Free resources
The AcademicDude resource library
Everything free in one place: guides, explainers, checklists and templates you can use on your own work. Pick a shelf below.
Featured
Featured writing guides
Our most complete guides to the assignments students ask about most.
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Essays & Assignments
How to Plan, Structure and Write a University Essay
From unpacking the question to final revision: a practical process for planning, structuring and writing university essays.
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Essays & Assignments
How to Write an Argumentative Essay That Persuades Markers
Build an arguable thesis, support it with evidence, handle counterarguments fairly and write a conclusion that convinces.
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Research & Thesis
How to Write a Literature Review That Synthesises Sources
Move from summarising sources to synthesising them: search, organise, structure and write a review that leads to your question.
Research methods
Research methods explainers
Choosing a design, sampling, collecting and interpreting data.
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Research & Thesis
How to Structure and Write a Student Research Paper
What goes into each section of an IMRaD research paper or report, and the order that makes it easiest to write.
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Research & Thesis
How to Write a Scientific Lab Report, Section by Section
Aims, method, results, discussion of error and valid conclusions: how to write each part of a scientific lab report.
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Essays & Assignments
How to Write a Case Study Analysis at University
Find the real problem, apply frameworks with care and make grounded recommendations in business, health, law or education.
Referencing
Referencing tutorials
Format examples for the major styles, and how to keep track of sources.
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Referencing & Editing
APA 7th Edition Referencing: In-Text Citations and References
APA 7 in-text citations and reference list formats for articles, books, chapters and webpages, with clear placeholder examples.
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Referencing & Editing
MLA 9th Edition: Core Elements, Containers and Citations
The MLA core elements and container concept explained, with in-text citations and Works Cited format examples you can follow.
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Referencing & Editing
Harvard Referencing: How It Works and Why Versions Differ
Why Harvard referencing varies between universities, the common pattern for citations and references, and how to stay consistent.
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Referencing & Editing
Citation Management: Reference Managers and Reading Logs
How reference managers and a simple reading log keep sources organised and help you avoid accidental plagiarism.
Thesis planning
Thesis & dissertation planning
From proposal to final chapter.
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Research & Thesis
How to Write a Clear and Feasible Research Proposal
The sections of a research proposal, what reviewers check, and how to turn a broad interest into a focused, feasible plan.
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Research & Thesis
How to Structure Thesis and Dissertation Chapters
What each thesis chapter does, how chapters connect, and how to plan your structure before you write a word.
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Research & Thesis
How to Write a Literature Review That Synthesises Sources
Move from summarising sources to synthesising them: search, organise, structure and write a review that leads to your question.
Checklists
Academic skills checklists
Interactive checks you can work through on your own draft.
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Works in your browser
Grammar & Proofreading Checklist
A step-by-step proofreading checklist for essays and dissertations. Tick items off; progress is saved on your device.
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Works in your browser
Academic Writing Self-Assessment
Answer 12 quick questions about your draft and get a priority list of what to improve first, with guides.
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Works in your browser
Academic Text Clarity Checker
Paste a paragraph to flag long sentences, wordy phrases, vague words and passive constructions. Runs in your browser.
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New students
Starting university writing
The foundations: planning coursework, academic tone and clear sentences.
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Essays & Assignments
How to Plan Coursework and Manage Multiple Deadlines
Read briefs and marking criteria properly, break assignments into stages and schedule several deadlines without panic.
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Skills & Style
Academic Vocabulary: Reporting Verbs, Hedging and Signposting
Reporting verbs, hedging and signposting phrases that make your writing precise, formal and easy to follow, with tables to adapt.
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Skills & Style
Grammar and Clarity in Academic Writing: Common Fixes
The grammar issues that most often blur academic writing, plus practical techniques for clearer, more concise sentences.
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Skills & Style
How to Show Critical Thinking in Your Academic Writing
Question claims, test evidence and assumptions, compare sources and build your own reasoned position in your writing.
Templates
Templates you can export
Fill these in online, then copy or download your own plan as a text or CSV file.
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Works in your browser
Essay Outline Planner
Turn your question, thesis statement and main points into a clear essay outline with word counts per section.
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Works in your browser
Literature Review Matrix
Log sources in a synthesis matrix, compare methods and findings, and export to a spreadsheet (CSV).
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Works in your browser
Thesis Chapter Planner
Split your dissertation word count across chapters and work backwards from your deadline to weekly milestones.
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Works in your browser
Word Count Planner
Divide your word limit across introduction, body sections and conclusion, and see a daily writing target.
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Works in your browser
Presentation Structure Planner
Plan an academic presentation by time: sections, minutes, slide counts and a key message for each part.
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Works in your browser
Research Question Builder
Narrow a broad topic into a focused, researchable question using population, context, focus and timeframe.
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Questions
Frequently asked questions
What does academic guidance from AcademicDude include?
Academic guidance means helping you understand and improve your own work. Depending on what you need, we can explain an assignment brief, help you plan a structure, give feedback on a draft, guide your research approach or edit for language, clarity and formatting. You stay the author throughout. You can see the full range on our services overview.
Will you write my assignment, essay or dissertation for me?
No. We do not write or complete assessed work for submission, and we will decline requests that ask us to. What we can do is help you understand the task, plan your approach, give feedback on your drafts and improve the language of writing you have produced yourself. Our academic integrity page explains where we draw the line and why.
What is the difference between editing and rewriting?
Editing improves how your existing writing communicates: grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence clarity, consistency and formatting. Rewriting changes your ideas, arguments or content, and for assessed work that would no longer be your own writing. We edit and comment; where an argument needs developing, we explain the issue so that you can revise it yourself. Our editing and proofreading service describes this in more detail.
What does proofreading cover?
Proofreading is a final check of a nearly finished draft for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, consistency and layout. It does not change your argument or structure. If your university has its own proofreading policy, please send it to us, as some institutions limit the kind of changes a third party may make. The proofreading checklist can help you do a first pass yourself.