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Dec 17 • 16 tweets • 4 min read
A meta-thread of my 12 threads on academic writing tips and resources — all in one place:

• Bookmark it for yourself.
• Retweet it to help others.
Academic writing tips:
1. Building an academic writing habit

2. Getting started

3. Writing a zero draft

4. Writing a perfect first draft

5. Revising your first draft

6. Seeking feedback

7. Writing for your idea reader

Free academic writing resources developed by:
8. Harvard

9. Oxford

10. Purdue

11. University of York

12. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Found this meta-thread helpful?

Follow me @MushtaqBilalPhD for regular tips on academic writing.

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More from @MushtaqBilalPhD

Mushtaq Bilal, PhD Profile picture
Dec 15
The MOST TIME-CONSUMING parts of any research project: reviewing literature and taking notes.

Here's how to fast-track your research using two FREE tools — Zotero + Obsidian 👇

[You can set up this workflow in 20min]

A step-by-step guide with visuals 🧵 Zotero - Obsidian Integration a tutorial by Mushtaq Bilal, P
Start by downloading the the "Better BibTex for Zotero" add-on from retorque.re/zotero-better-…

Download the latest version of the add-on. Better BibTex for Zotero add-on. A yellow arrow points to th
A .xpi (pronounced zippy) file will be downloaded onto your computer. A red rectangle highlights the Zotero Better BibTex's .xpi f
Read 28 tweets
Mushtaq Bilal, PhD Profile picture
Dec 14
5 FREE tools to help you become a proficient academic researcher (plus FREE tutorials):
1. ResearchRabbit (researchrabbit .ai)

• Finds relevant literature (very quickly)
• Visualizes connections between various articles/authors
• Integrates with Zotero

• Thread below: Research Rabbit 101

The landing page of Research Rabbit.
2. Zotero (zotero .org)

• Manages and automates citations/references
• Built-in Note Editor helps you annotate PDFs
• Integrates with Research Rabbit and Obsidian

• Thread below: Zotero for beginners

The landing page of Zotero.
Read 7 tweets
Mushtaq Bilal, PhD Profile picture
Dec 13
One of the BEST (and most powerful) apps for note-taking for academics: OBSIDIAN

But most folks don't know how to use it.

Here's how to get started 👇

Obsidian 101: A step-by-step guide with visuals 🧵 Obsidian's logo
Go to obsidian(dot)md.

Download the software and install it on your computer. The landing page of Obsidian.
Next, create a folder on your computer titled "All Obsidian Vaults" (for better organization).

I've put this folder on my desktop.

"Vault" is Obsidian's term for a folder in which it stores a .obsidian folder along with the files that you will create. A red rectangle highlights "All Obsidian Vaults" o
Read 24 tweets
Mushtaq Bilal, PhD Profile picture
Dec 12
ChatGPT and the (dark?) future of the college essay:

(a short thread)

TL;DR
It can't write college essays (at least not the ones folks like me will assign). A screenshot of the main user interface of ChatGPT.
Some folks asked me what I thought about students using the AI-powered app ChatGPT to write college essays.

So, I took it out for a spin.
I asked it to tell me about the 19th century Urdu novel.

It gave a decent enough, generic enough answer but also included a 20th century writer. ChatGPT's answer to Mushtaq's question about the 19th centur
Read 7 tweets
Mushtaq Bilal, PhD Profile picture
Dec 12
Every academic has to apply for a grant at some point in their career.

But few know how to go about it.

Prof. Betty S. Lai has won several prestigious grants including one by the National Science Foundation (USA).

Here's her road map on how to win a grant: A photo of Prof. Betty S. Lai.
Prof. Lai breaks down the grant application process in four types of tasks:

Task A: Develop an idea
Task B: Target a funder
Task C: Draft your grant
Task D: Polish your grant

She follows it up with actionable steps to accomplish each these four tasks.
Task A: Develop an idea

Step 1: Find available grants

• Familiarize yourself with available grants
• Prepare a road map including you, your institution, program officer of the funding body, and reviewers
• Identify potential funders
• Read abstracts that won grants
Read 20 tweets
Mushtaq Bilal, PhD Profile picture
Dec 11
How my 10-year-old son helped me overcome my academic insecurities:
I was born, brought up, and educated in Pakistan — a very status conscious society.

In the Pakistan that I am familiar with, one's worth is determined by:
1. Language one speaks (English on top, then Urdu, and if one speaks a language like Punjabi chances are people will assume one is illiterate)
Read 21 tweets

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