For students

Here are some resources, mostly written by me, that should be helpful for postgraduate research students. They cover the skills you need to master other than doing the research itself. Some bits are targeted at applied economists, but most of the material is not discipline-specific.

Writing efficiently and correctly

Using an efficient process for writing

Not by me: Tips on writing well This is not primarily for academic writing, but it is highly relevant anyway.

How to cite references properly

I recommend that you install Grammarly and use it to check the grammar in all your writing. It’s free.

Grammarly also has a very good grammar guide to help you understand the recommendations that it makes.

Here are a few tips about grammar rules that I find people sometimes get wrong:

Grammar tip: hyphens

Grammar tip: however

Grammer tip: split infinitives are not a problem

On the need for clarity when describing changes in percentage terms

Microsoft Word tips

Publishing in and reviewing for journals

Prose, psychopaths and persistence: Personal perspectives on publishing

More on the need for persistence when publishing

Reviewing journal articles

My poem about journal referees

Seminar and conference presentation

PowerPoint tips

Answering questions after a seminar or conference presentation

Communicating with non-researchers

Making video lectures

Making video lectures part 2

Connecting research with policy

Communicating economics to policy makers

Engaging with policy: tips for researchers

On making submissions to government inquiries

Computer modelling and statistics

How to do a good sensitivity analysis

The cult of the asterisk (on the need to not apply statistical criteria too mechanistically)

Microsoft Excel tips