The Craft of Research

Booth, W.C., G. G. Colomb, & J. M. Williams.  University of Chicago Press, 2008

This handbook is an international classic on research writing and is suitable for students writing BA- and Master’s theses. The Craft of Research covers all aspects of writing a research paper in a clear, thorough and straightforward manner.

Especially recommended is chapter 2 on what steps to follow to find a good research question, as well as  chapter 3 that explains, in detail, how to build a solid academic argument. The publisher’s website contains the full table of contents of the book.

The Good Paper – a handbook for writing papers in higher education

Rienecker, L. & P. S.  Jørgensen, Samfundslitteratur, 2013

A handbook for students writing papers where they need to formulate a research question and find relevant literature on their own (BA- and Master’s theses and other research papers). The book is an adapted version of the Danish book Den Gode Opgave, aimed at international students studying in Denmark. The book contains chapters on finding a research question, locating and using sources, the structure and elements of a paper, argumentation, clear academic language, as well as the writing process. The book contains many examples from real university papers from multiple disciplines.

The publisher’s webpage for the book contains a free downloadable set of activities (pdf), including tools to plan a work schedule for writing a paper (p. 12) and inspiration regarding what parts of your paper you can start writing on the first day (p. 4).

 

AU Studypedia

The Centre for Teaching Development and Digital Media, Arts, Aarhus University

AU Stydypedia is a web resource that provides information and tools for writing academic papers. It is structured in lines/themes, and especially relevant for writing papers are the lines on standards for academic papers (only in Danish), writing an academic paper and sources in academic work. It is an English version of the Danish Studypedia and is aimed at international students studying in Denmark (originally in Arts, but students use the site across faculties and universities).

Especially recommended is the interactive freewriting exercise, which can help you become a more efficient and productive writer, as well as information and tools for getting the most out of peer feedback.   

A Guide to Writing in Economics

Dudenhefer, P., Department of Economics, Duke University, 2014 (available online)

This 68-page guide is structured in five parts, covering the entire process of writing an economics paper in a clear and concise manner. Special attention is paid to the genres of economics writing as well as specific issues such as describing models.

Especially recommended is the “Six Principles of Clear, Cohesive, and Coherent Writing” from part 1 (p. 12). Working with these principles provides a manageable and efficient way to improve academic writing.   

 

LSE Study Tool Kit

Teaching and Learning Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science

This web resource contains a section on “Making convincing arguments in essays” that is relevant when writing an academic paper. It provides guidance on how to develop the ability to engage in critical analysis, a key element in research papers.

 

 

Stop plagiarism

The Danish Research Library Association's Forum for Library User Education, University of Southern Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University & Roskilde University

Many students are concerned about the risk of plagiarizing unintentionally, and do not feel familiar with the rules governing plagiarism and academic integrity. This web tutorial can help students learn how to use sources correctly and provide sufficient documentation in written assignments.