| Do | Don’t |
| 1. Be conscious that the writing process consists of different phases: choosing and defining a topic, formulation of the hypothesis, planning, research, writing, rewriting, and finishing up. | 1. Sit behind your desk and write without a good plan. |
| 2. Defining your topic is essential: first choose your topic and refine your topic with a clear hypothesis. | 2. Attempt to read and include everything. Do not try to research too many questions. This will often lead to writing which is too general and no focus. |
| 3. Collect material about your topic that is relevant for answering the hypothesis and make sure you make clear notations. It will be easy to find and make references. | 3. Copying everything without considering the relevance or make loose notes here and there which you will not be able to find later on in the writing process. |
| 4. Write on a regular basis and make a real effort not to postpone the phases of the writing process. | 4. Write during those moments when you are ‘in the mood’ or wait till the last moment. |
| 5. Organize your material to form arguments. Explain your arguments in steps and demonstrate reasoning. | 5. Do not accumulate facts without much binding. |
| 6. Write first, correct later. | 6. Right away wanting to write a perfect text: writing and correcting at the same time often leads to blockage. |
| 7. Realize that writing is a learning process. | 7. Setting high aims and wanting it to be perfect right away. |
| 8. A supervisor, peer or tutor can help you to detect weaknesses and correct weaknesses. | 8. Try to submit a paper without any mistakes. Criticism will be more difficult to accept. |
| 9. Be problem solution oriented when you’re having problems writing; go back a phase in the writing process, discuss your problem with others, ask for advice, etc. | 9. Keep pushing and trying to resolve the problems alone. |
| 10. Build confidence as a writer by analyzing the things that go well. | 10. Setting unrealistic goals, ignore progress and compliments and only focus on things that don’t work out. |
If all fails and/or you are in need of more advice, you are more than welcome to drop by the Centre of Academic Writing and Communication (AVOK) for help, suggestions, comments, feedback, encouragements, and a wealth of resources to get you through your writing problems. You can find us at the following address, Jakobi 2-131, or contact us by email: djuddah.leijen@ut.ee.
