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Boot Camp Bibliography

This list of print Resources and Sources for Academic Writers was compiled for the inaugural UC Merced Boot Camp 2015. Explore these titles and look for even more writing resources on our Graduate Resource Center page (scroll down to Academic Writing and Data Management.)

Dissertation/Thesis Writing

  • Bolker, J. (1998). Writing your dissertation in fifteen minutes a day: A guide to starting, revising, and finishing your doctoral thesis. New York: Henry Holt and Co.
  • Brause, R. (2000). Writing your doctoral dissertation: Invisible rules for success. New York: RoutledgeFalmer.
  • Davis, G., & Parker, C. (1997). Writing the doctoral dissertation: A systematic approach. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series, Inc.·
  • Foss, S., & Waters, W. (2007). Destination dissertation: A traveler's guide to a done dissertation. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
  • Germano, W. (2005). From dissertation to book. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  • Hannon, E., Montagnes, I., McMenemy, S., & Bucci, C. (Eds.). (2003). The thesis and the book: A guide for first-time academic authors. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
  • Kamler, B., & Thomson, P. (2006). Helping doctoral students write: Pedagogies for supervision. New York: Routledge.
  • Lovitts, B., & Wert, E. (2009). Developing quality dissertations in the humanities: A graduate student guide to achieving excellence. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishers.
  • Luey, B. (Ed.). (2008). Revising your dissertation: Advice from leading editors (2nd ed.). Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Miller, A. (2009). Finish your dissertation:  Once and for all. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  • Ogden, E. (2007). Complete your dissertation or thesis in two semesters or less. Lanham, MD: Rowan & Littlefield Publishers.
  • Single, P. (2010). Demystifying dissertation writing. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishers.
  • Swales, J., & Feak, C. (2004). Academic writing/or graduate students: Essential tasks and skills (2nd ed.). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
  • Turabian, K., W. Booth, G. Colomb, and J. Williams. (2013). A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations, 8th edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Journal Publications

  • Belcher, W. (2009). Writing your journal article in 12 weeks: A guide to academic publishing success. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications.
  • Day, R., & Gastel, B. (2006). How to write and publish a scientific paper (6th ed.). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
  • Fischer, B., & Zigmond, M. (2004). Twenty steps to writing a research article.
  • Silva, P. (2014). Write it up: Practical strategies for writing and publishing journal articles. Washington DC: American Psychological Association.

Grammar & Style

  • Casagrande, J. (2010). It was the best of sentences, it  was the worst of sentences. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.
  • Doumont, J., ed. (2010). English communication for scientists. Cambridge, MA: NPG  Education.
  • Klinkenborg, V. (2013). Several short sentences about writing. New York: Vintage Books. 
  • Norris, M. (2015). Between you & me: Confessions of a comma queen. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.
  • Strunk, W., & White, E.B. (2000). The elements of style. New York: Longman.
  • Sides, C. (1991). How to write and present technical information. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Walsh, B. (2000). Lapsing into a comma: A curmudgeon's guide to the many things that can go wrong in print -and how to avoid them. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Writing Strategies and Advice

  • Becker, H. (1986). Writing for social scientists: How to start and finish your thesis, book, or article. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  • Booth, W., Colomb, G., & Williams, J. (2003). The craft of research (2°d ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  • Clark, R. (2006). Writing tools: 50 essential strategies for every writer. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
  • Kendall-Tackett. (2007). How to write for a general audience: A guide for academics who want to share their knowledge with the world and have fun doing it. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  • Provost, G. ( 1972).100 ways to improve your writing. New York: Mentor.
  • Schimel, J. (2011). Writing science: How to write papers that get cited and proposals that get funded. New York: Oxford.
  • Silva, P. (2007). How to write a lot: A practical guide to productive academic writing. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

On Writing Generally

  • Brande, D. (1934). Becoming a writer. Penguin Putnam.
  • Feak, C.B. and Swales, J.M. (2009). Telling a research story: Writing a literature review. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.
  • Graff, G., & Birkenstein, C. (2006). They say, I say: The moves that matter in academic writing. New York: W.W. Norton.
  • Gray, P. and Drew, D.E. (2012). What they didn’t teach you in graduate school 2.0: 299 helpful hints for success in your academic career. Sterling VA: Stylus.
  • Kellogg, R. (1994). The psychology of writing. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • King, S. (2000). On writing. New York: Pocket Books.
  • Lamott, A. (1994). Bird by bird: Some instructions on writing and life. New York: Anchor Books. 
  • Lerner, B. (2000). The forest for the trees: An editor's advice to writers. New York: Penguin.
  • Munger, M.C. (2010). 10 tips on how to write less badly. The Chronicle of Higher Education September 6. 
  • Prose, F. (2006). Reading_ like a writer: A guide for people who love books and for those who want to write them. New York: Harper Collins.
  • Zinsser, W. (1988). Writing to learn. New York: Harper Collins.
  • Zinsser, W. (2006). On writing well (7th ed.). New York: Harper Collins.