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There are various writing support avenues and supports at Stellenbosch University and on the web. We have collated a few here:

Find a series of academic writing tip videos developed in collaboration with the PGO and the Language Centre's Writing Labon SUNLearn he​​re

The Language Centre's Writing Lab also gives SU students tips and guidance on their writing style in the form of free writing consultations. Find out more here. You can also click here to access their Writing Style Guide for helpful tips on how to improve your academic writing.

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The Library has a super blog to follow. For example, find their posts on Slaying the (literature review) beast Part 1 here, Part 2 here and Part 3 here.

 

Find other writing support resources on the Enhancing Postgraduate Environments (EPE) website: www.postgradenvironments.com

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We find these writing ​resources on the EPE website particularly helpful:

How is good scientific writing like good cooking?
This short video looks at how we draw on different texts to make an argument, like we would ​follow a recipe and then add a special twist of our own when cooking.

Thesis-statement

Every thesis has to make a contribution at the boundaries of the field. Can you state in just a sentence what the contribution of your study is?​​​

The thesis as argument
PG scholars are told that they need to have a coherent argument across their thesis – but what does this really mean and how is it developed?
Crafting an argument
This video looks at what ‘argument’ means in academic writing and how you can develop one.

2-minute tip #1: Joining the conversation

This two-minute tip looks at how writing is about contributing to a field. You have to read what has come before us before you can make a contribution.

2-minute tip #2: Relationship to texts

Undergraduate students often are simply expected to show they have understood what they have read. But at postgraduate level, you have to make your readings work for you.

2 minute tip #3: Direct and Indirect Quotes

This two-minute tip looks at how we can draw from the literature as a direct quote or change it into our own words. But which is better?

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