Study Skills

Many students struggle with academic writing skills. From the basics of grammar and punctuation and sourcing and referencing material, to developing an argument and correctly structuring an essay or assignment, there are common mistakes even confident students make. Here we share a collection of top tips, advice and guidance to help you develop and master academic writing at university.

What is a social science essay?

In a free extract Peter Redman and Wendy Maples(authors of Good Essay Writing) explain what’s distinctive about essay writing in the social sciences. They look at essay structure, common errors in essays, four golden rules for writing a social science essay, and what an essay isn’t.

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Planning essay writing

Download a 14 page Essay Writing Planning Pack created by Tom Burns and Sandra Sinfield with Learn Higher, authors of Essential Study Skills. It takes you step-by-step through planning and structuring the essay, using ideas and information, and actually writing the essay.

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Finding your voice

Read a blog post by Alex Osmond, author of Academic Writing and Grammar for Students, for tips on helping students avoid common issues in their academic writing. In this post he discusses the challenges students face when asserting their academic voice and expressing their views.

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