In addition to our professional services, we've developed resources to help you take the next step with your writing! Read them by category, or scroll down to see all our resources below.
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Dissertation Writing Guide
WEX has developed this document to guide writers in the final stages of organizing the dissertation. We’ve used the traditional 5-chapter framework, and we offering this guide in the spirit of empowering writers at any point of the writing process as well as a guide to know when they’re done. [...]
Dissertation Evaluation Rubric
Dissertation Evaluation Rubric Sometimes, a metric helps in the final stages of organizing the dissertation. We’re offering this rubric in the spirit of empowering writers to know when they’re done.
Dissertation/Thesis Headings
Headings and their subheadings are a fundamental way to enhance readability of the complex manuscript of a dissertation or thesis. As an organizing feature, headings provide both a visual map and rhetorical guide for your reader. In fact, the dense document would become unwieldy without these supports. As a “map,” [...]
Formatting Tips: Tracking Changes
At the Writers’ Exchange, we honor the writer’s authority on the manuscript. As a result, WEX Editors use Tracking Changes for their in-text corrections and comments. If you’re working with a document that has been reviewed by a WEX editor, try opening the “Review Pane” (found when you click on [...]
The Delicate Balance of Using Quotes
Academic readers expect a substantiated development of ideas; and as a result, quotes, citations, and references become a mainstay of academic writing. However, the use of direct quotes, and especially lengthy quotes, evolves through academic study. By the end of graduate studies, a writer becomes tasked with creating new ways [...]
Deconstructing the Dissertation
Parts of the Dissertation: Deconstructing the Chapters You’ve already written a proposal, so you probably have an idea that each chapter has a distinct purpose. However, don’t be fooled into thinking the literature review of the proposal becomes the Chapter II of the dissertation. Just consider how much your [...]
Preparing for the Comprehensive Exam
Many master’s and doctoral programs require a comprehensive exam at the end of coursework. Taking, or writing, your “comps” can be a daunting enterprise because as its name implies the range of questions/topics is both wide-ranging with the expectation of thorough, detailed responses. It’s a unique writing situation, and often [...]
Bloom’s Taxonomy & Writing
Led by Benjamin Bloom (1956), educational psychologists at the University of Chicago created this taxonomy for categorizing learning commonly occurring in educational settings. Their work was greatly influential in distinguishing three domains of intelligence (cognitive, affective and psychomotor), which has encouraged other research in the area of intelligence (namely, Howard [...]
Achieving a Scholarly Voice
Completing assignments and writing papers requires much of a writer as writing is more than just filing in blanks of information. Writing, real writing, in which we wrestle with ideas and come to conclusions is hard work. Writing requires critical engagement with material, deep understanding to be able to summarize [...]
In Times of Social Distancing: Freewrite!
Freewriting is creating an intentional space for unstructured. This writing is uncensored and has no other purpose than to allow creative, free associative thinking. It’s important that it’s done on paper, to allow the mind-body connection as well as to insure that built-in censors of our computer programs don’t interfere. [...]
The Art of Effective Presentations
A final presentation has become a regular feature of most academic programs as it offers another modality for a student to present their learning. A “public talk” is a great way to stimulate awareness about a topic as well as receive validation of the researching effort. This is a fundamental [...]
WEX Tips: The Literature Review
It’s advisable for students to regard an evolution of the literature review to gradually becoming more involved and complex as they progress through graduate programs. When it comes to a project, dissertation or thesis proposal, the literature review transforms into a more expansive and comprehensive review of the research related [...]
Developing a Multimedia Abstract
Author Video on Electronic Theses & Dissertations For the past few years, many programs have required graduates to upload a photo with their dissertation. Most times, these photos are taken at the final presentation or oral defense. Having a picture of the new doctorate with their committee helps readers [...]
Writing the Chapters
You’ve already written a proposal, so you probably have an idea that each chapter has a distinct purpose. However, don’t be fooled into thinking the literature review of the proposal becomes the Chapter II of the dissertation. Just consider how much has changed within the study and your understanding [...]
Organizing the Dissertation
Dissertation Overview All dissertations must include the following elements and pages: Title page (aka cover page) Signature page (aka committee page but without signatures) Copyright page (strongly recommended to protect your scholarship) Abstract (We’ll emphasize spending quality time refining the abstract as it’s widely read) Dedication page (optional) Acknowledgments [...]
Including Media in Your Scholarly Work
The contemporary reader has grown to appreciate, if not expect, visuals included in a piece of writing. Media in your dissertation or thesis can improve readability, and it’s become more common to see these additions even in heavy scholarly work. As long as your chair approves and the visual is [...]
APA Table and Appendices Formatting Tips
This reference is for tables and appendices only. Be sure to consult your department/program handbook to view the dissertation formatting requirements. Figures (e.g., photos or graphics) may have different formatting requirements. For formatting photos and videos, consult the WEX resource “Best Practices for Media.” General Considerations for Tables There [...]
Dissertation Formatting Reference
Congratulations! You’re ready to write your dissertation. One way to mitigate the “intimidation factor” of this manuscript is to begin with small steps. This resource encourages you to become familiar with the auto-formatting functions in Word and to prepare the document ahead of time. Doing so can be a productive [...]
Dissertation Survival Tips
Suffering from writer’s block? Take a break! Try taking a shower or a short walk, then come back to your writing with fresh eyes. Avoid burnout! While working on your dissertation, remember to give yourself a break every once in a while: read something for fun that’s outside of [...]
Wellness Writing Tips
Suffering from writer’s block? Take a break! Try taking a shower or a short walk, then come back to your writing with fresh eyes. Avoid burnout! While working on your writing, remember to give yourself a break every once in a while: read something for fun that’s outside of [...]
Working from Home Tips from the WEX Experts
The Covid-19 crisis has forced many into new experiences of “working” or “studying” from home. At WEX, all of us have had long-term employment working remotely in digital spaces. As any new work environment can have its challenges, we thought we’d collectively share a few ideas with you. Hope these [...]
DOIs & URLs in Dissertations
DOIs & URLs in Dissertations From time to time we field questions about how to properly style URLs within the References section of a dissertation. In this post I will outline our expectations and some best practices to help ensure good results. Please note that the various programs at Antioch [...]
What is my ORCID Number?
ORCID Scholar Number: AU students are required to include their ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) number on the title page of their dissertations/theses. Doing so, will ensure that the dissertation and your identity are protected and acknowledged. Similar to periodicals having individual DOIs, the ORCID number becomes a researcher’s digital [...]
On Writing Dissertations
From the Director’s Desk: Writing a dissertation is a daunting enterprise: it’s the most in-depth researching and writing enterprise of your academic program. Its chapters & their purposes can be unfamiliar and the pressure to “validate” can be enormous. It can also intimidate just by its “book-sized” length. Each of [...]