+1 213 5100402
+61 489 995404
+44 203 7692978
A Beginner’s Guide to Thematic Analysis of Interviews
Thematic analysis looks for meaningful patterns in qualitative material. It is more than highlighting frequently repeated words: a theme should help answer the research q...
Read ArticleAcademic insights and practical guidance
Student Learning & Assignment Blog
Explore clear, useful articles on academic writing, research, dissertations, referencing, time management and university study skills.
Latest articles
Guidance for Better Academic Work
Preparing an Interview Guide for a University Project
An interview guide is a plan for a conversation, not a script that forces every respondent into the same story. It translates a research question into open prompts, possi...
Read Article
Designing Survey Questions for a Student Research Project
A survey can produce tidy numbers from confusing questions. Before choosing an online form, decide what you need to measure, who can answer and how you will interpret eac...
Read Article
Choosing Between Qualitative and Quantitative Methods
The method should follow the question, available data and ethical requirements. Quantitative approaches can estimate patterns with numerical measures; qualitative approac...
Read Article
Keeping a Source Trail for Research Assignments
Research assignments become difficult to verify when notes, browser tabs and draft citations live in separate places. A source trail is a small record of where each impor...
Read Article
Use a Reverse Outline to Repair a Long Draft
Outlines are useful before drafting, but a reverse outline is made from the draft you actually wrote. It exposes repetition, missing reasoning and sections that drift awa...
Read Article
What Is Patchwriting and How Can Students Avoid It?
Patchwriting happens when a draft follows a source’s wording or sentence pattern too closely while swapping a few words. It can occur even when the writer intended to cit...
Read Article
Paraphrasing a Source Without Changing Its Meaning
Paraphrasing is an act of understanding, not a word-replacement exercise. You explain another author’s idea in your own sentence structure while preserving its meaning an...
Read Article
How to Write Paragraphs That Analyse Evidence
Many assignments contain relevant citations yet still receive feedback that they are descriptive. The missing step is often analysis: explaining how a piece of evidence a...
Read Article
A Better Structure for Compare-and-Contrast Essays
A compare-and-contrast essay does more than list similarities and differences. It uses comparison to answer a question: which option works better under specified conditio...
Read Article
How to Revise a Thesis Statement After Research
A thesis statement often changes after you read the evidence. That is a sign the research is doing useful work, not that the first draft failed. A strong thesis makes a s...
Read Article
Evidence or Opinion? Building a Defensible Essay Argument
Academic argument is more than stating what you believe. It proposes a claim that a reader can test against reasons, evidence and possible objections. Opinions are useful...
Read ArticleNeed personalised assistance?
Get a Free Quote