Effective Academic Writing: Resources & Rules

Students struggle with academic writing rules. Mastering them takes longer than writing the paper. But when the conventions become a normal state of things, the process becomes faster and easier than before. The less you think about the form, the more time you have to think about the contents.

This article by Custom-Writing experts is your guide in the world of academic writing. It answers all the questions you will come across. Here you can find the resources on the types of academic papers, formatting rules, topics, and more. This piece of reading will take you minutes, saving hours later on.

🔤 Basic Rules of Academic Writing

Any writing style is recognizable by its essential features. Academic writing is the most structured and standardized style. The five rules below are to be followed.

1. Explain your ideas as clearly as you can. Any scientific text is difficult, even the one discussing a cat’s sleep patterns. Respect your audience by making it as reader-friendly as possible.
2. Prepare an outline before you start to write. Planning is half the success. It will make your text consistent and logical.
3. Discuss only one idea per paragraph. This point is also about reader-friendliness. People may look for specific information in your paper. Make their search easier.
4. Make your sentences short and concise. Hard-to-read structures and rare vocabulary dull the reader.
5. Use active voice. Academic papers are flooded with passive voice. Avoiding it will make yours stand out.

Why Does Academic Writing Require Strict Formatting?

Formatting conventions help to make your writing consistent, clear, and concise. For the writer, the right format structures the thoughts and facilitates the research. Readers have to make an effort to understand an academic text. For them, strict formatting makes the search for the necessary information more comfortable. Just take a look at any academic paper example and everything will become clear.

📑 Types of Academic Texts

There are five types of academic texts. Essays, research papers, reviews, term papers, and bibliographies comprise almost everything in the field. Below you can find lots of useful information on each type.

Essays

An essay is a brief piece of writing that presents the author’s opinion on a problem. It provides objective arguments and examples to defend the idea. An essay has a thesis in the introduction that defines the subject matter. All the main body paragraphs shall support it.

Below is a list of resources focused on essay writing.

🌐	Essay Writing Basics | University of New South Wales
🌐	Essay Structure | Harvard University
🌐	Tips for Writing Essay Exams | University of Washington
🌐	Types of Essays | Custom-Writing.org

Research Papers

A research paper is based on thorough research of a particular topic. A good research paper should feature a clear structure. It is to contain specific sections such as methods and discussion. Below is a list of academic writing resources that will help you better understand this type of assignment.

🌐	Guide to Writing a Research Paper | University of Wisconsin-Madison
🌐	Organizing Methodology | University of Southern California
🌐	How to Write Results and Discussion Sections | University of Detroit Mercy
🌐	Common Errors in Student Research Papers | Rice University

Book or Movie Reviews

A book or movie review is another common piece of academic writing. When writing a paper of this type, make sure to give essential information about the chosen movie or book. Below are some useful guides with helpful tips and great samples.

🌐	Book Review Guide | University of North Carolina
🌐	Reading a Book to Review It | University of Wisconsin-Madison
🌐	Collection of Book Reviews | The New York Times
🌐	Book Review Samples | GoodReads.com
🌐	Film Reviews and Criticism | New York Film Academy
🌐	Movie Database | IMDB

Term Papers

A term paper is a major assignment typical for colleges. Such paper writing’s goal is to determine a student’s new achievements in the subject. A term paper isn’t the easiest paper to write, so look through these guides before you start working.

🌐	How to Write a Decent Term Paper | Tulane University
🌐	Term Paper Format | University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Annotated Bibliographies

An annotated bibliography is a list of academic sources. It is a frequent assignment in universities. Be extra careful when formatting—your paper could get a low grade if you choose the wrong citation style. Below is a list of academic writing resources that will help you better understand this type of assignment.

🌐	Annotated Bibliography | University of New South Wales

💡 Choosing a Topic for Your Academic Text

Whether you’re writing a thesis or a report, the first step is always the same—you must choose a topic. In this chapter, you will find the resources on how to develop a topic for your paper.

