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Academic writing guides

Answers to the most common questions about theses, articles and research: step by step, with examples, in plain language.

• Research and methods

  How to Do a Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide

  How to search, screen and synthesise sources for a literature review: keywords, databases, inclusion criteria and thematic writing for theses and papers.

  3 min read
• Research and methods

  How to Write Research Questions and Hypotheses (With Examples)

  Qualities of a good research question, null vs alternative hypotheses, and directional vs non-directional hypothesis examples for theses and papers.

  2 min read
• Research and methods

  How to Write a Methods Section: Design, Sample, Instruments, Analysis

  Subsections of the methods chapter in a thesis or paper: research design, population and sample, data collection instruments, procedure and data analysis.

  2 min read
• Research and methods

  How to Design a Research Survey: Likert Scales, Questions and Reliability

  A guide to designing academic surveys: Likert scales, reverse-coded items, demographic questions, piloting and Cronbach’s alpha reliability.

  3 min read
• Research and methods

  Which Statistical Test Should I Use? t-Test, ANOVA, Correlation and More

  Choose the right statistical analysis for your research question: when to use a t-test, ANOVA, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, correlation, regression or chi-square.

  3 min read
• Research and methods

  How to Apply for Ethics Committee Approval: A Guide for Thesis Students

  When do surveys, interviews or experiments need ethics approval? The application file, informed consent form and common mistakes.

  3 min read