Developing your academic writing skills: a handbook

Developing your academic writing skills: a handbook

Creator(s)

Ciara O’Farrell, Marian Fitzmaurice

Organisation(s)

Academic Practice & eLearning, Trinity College Dublin

Discipline(s)

Generic programmes and qualifications, , Teaching & Learning

Topic(s)

Student Success

License

CC BY-NC-ND

Media Format

PDF

Date Submitted

Submitted by

Export Resource Data

Description

This handbook offers you advice on how to approach your academic writing, especially in your transition from second to third level. It provides advice, strategies and writing activities to help you develop your academic writing, and to feel confident in expressing your own voice in your writing.

Benefit of this resource and how to make the best use of it

From the authors: “We hope it will provide you with an overview of the knowledge, skills and good working practices needed to craft your academic writing. It will teach you how to apply the conventions of writing at university level; however, equally important is that you will gain the confidence to develop your own voice as an academic writer, a focus that underpins this handbook. Writing remains one of the main ways you will be assessed in University, so it is an important skill to master. As a craft, writing is a complex task in itself, but it is made all the more challenging in University due to the specialised nature of academic discourse. Writing is also an iterative process and this handbook was designed to reflect this process, divided into sections and tasks to which you can refer or return as you approach and complete the different stages of your academic writing task. This handbook thus provides advice, strategies and writing activities to help you develop your academic writing, and to feel confident in expressing your own voice in your writing.”

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND)

This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND license, permitting redistribution for non-commercial use with proper attribution but prohibiting modifications.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
? This citation is automatically generated and may require adjustment. Always verify it against your style guide.
O’Farrell, C., & Fitzmaurice, M. (2021). Developing your academic writing skills: a handbook. National Resource Hub (Ireland). Retrieved from: https://hub.teachingandlearning.ie/resource/developing-your-academic-writing-skills-a-handbook/ License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND).

Adapting this resource? Share your version!

If you have modified or adopted this resource, share your version here. Tracking adaptations helps us measure impact and connects others with useful updates.

Related OER

This e-book reports on a SATLE-funded project to explore the use of immersive technologies in Higher Education. It includes case studies, practical guidance and a brief review of the literature on immersive learning from the project team. It is intended for those considering using VR in their teaching, and for those who support learning.

This playlist showcases real-world insights from BIS graduates, students, and employers, highlighting career paths, work placement experiences, and industry connections. Designed for prospective and current students, it offers an authentic look at how MTU’s BIS programme supports career development and professional growth.

This resource captures key insights from a full-day workshop held on 8 May 2025, hosted by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and led by internationally recognised expert Dr Alison Cook-Sather. The event focused on the transformative potential of authentic student-staff partnerships as a strategic approach to advancing student engagement, success, and institutional effectiveness.

Attended by academic staff, institutional leaders, student success professionals, and sector partners from across Ireland, the workshop featured a combination of keynote presentations, lightning talks, and interactive sessions. Through real-world examples and hands-on activities, participants explored how to build meaningful, inclusive, and sustainable collaboration between students and staff.

For the full event schedule and a complete list of lightning talk contributors to this slide deck, visit the workshop schedule.

Report an Issue

Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

External Resource

Following this link opens a new browser tab and sends you to an external website outside of the National Resource Hub

Proceed

URL: https://www.tcd.ie/CAPSL/assets/pdf/Academic%20Practice%20Resources/Developing%20your%20academic%20writing%20skills.pdf