Footnote filter: I am writing a non-fiction, non-academic book and need help determining what to include in my citations. [more inside]
posted by quidividi on Dec 5, 2009 - 5 answers

I have 2 hours to lecture to a bunch of 18 year-olds how to write well. The bulk of their work-load will be somewhere along the lines of position papers, research papers and summaries of conferences. How do I keep them glued to their chairs? More info in explanation. [more inside]
posted by eytanb on Oct 19, 2009 - 9 answers

What should an extended abstract (in the humanities) look like? This is for philosophy in particular, though I assume it might be a similar style for other disciplines. [more inside]
posted by JoshSmith on Sep 20, 2009 - 2 answers

Has anyone ever formalized the proper conduct for the fiction writer regarding his/her nonfiction sources? [more inside]
posted by Bookhouse on Sep 9, 2009 - 7 answers

[Academic Filter] Should I work on one research paper at once, or several? [more inside]
posted by Sutekh on Jul 15, 2009 - 7 answers

Writing an Asperger character : how can I get to know enough about Asperger's syndrom ? Please bear in mind that I live in Belgium. [more inside]
posted by Baud on Jul 6, 2009 - 13 answers

Free school options in New York? [more inside]
posted by puckish on Aug 3, 2008 - 7 answers

What can you tell me about 'Poe(t)heory'? [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Jun 18, 2008 - 3 answers

Literary Darwinism: A relatively new field of evolutionary psychology / literary theory. What has recently been written in argument against it? [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Jun 3, 2008 - 7 answers

(Posting for a Friend) "I am doing research for a novel I'm writing. But since I'm no longer affiliated with a university I'm having a difficult time in getting responses from professors and specialists that I have contacted with questions. How can I increase my chances of having them take me seriously and answer my questions? Also, does anyone have advice for a non-Hungarian speaker to do research with the Hungarian Archives?" Thank you!
posted by lolalivia on Apr 17, 2008 - 6 answers

i'm writing a book and in it are a series of thefts from expensive homes and galleries; thefts of items, money, etc. where can i research realistic (as in, not ocean's twelve laser dancing) schemes that people have used to pull off extremely large heists? [more inside]
posted by dflemingdotorg on Jul 31, 2007 - 20 answers

What sites might you visit, books might you read, etc., to research writing a western? [more inside]
posted by kittens for breakfast on Jul 3, 2007 - 21 answers

Can anyone recommend some good research/study/outlining software that assists your writing? Either freeware or paid. Basically I mean software that alows you to collate ideas and notes as you read, as well as lets you do outlining - all this in preparation for writing a report or paper or essay. [more inside]
posted by vizsla on Apr 25, 2007 - 11 answers

Please help me find a way to electronically organize my magazine article collection. [more inside]
posted by marylynn on Apr 12, 2007 - 6 answers

I am looking for well regarded books/scholarly papers about writing. Most specifically in the areas of Nonfiction (the essay style of article writing) and Children's Fiction (for a young adult audience). Any tips? Go as far and broad as you can. I'll be off to the British library tomorrow, so the sky is the limit. [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Jan 9, 2007 - 6 answers

How do you learn to write quickly? I have a good number of 5-15 page papers due in the next couple of days and they're killing me. I have no lack of ideas, I have no lack of outlines and notes I can create. But somewhere between holding the notes and writing the sentences down my brain sticks and I spend an hour writing and re-writing the first paragraph. What to do? [more inside]
posted by schroedinger on Dec 6, 2006 - 40 answers

I am writing a book - a non-academic, non-fiction book. I am using lots of academic materials as sources, and generally I simply mention the source in the text when I am quoting directly - or summarizing an original idea contained in the source (I use footnotes when the attribution requires more info and interrupts the flow of the story I am telling.) I am, of course, especially concerned with the issue of plagiarism - I am keeping my notes tidy, attributing as above, and otherwise following the various rules I've read in the different handbooks for academic writing I've studied. But here are two questions.... [more inside]
posted by soulbarn on Aug 25, 2006 - 11 answers

Help me be a better law clerk! [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 9, 2006 - 22 answers

Anyone know of any good programs for research paper/thesis writing? One that automates your end/footnote and in-text notation after loading in your bibliography/references? I will be writing a long and involved research paper and any program that helps me to format and note my references in the body of the paper would help so much!
posted by psususe on Feb 27, 2006 - 20 answers

I'm looking for software that will help me write my undergraduate thesis. [more inside]
posted by anjamu on Feb 7, 2006 - 15 answers

I've got a friend wondering if there's an underlying logic to how Tolkien came up with his character names. Specifically, he's wondering about any meanings or allusions to the name "Boromir." Any leads on this kind of scholarship?
posted by blueshammer on Dec 19, 2003 - 11 answers