Brainstorming Your Topic

🌐	How to Use Mind Maps | Lifehacker
🌐	Better Brainstorming | Harvard Business Review
🌐	Brainstorm for the Essay | Florida Gulf Coast University
🌐	Brainstorming | UNC Writing Center
🌐	Brainstorming News & Topics | Entrepreneur

Narrowing Your Topic

🌐	Narrowing a Topic Idea | USC Writing Center
🌐	Finding and Narrowing Your Topic | BYU
🌐	Narrowing/Broadening Your Topic | University of Michigan
🌐	Narrowing a Topic | KU Writing Center

Academic Writing Topics

1. Analyze the gender gaps in student academic achievement.  
2. Explore the impact of woodworking on students’ academic skills.  
3. Describe the importance of youth empowerment and international programs that address the issue.  
4. Analyze the effect of e-learning on students’ academic achievements.  
5. Discuss the social impacts of using the Internet.  
6. The connection between low English proficiency and international student’s academic success. 
7. Compare the limits of freedom of expression in different countries.  
8. Explain the meaning and importance of academic honesty. 
9. What are the reasons for the cryptocurrency rise?  
10. Examine the influence of homework on students’ academic performance.  
11. Write a review of the play A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen.  
12. Describe the effect of mental health programs on students’ academic performance. 
13. Research the most effective ways to improve students’ reading scores.  
14. Discuss whether an academic qualification is necessary for a successful life.  
15. Analyze the causes and effects of bullying on social media platforms on teenagers. 
16. Is college-level academic skills test a fair way to evaluate students’ academic performance?   
17. Describe strategies for nurses’ academic portfolios. 
18. Compare applied and traditional academic research methods. 
19. Examine the diversity and role of bodily rituals in different countries.  
20. What are the reasons for rising levels of academic dishonesty in the USA?  
21. Explore the aspects of veteran students’ education.  
22. Research the impact of social media on children’s psychology and academic performance.  
23. Analyze the effects of modern technologies on academic paper writing.  
24. Impact of hip hop culture on society and academics. 
25. Describe the factors that lead to excellent academic performance and the ways to promote them.  
26. Study how different learning styles affect academic performance.  
27. Review the literary devices used in Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Stevenson.  
28. Explain how and why TikTok addiction affects academic performance. 
29. Examine the main complications met by immigrant children trying to achieve academic success.  
30. Do gender stereotypes play an essential role in the American educational setting?  
31. Discuss the nature and the effects of globalization.  
32. Describe the impact of poverty on society.  
33. Is early literacy important for excellent academic performance? 
34. Compare the peculiarities and efficacy of private and public schools.  
35. How fitness impacts academic achievement. 
36. Analyze whether racial or ethnic differences have an impact on academic achievements.  
37. What is cultural diversity, and why is it important? 
38. Explore the most widespread causes of academic stress among students and how to address them.  
39. Study the connection between dyslexia and students’ academic performance.  
40. Explore the area of student responsibility in the education experience. 
41. Examine the role of parents and teachers in a child’s academic development. 
42. Do personality traits have an impact on academic success?  
43. Discuss whether school uniform has a positive effect on academic performance. 
44. Compare different varieties of feminism and their implications for society.  
45. Describe the immediate and long-term effects of academic dishonesty.  
46. Research the positive and negative social impacts of globalization.   
47. Explore the main aspects and the importance of multicultural education.  
48. Examine the academic field of nursing science. 
49. Analyze why academic achievements are crucial factors in college admission.  
50. Examine the key barriers to intercultural communication and suggest ways to remove them.  

🕵 Doing Your Research

To develop an A+ college paper, it’s essential to know how to search for relevant information. To research your paper, choose one or several of the advantageous approaches we offer below.

Finding Credible Sources

🌐	What Type of Source Do I Need? | GW Libraries
🌐	Types of Sources | Purdue Writing Lab
🌐	What is a Secondary Source? | Harvard Library
🌐	List of Credible Sources. Examples of Credible Websites | Custom-Writing.org
🌐	Using the Internet for Research | University of Colorado

Reading & Notetaking

🌐	How to Read Scientific Research Articles | University of Minnesota Libraries
🌐	5 Notetaking Methods | Grand Valley State University
🌐	40 Best Note Taking Templates for Effective Learning | Custom-Writing.org
🌐	Notetaking, Listening, Participation | Dartmouth

🚦 Starting Your Paper

If there is something common for any person in the world, it is the fear of the blank slate. We are afraid of the unknown. That is why ignorance of what will come next makes us uncomfortable. This section provides instructions on how to overcome a writing block and how to arrange the process.

