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Not all writing tasks involve actual writing. When I say “writing,” I don’t mean only putting words on a page. I mean all the things you must do to complete a writing project. These could include: reading, collecting data, analyzing, creating charts and graphs, proofreading, etc. By thinking about all of these things as writing, you will see progress towards your publication goals, even when you are not physically writing.A project is not the same thing as a task. The first step to managing your academic writing projects is to know the difference between a project and a task. Projects are big: writing an article, a book proposal, a grant. Tasks are small: Write the introduction, investigate competing titles, create the grant budget. Tasks are what we put on our calendars. Projects are what we put on our publication pipelines. If you’ve been writing “finish article” on your to-do list, it’s time to break it into manageable tasks.Estimating time for completing each task is critical. Most people underestimate how long it will take to do something. The danger of this is that you start to feel bad about your writing, which leads to guilt and overwhelm, writing’s two biggest enemies. Instead I want you to overestimate the time it will take you to do tasks. To maintain and perpetuate positive feelings about your writing tasks, you need to feel like you are “winning”, checking things off the list, moving projects forward. If you overestimate the time it takes to do a writing task, and then you get finished earlier: that’s what you want!Scheduling tasks in your calendar. I recommend one of two methods: (1) actually give each task a due date or (2) have a prioritized bank of tasks and scheduled writing time; during the writing time you pull from the bank of tasks. Whichever method you choose, be sure your individual tasks have a place on your calendar.
Use templates to make common project tasks repeatable. So much of our writing energy goes to figuring out what to do next. A writing project management system eliminates this time spent thinking and planning at the beginning of every writing session. A “template” for academic writing projects is a generic task list and outline for that type of project.Schedule time for project management. For people short on time, it might seem counterintuitive to add time to the calendar for project management. But this is a short, focused planning session that will save you so much time and energy later. You can use Trello or another project management tool, sticky notes in a calendar, or a bullet journal. The idea is to begin your week with the big picture of what needs to get done.Trust the System. Once you’ve set up templates for repeatable tasks and taken the time for project management, you need to trust the system and try it out for at least two weeks. Sometimes if I get stressed it is tempting to push my carefully laid plans aside. To combat this, I’ve adopted the mantra “trust the system.” When I want to ditch the plan I made the day before in response to something new that’s come up, I just tell myself to work on the things I planned to work on and deal with fitting in the new task when I get to my project management planning time at the end of the day.
For help narrowing down your list of journals, here are .Here’s also our . Its important to understand the uniqueness of your article.
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Many of the women and nonbinary academics I coach have been writing for years but still can’t put accurate time estimates on how long it takes for them to complete writing tasks. In this episode I talk about an exercise you can do to dial in your ability to estimate the size of your tasks. It’s important that each task is able to be completed in one hour or less.
Systems are the Foundation of Writing Project Management
It is best to work on one project at a time, but this is nearly impossible in academia. So strive to work on one writing project at a time and move it all the way to completion. Moving a project through your pipeline and to completion is dependent on implementing workable systems. Here’s how:
“The benefit of templates is that they stop you wheel-spinning by making sure you never start with a blank page.” -Cathy Mazak
Get familiar with your subject and narrow the topic
It is very important to understand what your lecturer, professor, or the journal is asking for before you start writing. It’s easy to ignore this step, but then wonder why you got a low grade or got rejected by a journal.
Take your time to understand your assignment or project. Have a thorough look at the instructions and requirements provided. It might be helpful to take notes and highlight points around the instructions for emphasis.
If you are writing your paper to submit to a journal, make sure you choose your target journal as your first step. This will help you have a good understanding of the journal’s requirements.
Begin your research
After you have decided the direction you want to take your paper, it’s time to research the topic in detail. If you are writing to publish in a journal, then it’s also time to learn more about the journals you’re targeting.
Keep in mind that while you research, you may find information that makes you want to change your focus. In this case, make sure your paper answers the new question and is positioned to address your new focus.
