This module will introduce students to the structure of an academic argument, how an argument can be differentiated from other kinds of writing. Rather than just stating information or describing a topic, academic writing is driven by CER (Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning) model that is claims, supported by evidence, and shaped by critical reasoning. Students will learn how authors bring in different kinds of evidence, and how their voice aids in building the argument.

Understanding that reading academic articles may seem challenging to students, this module aims to discuss the article through its components--its structure, transition, tone, and progression. This module will guide students through the essential components of a research article, helping them recognize and analyse the structure and purpose of each section. From understanding how to critically read titles and abstracts to identifying thesis statements, methods, and conclusions, students will develop skills for dissecting and engaging with academic texts meaningfully.

Dialogue and cross sectioning of the ideas characterise academic writing. This module on connections aims to discuss the process of synthesis a writer follows to build their argument. It will discuss in detail the nature of connections such as that of similarity, expansion, focused description, causality or contradiction. It will further discuss how the themes emerge out of the process of data selection and rejection across the texts.

This module introduces students to academic writing, focusing on its purpose and structure. From summaries to analysis, students will be invited to move beyond description by developing skills in critical analysis using methods like close reading, interpretation, and contextualising. Students will also be introduced to common writing pitfalls and how to overcome them. The module concludes with guidance on using AI tools responsibly to support, and not replace, original thinking.

Students will explore how to build strong arguments through clear claims and appropriate evidence. This module explains different types of evidence—data, case studies, quotations—and their disciplinary uses. Techniques like the ICE method (Introduce, Cite, Explain) will help students present evidence effectively. The module also emphasizes balancing sourced material with original analysis to create persuasive academic writing.

This module helps students enhance the clarity and flow of their academic writing by focusing on connections, structure, and the development of an academic voice. Students will begin by creating simple links between texts and progress to making complex conceptual connections. They will learn how to engage with counterarguments to strengthen their positions and how to structure paragraphs and transitions for coherence. The module also emphasizes the importance of cultivating a confident academic voice and introduces techniques for peer and self-review to improve the quality and coherence of their writing.

Complex academic arguments are often interdisciplinary in nature. This module introduces students to the conventions of academic writing across various disciplines. They will learn how to effectively incorporate evidence of varying kind: qualitative data, artworks or advertisements, archives, statistics etc. Students will explore visual argumentation techniques and conclude with strategies for interdisciplinary writing, where methods and sources from different academic fields are combined to address complex topics.

While introducing the learners to research writing, this module focuses on a crucial aspect which shapes our research: the formulation of a complex research question. This module will take the learners through the steps of arriving at a research question and acquaint them with types of research questions. The module will also help learners articulate their research questions with clarity.

This module will enable the learners’ understanding of what constitutes credible, verifiable sources in research writing. It will also demonstrate how to look for such sources and the essential research practices which will ensure the reliability of our sources. This module will also introduce the learners to the logic of citation and an in-depth understanding of how evidence makes its way in our writing via in-text and bibliographic citations. This module will help the learners develop an understanding of what constitutes plagiarism.

This module focuses on a crucial aspect of research writing viz. review of literature. The module will acquaint the learner with the steps of building a review of literature, beginning with making an annotated bibliography and converting this into a coherent narrative about one’s research.

This module aims to help the learner refine their research writing by enabling them to understand how multiple kinds of evidence can be integrated in our writing and how evidence can be interpreted through some conceptual frameworks. It also Emphasises the question of locating the author’s voice in their own writing and strengthening it. The module also addresses structural aspects of an introduction and a conclusion to research writing and gives an overview of the publishing process for research scholars.