Writing Help
McMaster University's Academic Support at the Student Success Centre
Meet with writing assistants to receive help in:
- topic and thesis development
- constructing a strong argument
- essay organization and structure
- referencing and formatting
among other services.
Academic Integrity
The Office of Academic Integrity strives to assist instructors and students with issues of academic integrity.
The Office of Academic Integrity provides information for students and instructors alike to assist with the pursuit of knowledge and scholarship and to help avoid problems with dishonesty.
The most current Academic Integrity Policy is dated April 10, 2013 (effective July 1, 2013).
APA 7th Edition
This video given a general overview and introduction to APA style citations, based on the 7th edition of the APA Style Manual. (3:07)
APA Style Guide
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is the official source for APA Style. With millions of copies sold worldwide in multiple languages, it is the style manual of choice for writers, researchers, editors, students, and educators in the social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, nursing, communications, education, business, engineering, and other fields. Known for its authoritative, easy-to-use reference and citation system, the Publication Manual also offers guidance on choosing the headings, tables, figures, language, and tone that will result in powerful, concise, and elegant scholarly communication. It guides users through the scholarly writing process--from the ethics of authorship to reporting research through publication. The seventh edition is an indispensable resource for students and professionals to achieve excellence in writing and make an impact with their work. The seventh edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect best practices in scholarly writing and publishing. All formats are in full color, with a new tabbed spiral version Improved ease of navigation, with many additional numbered sections to help users quickly locate answers to their questions Resources for students on writing and formatting annotated bibliographies, response papers, and other paper types as well as guidelines on citing course materials Dedicated chapter for new users of APA Style covering paper elements and format, including sample papers for both professional authors and student writers New chapter on journal article reporting standards that includes updates to reporting standards for quantitative research and the first-ever qualitative and mixed methods reporting standards in APA Style New chapter on bias-free language guidelines for writing about people with respect and inclusivity in areas including age, disability, gender, participation in research, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality More than 100 new reference examples covering periodicals, books, audiovisual media, social media, webpages and websites, and legal resources More than 40 new sample tables and figures Expanded guidance on ethical writing and publishing practices, including how to ensure the appropriate level of citation, avoid plagiarism and self-plagiarism, and navigate the publication process Guidelines that support accessibility for all users, including simplified reference, in-text citation, and heading formats as well as additional font options
Research and Writing in the Social Sciences
Crafting Scholarship in the Behavioral and Social Sciences by
Crafting Scholarship helps readers improve their writing and publishing success in academia. Framed within the context of the editorial and peer review process, the book explores writing, editing, and reviewing in academic publishing. As such it provides unique coverage of how successful writers work, how they manage criticism, and more. Examples from successful scholars provide helpful tips in writing articles, grants, books, book chapters, and reviews. Each chapter features tools that facilitate learning including "Best Practices" and "Writer s Resource" boxes to help maximize success, discussion questions and case studies to stimulate critical thinking, and recommended readings to encourage self exploration. A Facebook page provides an opportunity for readers to post writing updates and for instructors to share materials. " Highlights include: " -Insights on working with journal boards, reviewers, and contributors drawn from the author s 30 years of experience in editing journal articles and writing books. -Describes writing quantitative and qualitative reports, theory and literature reviews, books and chapters, grants, and book reviews. -Identifies common problems academics face in writing and publishing along with practical solutions. -Explores best practices in writing peer reviews, responding to reviewers and editors, and how to calculate and interpret acceptance rates and impact factors. -Addresses how to write each section of a journal article and select keywords that facilitate digital search engines to help potential readers find an article. -Includes examples of published work and tips on writing research syntheses using meta-analytic techniques or narrative analyses. -Examines the practices of successful writers, the pros and cons of collaborations, what publishers look for, and managing criticism. -Reviews pertinent empirical literature on the core topics of writing, reviewing, and editing. Intended for graduate or advanced undergraduate courses in professional development, writing in an academic field, or research methods taught in psychology, education, human development and family studies, sociology, communication, and other social sciences, this practical guide also appeals to those interested in pursuing an academic career and new and seasoned researchers. "
Publication Date: 2015
Doing Academic Research by
Online student resource material cab be accessed under the 'Support Materials' tab at https://www.routledge.com/9780367207939 Doing Academic Research is a concise, accessible, and tightly organized overview of the research process in the humanities, social sciences, and business. Conducting effective scholarly research can seem like a frustrating, confusing, and unpleasant experience. Early researchers often have inconsistent knowledge and experience, and can become overwhelmed - reducing their ability to produce high quality work. Rather than a book about research, this is a practical guide to doing research. It guides budding researchers along the process of developing an effective workflow, where to go for help, and how to actually complete the project. The book addresses diversity in abilities, interest, discipline, and ways of knowing by focusing not just on the process of conducting any one method in detail, but also on the ways in which someone might choose a research method and conduct it successfully. Finally, it emphasizes accessibility and approachability through real-world examples, key insights, tips, and tricks from active researchers. This book is a highly useful addition to both content area courses and research methods courses, as well as a practical guide for graduate students and independent scholars interested in publishing their research.
Research Methodology for Social Sciences by
Research Methodology for Social Sciences provides guidelines for designing and conducting evidence-based research in social sciences and interdisciplinary studies using both qualitative and quantitative data. Blending the particularity of different sub-disciplines and interdisciplinary nature of social sciences, this volume: Provides insights on epistemological issues and deliberates on debates over qualitative research methods; Covers different aspects of qualitative research techniques and evidence-based research techniques, including survey design, choice of sample, construction of indices, statistical inferences and data analysis; Discusses concepts, techniques and tools at different stages of research, beginning with the design of field surveys to collect raw data and then analyse it using statistical and econometric methods. With illustrations, examples and a reader-friendly approach, this volume will serve as a key reference material for compulsory research methodology courses at doctoral levels across different disciplines, such as economics, sociology, women's studies, education, anthropology, political science, international relations, philosophy, history and business management. This volume will also be indispensable for postgraduate courses dealing with quantitative techniques and data analysis.
Citation Chaining
This video provides an overview of the research tool citation chaining, including its benefits and limitations. (2:40)
Backward citation chaining is the process of looking at a published work's references in order to find related works. This is done in order to:
- Learn about what has previously been said on this topic
- Identify the central works related to a particular theory or topic
These resources will be:
- Older than your article
- Help you find past resources on this topic
Take a look:
- At your article's reference list
- Web of Science
Forward citation chaining is the process of looking at works that have cited your resource. This is done in order to:
- Find recent materials covering similar topics
- Identify new findings and ideas on a topic
These resources will be:
- Newer than your article
- Help you find more current resources on this topic
Take a look:
- Google Scholar
- Web of Science
APA In Text Citations