You may not be able to read every material in detail so learn how to identify key points and arguments. Find reliable resources and explore the information you come across.
If you are planning to submit your paper to a journal, make sure you familiarize yourself with its . This will cover everything from to the .
Organize your research
At this step you should have a list of sources that have influenced your viewpoint. People have different preferences on how to organize their research. Do what feels most effective for you.
Keep records and copies of all the information you obtain. This is the best step to sort the referencing and bibliographical information in your paper. Make sure you keep notes of where you found the information and how it relates to your research.
Form your thesis
Now that you understand your topic and how it fits your assignment or your target journal, it’s time to compose a thesis statement.
The purpose of your paper is to prove the validity of your thesis, so your thesis statement will provide clarity on how to control your idea. Your thesis statement will also guide your choice of resource materials.
Your thesis statement should be a short sentence that explains and proves the position of your paper to the reader.
Determine your article structure
After you have worked hard to create a specific thesis statement for your article, it may be helpful to organize your research with an outline. Creating an outline is about structuring your paper in a way that makes it easier for readers to understand your work.
Depending on your assignment, subject, research focus, journal choice and any number of considerations, the type of article you write could vary widely. If you were instructed to use a specific outline, be sure to follow the instructions.
Your outline should reflect the organizational format you have chosen for your paper. There’s no set formula for structuring your article, but our has some hints and tips to get your started.
Choose your keywords
Using keywords in your paper helps others find your article easily, in a database or search engine. With ever-increasing volumes of information available digitally, finding relevant sources has become challenging.
So, picking your keywords wisely is worth your while. The more the content of an article reflects the keywords used, the higher it will appear on the results page.
Please read our for more information on how to make your work more discoverable and more likely to be read (and perhaps cited) by other researchers.
Write up your draft
After you have completed your final article structure and chosen your keywords, you can start writing your first draft. Remember ****that you will write multiple drafts, so do not put too much pressure on the first one.
Understand that every step is unique, and as mentioned, the structure of your article and the sections it includes will depend on both the subject of study and the type of article you’re writing.
Read our guides to learn more on and . Make sure you understand the various .
Edit and refine your paper
After you have completed your initial draft, take some time to congratulate yourself for reaching this significant milestone! But, the work is not finished yet. All writing has to be improved before submission. This is the time to make your paper as perfect as you possibly can.
Your paper will need to be edited for content and for grammar. Learn how to approach editing your paper with .
Also, consider using to improve the quality and help you submit with confidence.
Review your final draft
The making of a good article is effective reviewing and editing, to make sure your ideas and findings are communicated clearly throughout.
For a host of tips on refining and editing your paper to make sure your core ideas and findings are clear, .
Check that you have followed instructions and included all requirements
This checklist is to help you along your research paper writing process. Make sure you read and understand the specific requirements and instructions that are specific to your paper.
It is a good idea to have review your work, to make sure you submit original content and that your work is formatted correctly and free of errors.
Writing Task OWL Resource List
Overview
What kind of writing task do you need to complete? The list below will help you pinpoint the OWL’s resources that will be most helpful for you according to the kind of writing you need to accomplish.
When You’re Just Beginning Your Writing Task
When You’re Ready to Compose Your Writing Task
For an Abstract:
For an Academic Research Paper:
Style Guides (for citation format):
For a Bibliography or Annotated Bibliography:
For an Argument or Position Paper:
For a Book Report or Book Review:
For a Business or Cover Letter:
For a Curriculum Vitae:
For an Email:
For an Exploratory Essay:
For a Literary Analysis Essay:
General Advice:
Writing About a Novel or Story:
Writing About a Poem:
For a Literature Review:
For a Memo:
For a Narrative or Descriptive Essay:
For a Personal Statement or Statement of Purpose:
For a Poster Presentation:
For a PowerPoint Presentation:
For a Report:
For a Résumé:
For a Visual Analysis Paper:
For a White Paper:
To Revise, Proofread, and Polish Your Writing:
Writing
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