Writing Resources for Students Writing Reports and Theses

The following are resources (help information) about writing. If you are doing a report, thesis, or dissertation, it is important to have your drafts as clear and concise as possible before submitting them for review. For example, if your drafts have a number of spelling and grammatical errors, it is an indication to the reviewer (e.g., your advisor) that you were not careful and well thought out. In other words, you did not put in enough effort into preparing your draft.

Suggestions to be a good writer:

Do many drafts

Write multiple drafts so that your submissions are clean

After doing a number of drafts, it may be difficult to spot problems. Spend a couple of weeks away from it then do another draft.

Spend enough time doing a draft. Usually a draft will take from a half a week to a week.
Before submitting a draft to the reviewer do a complete rough draft, then three subsequent drafts, then spend a couple weeks away from it, and then do a couple of drafts. So for a thesis, it will likely take at least two and probably three months to prepare a reviewable draft.

Use figures as much as possible

Good figures take a lot of time.

Check writing resources before you begin to write

A good reference is The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. (Interestingly, E.B. White is the author of the well known children's books Stewart Little and Charlotte's Web.) This book is an inexpensive, short paperback that is a classic guide to writing. It shouldn't take you long to read through it. There is an online version, which may be difficult to read by some. So it's a good idea to purchase a hard copy, which you can find at book stores and online book sellers. Paperback versions range in prices from a few dollars (e.g., $3) to about $15.
The Manoa Writing Program has resources including help for English as a Second Language (ESL) students
Guides to technical writing

There is a Writing Center on the Manoa campus where someone will help you for free. These folks are graduate students from the English and Second Language Studies Departments.