Academic writing course face to face (8 weeks) [St Lucia]
The course will be multi-disciplinary and a mixture of HASS and STEM. Course dates: Wednesday, 3 April – 22 May, 1.30 - 4.30pm
Academic writing is an important part of being a researcher. However, many are not formally trained in this skill. Academic writing courses have been developed to assist students who are struggling to write academic text as part of their candidature. In this course, you will receive guidance and practice in making structure and language (grammar/vocabulary) choices that improve clarity and readability in your academic publications and candidature documents. Note, the focus of the course is on writing academic language and not technical content.
The courses make use of authentic academic texts for reading and analysis. Students will work in multidisciplinary groups to analyse sample texts and explore the structure and language choices of published researchers. Students are encouraged to bring their own work for self, peer, and teacher feedback.
The courses will run for 8 weeksin person and comprises one 3-hour lesson each week. Please do not sign up unless you can commit to attending the classes in full.
Sample workshop topics may include:
- Writing the Introduction and the Literature Review sections
- Writing the Methods section
- Writing the Findings and the Discussion sections
- Prose: choosing language for flow and cohesion
- Prose: choosing language accuracy, brevity, clarity, and style
This program is specifically designed for higher degree research candidates and is suitable for both native and non-native English speakers. Preference will be given to those approaching their Progress Review 2 but those with at least 6 months full-time or its equivalent in their candidature (3 months full-time or equivalent for MPhil students) are welcome to apply.
How to apply
Places in the courses are limited and it is unlikely that all interested students will be accommodated. Your application will be subject to review by the Graduate School for eligibility, stage of candidature, commitment to participation, and identified need. You must also have your principal advisor's approval to participate in the course.
The closing date for applications is 12 March at 23.00pm.
Download application form (DOCX, 52.6 KB)
Once you have completed the form, convert it to PDF. Save the file name in the format "YourLastName_Student Number" (e.g., Smith_41234567) and submit via the Register button at the top of this page.
About Writing skills
The ability to write well is critical to success in your research degree and a ‘top 10’ skill sought by employers. Learning the strategies for good writing will help you write efficiently. Knowing not only what to write, but how to write it for a particular audience, will help you communicate your research effectively.
Useful links
- UQ Academic Writing [online at UQ]
- Improving writing through corpora [online at UQ]
- Getting started with a literature review (Library)
- Getting started with a Systematic Review (Library)