Library and Academic Services: Academic Writing and Citation: Writing

Introduction

If you’ve come directly from high school or have been out of school for a while, you may find it tricky at first to adjust to the requirements needed for college-level writing. You may need to write for different reasons and courses, for example, you may have to:

Summarize a reading to show understanding of the content
Write a full-length academic essay on a topic of the instructor’s or their own choosing
Analyze and write a critique on a book or academic journal article
Present an argument using evidence and reasons to defend their position
Create business documents such as memos, letters, reports, and proposals

All of these tasks require thinking and writing in a more structured way than they may have done before. Check out the resources on this page for time-tested strategies on becoming comfortable with the writing process and be sure to drop in at the Writing Centre OR Book an Appointment with a Writing Tutor.

Online Writing Resources

The following modules (created by The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) offer information, strategies, exercises, and quizzes to help you improve as a writer! These modules can be found on the NAIT Learning Services website.

You can also read through the following online resources for more information and writing skills development:

The Writing Process

The Writing Process (PPT document)
This PowerPoint presentation showcases the Writing Process. A multi-step process for producing quality writing. The Writing Process can be adapted to any writing assignment. This presentation follows the POWERS process (Pre-read, Organize, Write, Edit, Revise, Submit).
The Writing Process (PDF document)
A PDF, screen reader friendly version of the Writing Process PowerPoint presentation.

Writing Tip Sheets

Use the tip sheets below to apply the information learned in this section.

Descriptive and Analytical Writing
An overview of the descriptive style of writing that might be found in summaries and explanations and compares it to analytical writing found in argumentative essays and interpretations.
Scholarly Sources
Overviews many different types of sources and why they may or may not be considered academic or scholarly. Additionally, this document provides tips for evaluating sources.
Mind Mapping
An example mind map and template for creating your own mind map.
Critical Reading
How to critically engage with a source for analytical and descriptive writing styles. Includes a template outline for critical reading and writing.
Outlining
Instructions for creating an outline and an example outline for an argumentative essay.
Paraphrasing
An overview on paraphrasing and tips on how to effectively paraphrase in your writing.
Summarizing
An overview of summarizing, steps for creating an effective summary, and a comparison of summarizing with other forms of descriptive writing.

Academic Writing and Citation

Self-Directed Tutorials

Writing Workshops

Academic Support Specialist

Introduction

Online Writing Resources

Grammar

Writing

The Writing Process

Writing Tip Sheets