Effective Academic Writing: Tools and Strategies

Writing is an essential skill for researchers aiming for success. This two-day workshop is packed with tips and strategies designed to streamline the writing process, making it not only more efficient but also more enjoyable. Over the two days, we dive into the art of writing, focussing on mastering techniques to effectively communicate your ideas and findings to your readers. By understanding that effective writing principles transcend disciplinary lines, this workshop is designed to support you in articulating your thoughts clearly and compellingly, no matter your area of specialisation.
You are encouraged to bring along a sample of your current writing that will be the basis for peer review on the second day of the course. In addition, you can bring an example of a research article from your own research field that you found engaging, or where you aspire to publish. Following the course, participants can send the instructor some text for individual feedback and correction. 

Aims

Participants will learn the tools and techniques that make English text more engaging and readable. Ideally everyone should come away from the course and the follow-up coaching with a well-written abstract and/or introduction to a paper.

Contents 

• The writing process and techniques to overcome writer’s block and procrastination
• Cultural differences in writing and reader expectations
• Introducing a narrative structure into an academic text
• Structuring an English paper
• Composing well-structured paragraphs and sentences
• Finding your scholarly voice and writing with authority
• Writing compelling titles and abstracts
• Identifying typical mistakes and how to avoid them
• Punctuating an English text
• Self-editing and concise writing
• Resources to support your writing
• Peer review feedback and feedback from the instructor

Methods

This workshop is intended to be lively with plenty of discussion, pair work and group exercises. There will be time on the second day for participants to focus on their personal writing projects. Participants will also receive individual feedback and corrections on their writing following the workshop.