Overcoming Writer’s Block

🌐	Overcoming writer’s block: three tips | The Guardian
🌐	How to Beat Writer’s Block | The New Yorker
🌐	Symptoms and Cures for Writer’s Block | Purdue Writing Lab
🌐	The Writer’s Cure for Blank Page Syndrome | Medium

Organizing Your Writing

🌐	Organizing Your Writing | NDSU
🌐	How to Organize Your Writing | Colorado State University
🌐	Organizing Your Writing | University of Minnesota
🌐	Time Management: Conquering Long Assignments | Purdue OWL

🔖 Outlining Your Paper

When you prepare for effective academic writing, your thoughts are vague and controversial. The bulk of the information is so vast that it is hard to select what really matters. An outline helps in summarizing your knowledge and structuring your thoughts. A good overview accelerates the writing process.

🌐	Outlining | Harvard College Writing Center
🌐	Making an Outline | USC Writing Center
🌐	How to Outline | Purdue Writing Lab
🌐	How to Write an Outline That Will Earn an A+ Grade | Custom-Writing.org
🌐	Writer’s Web: Creating Outlines | University of Richmond

📝 Writing Your Paper

An effective outline and a good start smooth out your writing efforts. But this is only the first milestone. Each section comes as a new challenge. The parts of a piece of writing demonstrate different aspects of your knowledge. Below you will find links to information on each standard part of an academic paper. After checking all of that out, you won’t ever need to think of finding someone to get your assignment done for you.

Abstract

🌐	Writing an Abstract | GMU Writing Center
🌐	Writing an Abstract for Your Research Paper | UW-Madison
🌐	Writing an abstract | University of Melbourne
🌐	How to Write an Abstract | Custom-Writing.org

Introduction

🌐	Introductions | University of North Carolina
🌐	The Introduction | USC Writing Center
🌐	Writing an Introduction | UCI Libraries
🌐	5 Easy Ways to Write an Irresistible Introduction | WordStream

Body

🌐	Writing body paragraphs | Monash
🌐	Strong Body Paragraphs | Washington University
🌐	The body of the essay | University of Wollongong
🌐	Body Paragraphs | Purdue Writing Lab

Conclusion

🌐	Ending the Essay: Conclusions | Harvard College Writing Center
🌐	Strategies for Writing a Conclusion | St. Cloud State University
🌐	Writing Essay Conclusions | Griffith University

Bibliography

🌐	Annotated Bibliographies | Purdue Writing Lab
🌐	Writing an Annotated Bibliography | University of Toronto
🌐	32 Tips for Writing an Annotated Bibliography | Custom-Writing.org
🌐	Writing Tips and 16 Bibliography Patterns | Custom-Writing.org

🤓 Editing Your Academic Text

Developed your draft already? Good work! Now it’s time to edit your paper. You may be super-skilled in writing prose or poetry. Still, the language used in academic texts is very different from creative writing.

Grammar

🌐	An Approach to Academic Written Grammar | UMich
🌐	Grammar in Academic Writing | Wiley Online Library
🌐	Appropriate Pronoun Usage | OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab
🌐	Double Negatives: 3 Rules You Must Know | Grammarly
🌐	Word Order | University of Minnesota

Punctuation

🌐	Punctuation Guide | UNSW Current Students
🌐	Commas | Nova Southeastern University
🌐	Semicolons | University of Wisconsin

Improving Your Style

🌐	Improving Your Writing Style | University of Wisconsin-Madison
🌐	Transitions | AIMS Community College
🌐	What does writing clearly and concisely mean? | Stanford
🌐	Write Clearly and Concisely | IEEE
🌐	Clichés | UNC Writing Center

💯 Avoiding Plagiarism

When you’re writing academic papers, you may face issues with plagiarism. Usually, it isn’t difficult to collect new information. However, avoiding plagiarism can be a challenging task. One great option is to use a rewriting tool to avoid plagiarism. Also, here are some academic writing resources to make your paper 100% authentic.

🌐	Paraphrasing | Academic Integrity at MIT
🌐	Citing Yourself | Walden University
🌐	Citing Sources | University of Tennessee Knoxville
🌐	How to Avoid Plagiarism: 5 Easy Methods | Grammarly
🌐	Reference Guides for Students | CiteChimp.com

There’s no doubt: academic writing is one of the most difficult tasks you will ever face in student life. But by knowing the main principles, you’ll save time and get better grades.

Good luck with your assignment! Does college paper writing still seem impossible to accomplish on your own? You can always ask for help from our academic writing service.