The writing process

The idea of writing a paper can be overwhelming, especially in terms of where to start. Breaking the process into steps can help demystify the academic writing experience.

Writing a draft is only one step in the process. Notice that the dark blue steps take place before writing the first draft. The purple steps take place after drafting. Devoting time for all the steps will make the process more manageable and result in a more polished product.

The resources in this section will help guide you through the writing process from planning to polishing:

• The planning phase
• The drafting phase
• The polishing phase

You can also read more about the process of writing a term paper on AU’s Support Services webpage and at Sarah Mann’s webpage, How to not suck at writing.

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The planning phase

Understanding assignment instructions

• WWWWWH?: A way of understanding your assignment by the Write Site
• Understanding assignments by UNC at Chapel Hill

Planning and pre-writing

Planning your time

• Assignment calculator at UofT Scarborough: Enter a due date to get a schedule of the writing process for each assignment.
• Thesis calculator at UBC
• Dissertation calculator at University of Minnesota

Pre-writing

• Introduction to prewriting by Purdue OWL: Learn what pre-writing is all about.
• Choosing a topic by Kathy Livingston: How to write within the assigned topic or choose your own.

Brainstorming methods and tools

• Best mind mapping tools for students: Starter ideas for mind map tools you can use for brainstorming.
• Diagram outline by Kathy Livingston: A combination brainstorming/outlining technique.
• “5 Whys” method: by Taiichi Ohno: Get to the root cause of the problem.
• Brain netting and starbursting: Brainstorming methods for group projects.

Developing and clarifying ideas

Researching

• Taking notes from research reading by Margaret Procter at the UofT: Principles for taking notes efficiently when researching.
• Microsoft Edge: Use to highlight and comment on an article by importing the PDF.
• Note-taking template from the AU Library
• Detailed note-taking template from the Write Site: Use as you read the articles you’ve collected.
• Source comparison template adapted from Chris Hart: Useful for literature reviews.

Getting your ideas down

• The zero draft method by Sophie Li: Developed for creative writing, but widely applicable.
• Free writing method by Dr. Martina Michalikova: Writing exercises for science writers, but may be more widely applicable.
• Blank Slate and Calmly Writer: Tools for distraction-free writing.
• Writing a great title by UofM Academic Learning Centre: You don’t have to write your title at this point in the process, but drafting a title could help you clarify your main idea.

Outlining

• Essay outline by the Write Site: A fillable outline to help you get started.
• Sample detailed outline by MIT: An outline for a research paper using the roman numeral hierarchy.
• Organizing an essay by Jerry Plotnick at the UofT: Includes examples.
• Four main components for effective outlines at Purdue OWL
• Reverse outlining method at Purdue OWL
• The PEA method by the Write Site: Plan your paragraph structure through Point, Evidence, and Analysis.

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The drafting phase

A starting place

• A guide to the basic essay by Kathy Livingston

Developing a thesis

• Thesis statements by UNC at Chapel Hill: Learn all about thesis statements.
• Tips and examples for writing thesis statements by Purdue OWL
• Thesis statements vs. purpose statements by University of Wisconsin Madison: Which you use depends on your discipline and the type of writing. A combination of the two can also be used.
• Thesis generating tool at the University of Arizona Global Campus: Use to get you started if you’re stuck. Be sure to reword for clarity and voice, and revise your thesis after you’ve written the paper’s body.

Paragraphing

• The paragraph: A video tutorial by Athabasca University
• Paragraph builder by Writing Den
• Writing topic sentences by Dorothy Turner at UOttawa
• Concluding sentences at the University of Sydney
• Paragraph function by the University of Washington: A list to help you determine the purpose of each paragraph in your paper.
• Writing effective paragraphs by Linda McCloud-Bondoc at AU: Includes examples of paragraph types.
• Unity and flow by Margaret Procter at UofT: How to unify and develop the ideas in a paragraph.

Transitioning

• Transition words by Smart Words: A comprehensive list of transition words and phrases by function.
• Transitional devices by the Write Site: Lists of conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs that can be used to create smooth transitions between sentences.
• Writing transitions at Purdue OWL: Examples of transition sentences.

Introductions and conclusions

• Basic structure of an introduction learning module at NAIT
• Writing conclusions: Fundamental strategies learning module at NAIT

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The polishing phase

Revising

• The writing process checklist by the Write Site: A checklist for revising, editing, and proofreading.
  • Revise for coherence, voice, and presentation
  • Edit for grammar, sentence structure, and style
  • Proofread for mechanics and spelling

Editing

• Editing error log by the Write Site: A way to track your errors so you know what to edit for in every assignment.
• Common sentence errors by the Write Site: Learn to identify and correct common errors.
• SpellCheckPlus: A free online grammar checker developed by researchers at the University of Alberta
• If you wish to use Grammarly, we recommend that you use the free version and turn off generative AI features to avoid academic integrity concerns about AI. Some courses, such as ENGL255, prohibit the use of Grammarly, so check with your instructor first.

Proofreading

• Proofreading strategies by Dear Write Site
• Text-to-speech tools for proofreading
  • Read & Write: For visual learners and deaf students, we recommend Read&Write. It has more features and highlights both the sentence and the word as it reads. Log in with your AU login information. If you cannot log in, please contact writesite@athabascau.ca for support.
  • ReadAloud: For auditory learners and hearing students, we recommend trying ReadAloud first. It will help you hear your errors. Find it in the "Review" tab of Word's desktop version.