How to Write for University

Jonathan Weyers and Kathleen McMillan both work at the University of Dundee. Both have been teaching and lecturing for over 25 years and latterly have specialised in the transferable skills area. They have a track record of collaborative writing and achievement in this area.

• Introduction1. 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 information2. University writing in context – how your academic  writing is shaped from the very start of your course3. Lectures, listening and academic writing – how information you hear in lectures contributes to your writing4. Researching information for writing assignments – how to use the library as a source of academic information4. Reading effectively – how understanding the structure of text helps your own writing6. Notes from lectures and reading – how to record information in note-form for use in your writing7. 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 standards8. Organising yourself for writing – how to use your time effectively to ensure successful completion of assignments9. The format of academic writing – how to structure your text appropriately10. Following the expected academic style in your writing – how to adopt the appropriate language conventions in your task11. Information-processing and critical thinking for writing – how to approach your analysis of source material12. Referring to source material in your writing – how to cite and reference correctly to avoid plagiarism13. Presentation of academic assignments – how to follow the relevant academic conventions in your written work14. What markers look for when assessing written work - how markers grade your academic writing  Writing technique – how to plan and write for assessment15. Planning writing assignments – how to reflect on and organise your response to the task16. Writing a first draft – how to shape your text using sentences and paragraphs effectively17. Reviewing, editing and proof-reading your writing – how to make sure your writing is concise and correctDeveloping future academic writing – how to build on markers’ advice for good results in later writing including exams18. Acting on feedback in your coursework – how to use markers’ comments to develop your academic writing19. Academic writing in exams – how to translate the techniques of coursework writing into your exam script  Appendices