Scholarly Writing Supports for Researchers
Introduction
Scholarly writing is an essential activity for researchers as it is a primary mode to communicate researchers’ contributions, disseminate knowledge, and generate impact. In this guide, you’ll find a variety of tools and guidelines designed to support you in sustaining a writing practice and community, crafting well-structured and argued academic written works, and shape your writing to increase relevance to intended audiences.
Resources for Scholarly Writing
This section offers scholarly literature on writing academic prose well, sustainably, and with disciplinary rigour. In the articles and books listed below, scholars share their approaches to planning and finishing scholarly writing projects while also working to enjoy the process.
Six experts offer advice on producing a manuscript that will get published and pull in readers. Nature (2018).
The author argues scholars should develop a metaphor for one’s scholarly writing practice. In so doing, the author argues that scholars can increase scholars’ productivity and may ultimately enhance their writing experience
A primer on the different forms of persuasive argument and the ways to make written arguments more convincing.
A book that empowers academic, professional, and creative writers to reframe their negative emotions about writing and reclaim their positive ones. By learning how to cast light on the shadows, you will soon find yourself bringing passion and pleasure to everything you write.
A set of essays on the writing process from engaged academic writers who also maintain an active online presence.
This guide provides practical advice to help scientists become more effective writers so that their ideas have the greatest possible impact.
This textbook demystifies the journal article writing process, emphasizing a sustainable writing progress that moves draft articles to submission ready publications over twelve weeks. This textbook is the foundation of the CRIS Faculty Writing Accelerator.
This journal article encourages researchers to use their field notes and other descriptive qualitative data sources as a vital tool for combatting writer’s block and establishing a self-reflective research praxis.
A practical guide to making your academic prose more readable and understandable. This book aims to encourage scholarly authors to prioritize clarity of style, sharp arguments, and to connect with the readers for whom you are writing.
This guide examines how to juggle the demands of faculty life (teaching, service, research) with the need to write and publish. Jensen’s guide encourages academic writers to write often and frequently to forestall obstacles to getting writing done and published.
This book encourages graduate writers to develop a writing practice while exploring the unique issues of writing when in graduate school. Concrete strategies for multilingual writers on how to manage an academic text and balance the demands of graduate school simultaneously are examined.
Participating in a Scholarly Writing Community
This section explores the intellectual and social benefits of being in a writing community and the impact they can have on scholarly outputs.
Benefits of Joining a Writing Community
This article examines the use of writing groups as a strategy for research development. Studies in Higher Education (2003).
A case study that examines how social media and digital technologies develop, maintain, and protect a scholarly writing practice Research 2.0 and the Impact of Digital Technologies on Scholarly Inquiry (2017).
Designing your own Writing Community
This section offers resources and guidance on how to create, host, and sustain writing communities.
A free, online course outlining the steps to establish and maintain a writing exchange partnership. Includes free checklists and feedback forms to shape and structure the exchange process.
This edited collection explores the challenges of academic publishing: from pressure to publish, to establishing a sustainable writing practice, to defending writing time. Strategies and approaches are shared on how to foster writing supports through writing in pairs and in groups.
Guides for Starting your own Writing Community
- Faculty Writing Group Creation Guide, San Jose State University.
- Writing Retreat Facilitator’s Guide, University of Edinburgh., University of Edinburgh.
- Activities for Writing Groups, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Considerations While Writing
This section prompts researchers to be informed about their rights as authors, explore where to publish their research, and consider their audience to improve and shape their academic writing.
Researching where to publish and who you are writing for can help your writing take shape.
- Familiarize yourself with your rights as an author.
- Review publishing options by checking the Directory of Open Access Journals and available APC discounts to U of T faculty/members.
- Protect your author identity and register for an ORCID ID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) and set up your author profile.
- Understand how citations are measured and how to maximize the impact of your research.
- Be aware of deceptive publishers and predatory journals, see U of T guidance and checklist.
- Consider publishing a new journal through UTL’s Journal Production Services.
- Extend the readership of your scholarly writing by using DiscoverResearch, social media, or other media like podcasts.
NCFDD is a leading provider of professional development in higher education with programs that empower faculty for lasting success with mentoring, coaching, tools, and on-demand support.
Their 14-Day Writing Challenge and their Faculty Success Program focus on scholarly writing. Additional webinars and resources are available on how to develop a writing plan that works during semesters, summers, and during sabbaticals.
U of T faculty can register online for a free NCFDD account.
