In our writing lab, we have books about academic writing as well as various materials obatined from other writing centers. Usually our tutors help you identify your problems in a certain area, and thenwe help you to avoid those problems. Due to time constraints, we also refer you to some useful websites where you can find more materials and even practice online.

About Academic Writing

Every culture has a different way of expressing ideas. Since now you are in a North American setting, you need to change the way you think or write. There are certain formats you have to follow in writing an academic paper (if you want to succeed here). Please do not feel uncomfortable about this but adapt yourself to a new manner of writing. Your purpose is to show your knowledge to your audience, so help your audience follow what you say by keeping the convention.

Your North American audience expects you to be explicit and succint. We want to see your logical thinking; that is, you have to state your thesis and provide specific evidence to support your thesis. Being specific means that you can give statistics or vivid descriptions. You are a university student, and it is expected that you would do research on the topic you want to write about. (Don't forget to give the authors of your resources credits. Ask for the guidelines for avoiding plagiarism when citing resources.) Therefore, do not wait until the last minute! Your arguments might not be strong enough to support your thesis because you lack time in developing the supporting points you need. In addition, for vivid descriptions, you need to learn to use precise words. Do not use the same verb again and again.

Now you say, "My problem is the way I think. I am not sure whether I am repeating myself on the same point." Well, this is a big problem, but it is solvable. Do not feel bad, even though native speakers might make the same mistake. Start your writing assignment early; after you have done research, write down your thesis and supporting points; then ask your friends or teachers to check them. Our teachers in the writing lab would be very happy to help you in this matter, so come to see us!

The following websites provide more guidelines about how to start your writing process, about your particular assignment, and other issues. (Note: Being faithful to the authors of these websites, we use their titles as navigation.)

• Writing for a North American Business Audience
• Basic Tips for ESL Students : This handout gives you some useful information about how to write for an American academic audience.
• Avoid Fallacies of Arguments : This handout helps you identify fallacies of logic in your writing and thinking.
• Avoid Wordiness : This handout gives you strategies to be more concise.
• Avoid Plagiarism: Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources
• Use Transitions
• Overview of an Academic Essay
• Scientific Reports : This website details the IMRAD format of scientific reports. It tells you to write the title, abstract, introduction, methods, results, and discussion.
• Lab Reports
• Sample Lab Report Assignment
• Electric Lab Reports
• Electrical, Computer, and System Engineering (ECSE) Proposals
• ECSE Final Report
• Memos
• Revision in Business Writing
• Planning and Writing Research Papers
• Writing Annotated Bibliography
• Writing a Personal Statement for Application
• Writing Essay Exams

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About Documentation

It is important for you to ask your professors about the writing style used in your field. You can also consult well-known journals in your major; they often tell you which style of documentation is expected.