Apparatus - writing (2 ECTS)

The “Academic writing” course allows you to receive critique on, and if necessary, workshop, advanced texts of PhD production (peer review articles, thesis chapters) with specialist reviewers and with your peers. The course follows a peer assessment strategy in which giving critique on your peers’ text is a part of the learning outcome (learning through knowledge diffusion and exchange of ideas). Issues addressed can vary according to the nature of the work presented, but we will cover everything from the issues of co-authoring, writing fluency, clarity, and economy. Typical exercises included: re-writing to reduce word count, syntax checks, well-defined abstract, “killing your darlings”, refining the relationship between texts and footnotes, and entertaining alternative models in terms of form or mediation genre. 

Course content

A week in advance of the course, participants submit a full draft of either a chapter or an article, which are then circulated to the other participants. All participants read through and prepare peer-review comments on each other’s drafts. Teaching occurs over a full week (three days as plenum sessions, and two days with individual work). At the first day of the workshop week, participants present their submission in an oral presentation, focusing how the submission is situated in the overall research project. After receiving peer-review comments, participants work individually with improving the submission, before submitting again before the final day of the workshop. At the last day of the workshop, the supervisor(s) will join the presentation and we will have a plenum discussion about the further work.

Compulsory assignments

  • Submission of full chapter/paper a week in advance of the workshop week

  • Detailed feedback on two-three of your peers’ submissions

  • Active participation in discussions 

To pass this course, you must: Attend 100% of the workshops, turn in all assignments on time, and pass assessment of defined deliverables. All participants are expected to actively participate in discussions which are part of the course.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, the PhD Candidate:

  • has advanced knowledge about academic writing

  • can communicate clearly the main findings and conclusions of an article or a chapter

  • can formulate logical and compelling written arguments in a well-structured text

  • can give advanced peer-review feedback on a written text

Examination

The compulsory activity needs to be approved by the PhD Programme and the course is evaluated as pass/fail.