Resource Pages

Critical thinking is an essential skill for academic success and professional growth, particularly in graduate school where advanced analytical abilities are required. This Resource Page explains what critical thinking is and shows how to apply it to reading, writing, discussion and collaborative work.

Often overlooked in the research paper writing process, the Conclusion is important in that it reminds the reader of the key points in the body of the text, communicates important takeaways, and zooms out to discuss the larger implications of the paper’s findings or arguments. This Resource Page will cover three key steps or moves that comprise an effective Conclusion.

The Introduction of your research paper is important as it should grab the reader’s attention, provide needed background information and context for the paper’s focus, and outline your main arguments and/or research questions. This Resource Page will cover five key steps or moves that comprise an effective Introduction.

Reflective writing requires you to achieve thoughtful inquiry that demonstrates your understanding by unpacking your assumptions and knowledge to deepen your analysis of the course material or your practical experiences. This Resource Page will help you identify and understand how to use various tools and strategies to engage in multiple forms of reflective writing.

In academic writing, ideas must stick together logically (cohesion) and make sense as a whole (coherence). This Resource Page will help you write logical and smooth connections between ideas. 

Academic writing is a type of formal conversation where you need to engage your readers by telling them what you will do in your paper and its sections, how you will organize the content, and what you have done in previous sections. This is called Signposting, and with this Resource Page you will learn how to use it in your papers.

This Resource Page shows you strategies for critical academic reading depending on your reading purposes — whether for class discussions, selecting literature for an assignment, or including ideas from selected readings into your paper — to maximize your understanding and insight.

Professors often instruct you to "take a stance" and "use your voice and the voices of others" in your written work. This Resource Page will help you understand what stance and voice are and how to use them effectively in academic writing.

Direct quotes are often used when you want to emphasize the author's specific wording, particularly when it's a unique or influential phrasing. They require proper attribution to the original source to avoid plagiarism.  This Resource Page will help you understand what direct quoting is and why it’s important in scholarly work.