “Get to the main verb of the sentence quickly.” The principles provided by this book are elegant and flexible.

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Semenza, Gregory C. Graduate Study for the 21st Century: How To Build an Academic Career in the Humanities. Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.

For graduate students in the humanities:

A classic work on graduate study in the humanities, with all sorts of useful advice on multiple aspects of academia.

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Evans and Ruba. How to Write a Better Thesis: Second Edition. Melbourne University Press, 2014

This book will provide tremendous insight into just about every aspect of coming to your thesis. From proposal to examination, producing a dissertation or thesis is a challenge. Grounded in decades of experience with research training and supervision, this fully updated and revised edition takes an integrated, down-to-earth approach drawing on case studies and examples to guide you step-by-step towards productive success.