#74 Master Academic Writing

Hey friends,

Almost every week, I meet brilliant researchers who can explain their work perfectly in conversation

But they get stuck when they have to have to write it down

You’ve done the research, analyzed the data, and now you’re blocked on the hardest part:

Turning it into clear and publishable writing

Many think that scientific writing means sounding complex
But the best the best papers are usually the simplest.

The trick is how often you practice and learn from great papers

The good news is that you can improve your academic writing skills today, for free.

A good way to Learn

There are plenty of excellent online courses

They are taught by top universities, that teach academic and scientific writing at no cost.
Some of them are short and practical
And others go into more details like structure, clarity, and publication ethics

I collected some of these courses that actually help researchers write and publish better.

And if you prefer short, practical guides, I also created a few that summarize key writing lessons without long lectures: jamaleo.com/guides

Here is my selection

1. Writing in the Sciences (Stanford University)
Learn how to write clearly and concisely, structure scientific papers, and understand the peer review process.
 Start here

2. Academic English: Writing Specialization (University of California, Irvine)
Build your foundation in grammar, paragraph flow, and essay structure for scholarly writing.
 Start here

3. English Composition I (Duke University)
Improve your ability to craft arguments and structure essays in an academic style.
 Start here

4. Good with Words: Writing and Editing (University of Michigan)
Strengthen your editing skills, from word choice to sentence clarity and revision.
 Start here

5. Academic Writing Made Easy (Technical University of Munich)
Learn the key components of academic texts and strategies for writing with clarity.
 Start here

6. Academic Writing (University of Adelaide)
Develop your skills in essay planning, argumentation, and referencing.
 Start here

7. Academic Writing with Research & Publication Ethics
Understand how to write well while maintaining ethical standards in research and publication.
 Start here

8. Writing Your World (University of Cape Town)
Explore how to develop your academic voice and structure reflective writing effectively.
 Start here

Ok, great but where to Start?

My advice. Do not take all of them
Just select with one or two that match your current stage

One last point:

Your first draft ever will probably be terrible

It’s never about perfection, it’s about progress.
Start with one small improvement: clearer sentences, better flow, or stronger structure.

Keep learning, keep writing, and your next version will already be better than your last.
Until it’s good enough to be submitted to a journal

That’s all for this week

Let us know how you improve(d) your writing skills

See you next Sunday
Jamal