Waggoner Library: Dissertations: Writing Strategies

"Transitional words and phrases are also called signal words. They are placed at key points to lead the reader through the sentences and paragraphs. Using transitional words will help you achieve clear and coherent communication with your audience." (Odegaard Writing & Research Center, University of Washington, http://www.depts.washington.edu/owrc)

Transition Words & Phrases
Transition words and phrases (also called linking words, connecting words, or transitional words) are used to link together different ideas in your text - from Scribbr
Transitional Devices [Words/Phrases]
A list of some common transitional devices [words/phrases] that can be used to cue readers in a given way from the OWL@Purdue.
Using Transitions Effectively
Lists of common transitional words and phrases. (From the Odegaard Writing & Research Center, U. of Washington.

Synonyms for 'said'. Use these resources to find alternative words for 'said' to add interest to the writing.

acknowledged _{acquiesced added addressed admitted advised advocated affirmed agreed alleged allowed announced answered approved argued assented asserted assumed assured asked attested avowed began boasted called claimed commented complained confided contradicted debated denied denounced described dictated directed estimated exclaimed explained exposed expressed feared foretold fumed held}_{implied indicated inferred instructed itemized lectured maintained mentioned mused narrated noted notified objected observed opined orated petitioned pleaded pled}pointed out _predicted_{proclaimed professed prompted propounded publicized reassured reciprocated refuted related remonstrated replied responded restated resumed retorted returned revealed ruled sanctioned scoffed solicited specified spoke stated stipulated stormed stressed suggested thought told urged uttered vowed redicted proclaimed professed prompted propounded publicized reassured reciprocated refuted related remonstrated replied responded restated resumed retorted returned revealed ruled sanctioned scoffed solicited specified spoke stated stipulated stormed stressed suggested thought told urged uttered vowed}

Academic Phrasebank
Organized by general language function (e.g., being critical or giving examples), lists of suggested phrases are provided—a very practical resource.
550 Alternative Words for 'said'
Barnett, A.J. (2018, April 4). 550 alternative words for "said". Owlcation. https://owlcation.com/humanities/400-Alternative-words-for-said
100+ Strong Verbs That Will Make Your Research Writing Amazing
(2021, Nov. 19). 100+ strong verbs that will make your research writing amazing. Wordvice. https://blog.wordvice.com/recommended-verbs-for-research-writing/

Chapter 5: Backing up your claims: Writing your literature review
Stephan, F. M., & Smith, I. (2019). A practical guide to dissertation and thesis writing. Cambridge Scholars Publisher. pp. 74-91.
Paraphrasing
From the APA Style Blog, the section about paraphrasing from the APA 7th ed. manual.
In-Text Citations
APA Academic Writer Tutorial section, move through at your pace.
Phrasing and Quotation
A section of the APA Academic Writer self-paced tutorial.

To check your in-text citations with the references of a

paper or dissertation chapter, consider using Recite.

Recite
Recite checks that the authors and dates in the body of your work match up with the references at the end. Then Recite tells you where it finds errors. For dissertation work, note that the Free Access allows for 2 Uploads per day with the first 2,500 words checked for citations and only the first 50 references checked. Copy & paste this link to view the reasonable subscription pricing. https://reciteworks.com/pricing

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