How To Beat Writer’s Block

Often, the hardest thing about writing an academic paper is the blank page staring at you.  The course has been so rich, and the instructor demands some innovative ideas – you know you have a great paper in you somewhere, but where do you begin? We live in a time when inspiration is coming at [...]

Citation By the Numbers: How to Refer to Numbers In Your Text

Finally!  You’re in college and you have declared a major in the humanities.  This means that you can study what you are passionate about.  It also means that you never have to take another math class (maybe).  You don’t have to think about any numbers ever again except for birthdays, your ATM pin, and your [...]

Your Best Paper: Take Time for the Revision Process

re·vise verb \ri-ˈvīz\ : to look over again in order to correct or improve The birds are starting to chirp.  Your bed is covered with open books and crumpled scraps of paper.  The coffee you grabbed as they closed the dining hall is long gone and you have moved on to your roommate’s Red Bull. [...]

Citation Tips: E-mails, Lectures, and Interviews

There are many potentially credible sources of information that you can cite in a research paper.  The obvious include books and journals both in print and in electronic formats.  Then there are other potential sources that you may not think of immediately.  Use the tips below to get comfortable with how to cite these “alternative [...]

Commencement Speeches that Inspire Grads and Current Students Alike

For so many students, the race through the last round of exams and papers combined with those final celebrations may result in a graduation day that is a bit of a blur.   The commencement speaker may be incredibly accomplished and articulate, but a lot of the people wearing those caps and gowns may just be [...]

Build On Your Previous Academic Work Without Self-Plagiarism

Nobody likes to hear someone say, “I told you so.”  Well, almost nobody. In academic circles, it is important to tell your audience whether you are presenting ideas that you have already used before.  If you do not mention that your research or theories have appeared in your previous work, you might be accused of [...]

Abbreviations: Rules and Uses In Your Academic Papers

You may be well on your way to earning your bachelor’s degree, but would you bet your cap and gown on whether you are about to earn your BA or your B.A.? We’re all in a hurry and we are more likely than ever to use abbreviations (especially when we are typing with our thumbs [...]

Healthy Habits That Enhance Academic Performance

You may feel like you are still recovering from spring break, but here is it, the beautiful month of May, and with it, the challenges of final exam season. As you focus completely on the world of the mind, you may be inclined to throw any healthy habits you may have out the window, but [...]

Tips For Reducing Bias In Your Academic Writing

Sometimes you are asked to turn in a paper written in the first person about your perspective on a certain issue.  You may decide to discuss a controversial topic about which you feel strongly.  The risk takers amongst you will take a stand on a subject even though you suspect that your professor will not [...]

Sources For Your Academic Paper: How To Be a Discerning Researcher

At some point while you were growing up, a wise adult reminded you “consider the source.”  Granted, he or she may have been telling you not to take it personally when the gang on the playground called you “Freckles” since half of them were pale Irish kids too, but it’s still good advice.  Now, as [...]