Topic outline

  • General

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    Welcome to the SED Writing and Reference Guide. Here we aim to provide you with the information you need to develop your writing and referencing skills. 

    [images: Liber fortunae, also known as Experimentarius. Bodleian library; debbie tucker green, Ear for Eye (Royal Court), photo: Stephen Cummiskey); Dickie Beau, Re-Member Me (Arts Centre Melbourne); Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African. Written by Himself (London: Printed for and sold by the Author, (1789)]

  • Writing Support Sessions for Students in the English Department

    Michael Wheare  is the Writing Support Tutor for English students. In this section you can book an informal online 1-1 session with him in which you can get help and advice with any aspect of your academic writing. Alternatively, you can email Michael directly (m.g.wheare@qmul.ac.uk) with your essay questions.

    He also runs online Workshops on specific skills like referencing, or using quotations, and online Writing Sessions which focus on practical productivity and supporting you to get more writing done.  



  • QM Library: Academic Skills Enhancement

    Queen Mary Library Academic Skills Enhancement offers a range of support for students in developing the skills they need to excel at university:

  • Referencing

    The School of English and Drama uses a version of the MHRA (Modern Humanities Research Association) Style Guide for referencing. In this section you can find the latest version of the SED Quick Reference Style Sheet and – following student feedback – the SED Expanded Reference Guide and the SED Quick Reference Guide for theatre, television, social media etc.

    We have also developed an interactive tutorial for referencing – the Citation Online Tutorial (COLT).

    If you want to access the full MHRA Style Guide, it is available to download here.

    Cite Them Right Online contains clear guidance on the MHRA referencing style 

      • You can choose a source to reference from a drop-down menu or by using the search facility
      • Cite Them Right Online shows you how to create the reference in the style you need
      • There are examples to copy, and a 'You try' box so you can build your reference on screen
      • You can check these against a correct example
      • You can then export the prepared reference straight into your coursework

  • Language and expression

    There are a number of resources on the web and in the library that can help you avoid common spelling and grammatical errors in your writing and help you strike an effective academic tone. We've collected a number of useful websites and other resources, which can be found below. See especially the QMUL resource, Academic English Online for help with grammar, punctuation, coherence and cohesion. Remember though, that resources from outside the School of English and Drama abide by different style and referencing guidelines; make sure to always use the SED Style Sheet and related guides (Expanded Style Guide and advice on referencing theatre etc.) when referencing and formatting your work.

    QMUL also has three Royal Literary Fund (RLF) Fellows who are able to work one-to-one with anyone who would like help with their writing. For more information see our page below.

  • Paragraphs

    Paragraphs are important to your essays; they structure your arguments and help orientate the reader.

    QMUL's web resource Academic English Online has some excellent guidance on paragraphs.

  • Laying out and submitting your essays

    During your time studying in SED, your essays will need to be formatted and submitted in a particular way. Most professional organisations have these sorts of requirements that writers need to satisfy if their work is going to be accepted. Ignoring some requirements, such as word limits, can lead to your work being penalised. 

    Aim to make your work as clear and readable as possible.  We have produced a one-page printable check list that you can use before you submit your essays, to ensure that you are following all the requirements (e.g. what font size and spacing to use) -- see below. 

    Every assignment submission page has instructions on submitting your work and there is further advice in the Student Handbook.

  • More advice on writing essays

    This section brings together ideas to help you improve your essays in terms of answering the question; constructing arguments; writing clearly and effectively; and using quotation effectively.