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Nov 29 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
Academic writing tips by Harvard instructors:
1. Harvard faculty explain analytical writing

Contains tips on:
• How to write an argument
• How to show why your argument is important
• How to structure your work

harvardwrites.com
2. Downloadable guides to writing papers in:

• History
• English
• Philosophy
• Psychology

writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/brief-gu… An image of the first page of "A Brief Guide to Writing
3. Strategies on writing academic essays

Covers:
• How to read an assignment
• How to develop a thesis
• How to write topic sentences

[I learned to write topic sentences in the last six months of my PhD😂 Don't be like me]

writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/strategi…
4. General advice for writing in the sciences

Contains tips on:
• The big picture
• Structure
• Evidence
• Audience and style
• Do's and don'ts

sciencewrites.org/the-big-picture
5. How to write empirical papers

Contains tips on writing:
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion

sciencewrites.org/empirical-pape…
6. How to write non-empirical papers

Contains tips on:
• How to write a paper when you are given a topic
• How to write a paper when you have to choose a topic yourself

sciencewrites.org/non-empirical-…
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More from @MushtaqBilalPhD

Mushtaq Bilal, PhD Profile picture
Nov 30
The academic writing website that received more than 240 million visits last year: Purdue's Online Writing Lab (OWL).

The OWL hosts a wealth of FREE resources on:
1. General Writing

Contains detailed guides on:
• Writing style
• Writing process
• Common writing assignments
• Undergrad applications
• Grad school applications
• Community engaged writing

owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_wr…
2. Research and Citation

Contains materials on:
• Conducting research
• Using research
• Various citation styles (MLA, APA, Chicago, IEEE)

owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_a…
Read 10 tweets
Mushtaq Bilal, PhD Profile picture
Nov 29
A basic Zotero workflow that you can master in 20min to fast-track your research even if you've never used Zotero (for folks who started following me recently:
1. Download and install Zotero
2. Register for a free account
3. Install Zotero Connector for your internet browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge). It comes bundled with Safari.
4. Open Zotero. Click File → New Collection
5. Name the collection: [Project Name]-Mock
6. Go to Google Scholar or your university's library
7. Look up keywords related to your project
8. Click on Zotero Connector
9. Select items. Press OK
10. Zotero will add selected items to your library 11. Select all items; right-click; select "Find Available PDFs"
Read 6 tweets
Mushtaq Bilal, PhD Profile picture
Nov 28
Finding the right journal for your article is always tricky (especially for PhDs and early career researchers).

Here are 10 tools that will help you find the perfect home for your article:
1. Web of Science Master Journal List

Helps you find "the right journal across multiple indices hosted on the Web of Science platform."

You'd need to create a free account to use it.

mjl.clarivate.com/home
2. JANE (Journal/Author Name Estimator)

"Relies on the data in PubMed"

jane.biosemantics.org
Read 12 tweets
Mushtaq Bilal, PhD Profile picture
Nov 27
6 incredible resources developed by top universities to help you become a proficient academic writer — totally free:
1. Harvard College Writing Center

Contains:
• Strategies for essay writing
• Tips on close reading
• Guides for writing in the disciplines

writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/resources
2. Hamilton College Writing Center

Contains:
• Strategies for essay writing
• Tips on writing styles and forms
• Guides for writing in the sciences

hamilton.edu/academics/cent…
Read 8 tweets
Mushtaq Bilal, PhD Profile picture
Nov 26
5 books that will help you build healthy academic writing habits (so you can write a lot and publish a lot):
1. "The Clockwork Muse" by Eviatar Zerubavel

Great advice on how to organize your writing process in terms of time.

A-Time: reserved for writing new material
B-Time: for "mechanical" tasks like compiling bibliography, etc.
C-Time: meant for house chores The Clockwork Muse: A Practical Guide to Writing Theses, Dis
2. "How to Write a Lot" by Paul Silvia

It will teach you how to build a sustainable writing schedule.

Also contains tips on how to start a writing group with your friends and colleagues. How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic
Read 7 tweets
Mushtaq Bilal, PhD Profile picture
Nov 25
Zotero is the best citation management software — it's free and does not monetize your data

But many folks have a hard time starting out on it.

Here's how you can get started on Zotero in 15min:

Zotero for beginners: a step-by-step tutorial 🧵
Go to Zotero's website, click on the "Download" button. A screenshot of the landing page of Zotero. A yellow arrow p
You'll need to install two things:

1. Zotero desktop app
2. Zotero Connector to connect your app to your web browser

Download and install the desktop app first.

[For this tutorial, I'm using a Windows PC, and Google Chrome.] A screenshot of Zotero's homepage. A red rectangle highlight
Read 28 tweets

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