Welcome to the Online Psychology Writing Center, a joint venture of the Psychology Department and the University Writing Center.
How to read a research (pdf)
This document gives a brief overview for how Psychology journal articles are organized and gives tips to get the most out of reading them.
Annotated research article in APA format (pdf)
This document walks the reader through the finer points of APA style using an actual Psychology journal article as an example with comments.
How to Summarize a Research Article (pdf)
This brief handout gives step-by-step instructions for summarizing a research article.
Reporting Statistics(pdf)
This handout gives information about how to write about statistics including examples of some of the most common statistics used in Psychological research.
Taking Essay Exams (pdf)
This document will help "decode" what instructors are asking for in essay questions.
Writing a Literature Review (pdf)
This document explains what a literature review is and gives step-by-step instruction on how to write a good one.
How to write personal statement for Grad School (pdf)
This handout gives advice about writing personal statements for graduate school applications.
How to create an academic poster(pdf)
Guidelines for crafting an effective academic poster, including sample layouts.
Style Points for Scientific Writing(pdf)
This document will help students to refine their writing in Psychology by avoiding some common mistakes.
Style in Psych writing(pdf)
This is a handout from a workshop run with Psychology graduate students. It provides more advanced style guidelines with examples.
Writing the Empirical Journal Article(pdf)
This easy to read book chapter by Psychologist Daryl Bem is a good introduction to writing journal-style research articles.
APA (2005). APA Publication Manual (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Dunn, D. (2003). A Short Guide to Writing About Psychology. New York: Longman.
Scott, J.M., Kock, R., Scott, G.M., & Garrison, S.M. (2001). The Psychology Student Writer's Manual (2nd ed.) New York: Prentice Hall.
Silva, P.J. (2007). How to write a lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. Washington, DC: American PsychologicalAssociation.
Sternberg, R.J. (2003). The Psychologist's Companion: A guide to scientific writing for students and researchers (4th ed.) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.