LibGuide: Library Guide to Academic Writing

After completing the course, the students will know what academic writing is and what role it plays in a researcher’s career. They will learn about the formal and content structure of a dissertation or a journal article, about the individual stages of the publishing process, and will get an overview of all research-related services provided by the Central Library.

The students will be able to identify unanswered research questions, determine the scope of their research and related topics, search databases, conduct a literature review, and acquire the necessary literature.
They will also be able to cite the information sources correctly, use a citation manager, and know how to speed up the writing process by using useful tools, e.g. language checkers, collaborative writing tools, or research data platforms.

The course also includes an introduction to research ethics, plagiarism and its consequences, and tips on how to avoid it. Students will also learn how to find a suitable journal within their field and discipline to publish in, navigate the different pathways to open-access publishing, be able to distinguish between different CC licenses, and be able to store research data.

Finally, students will be able to navigate their author profiles in various scientific databases or platforms, will be able to evaluate the performance of scientists and information sources using bibliometrics, and will know how to report their work correctly according to the law.


Who is the course addressed to?
For all PhD students regardless of discipline. The course is primarily designed for first-year PhD students who can function in English (B2 level and higher).

The course is divided into six structured modules that take participants through the phases of academic writing related to the entire research cycle (Design & Discover, Plan & Fund, Gather & Analyse, Publish & Disseminate). Each of the modules consists of 4 teaching hours.

MODULE 1: GETTING STARTED, or I want to write but I don't know how to start consists of 4 chapters that provide students with a basic overview of publishing issues and the scholarly mechanism before they engage in it themselves.

MODULE 2: EXPLORING or I don't know what to write about or how to do a literature review consists of 4 chapters that take the student through the initial stages before writing a paper.

MODULE 3: CREATING or I write, but I don't know how to cite and how to make my job easier consists of 3 chapters that introduce useful tools that should help the student facilitate and speed up the process of writing.

MODULE 4: CHECKING or I have finished writing and I hope I have not committed plagiarism consists of 3 chapters aimed at protecting the student from the unwanted consequences of unethical behavior in research and development.

MODULE 5: PUBLISHING or where can I publish my finished work? consists of 3 chapters that deal with the stage at which the research paper has been completed, written, and checked and it is time to publish it.

MODULE 6: PRESENTING MYSELF or how to report and promote publishing activities represents the last stage of the research cycle and its 4 chapters focus on the presentation and quality assessment of scientists, their already published work, and institutions.


Available study materials:
LMS Moodle