Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | 1,000 word critical reflection | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | 2,000 word written assessment | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Resubmit failed component | 100% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate an academic understanding of appropriate structures for academic outputs.
2. Critically evaluate style and apply this to enhance their academic writing.
3. Be able to transform their writing for appropriate audiences.
4. Critically apply the development skills to their own academic writing.
Brief description
The programme focuses on a process writing approach where candidates are encouraged to reflect on their own strategies and writing styles in relation to a series of seminars and workshops and talks from writing experts around the university. Through the programme candidates reinforce what is already working in their writing and consider new or adapted strategies for further writing development. They are encouraged to share working practices with other candidates and with staff towards a wider view of writing as a set of specific, but adaptive practices.
Aims
The Research Writing Programme is aimed at second year PhD students. The programme focuses on a range of structural and stylistic issues in the research writing process. It considers the range of audiences that candidates may be writing for and the different types of research outputs and public engagement events that they may be writing for. It is particularly well placed for students who are mid-way through their research work, but are still considering options and approaches for the finalization of the thesis and related documents.
Content
• Thesis and chapters structures and how they relate to structures of other publications, such as journal articles
• Exploring style and structures in completed theses.
• Finalising the thesis: a student perspective
• Clarity, style and accuracy in academic writing
• Editing writing for candidates whose first language is not English
• Extending the scope of a literature review
• Collaborative writing for publication
• Writing a conference paper
• Poster presentations at conferences
• Writing for publication
• Writing for a wider, non-academic audience
• Avoiding writer’s block
• Writing grant applications for research funding
• Open access and copyright
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | This will not be developed in any specific statistical way, but will be part of the comparative observation and application of numerical ordering of written and visual aspects of each given text. This will be evident in the assessed 2500 word draft. |
| Communication | Students will be engaged in critical discussions in seminars, working groups and tutorials. The programme will also focus on writing as communication. This will be evident in the assessed 2500 word draft. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | The programme develops a specific awareness of reflexivity in writing through a focus on students’ own writing, the writing of other students and the writing of published authors in and across disciplines. This will be evident in the assessed 2500 word draft. |
| Information Technology | Blackboard will be a central platform for the programme and students will need to use it effectively for group work and peer review. Specific networked library and information resources will also be used. Students will become familiar with learning and teaching practices through these media. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Personal development is achieved through the drafting and redrafting or their own work and through observation and comparative analysis of other students and writing professionals. All processes will encourage reflexive observation of learning and teaching processes towards preparation for teaching, research and professional writing careers. |
| Problem solving | Students will self and peer identify areas for development in their own writing and the writing of others. They will anticipate and identify solutions to any particular problems, either directly through the course, or through the strategies and techniques learned, or further developed, in the course. |
| Research skills | The reflexive approach to writing will in turn identify areas in research that need clarifying. The course will provide networked and online resources to facilitate this and students will also self-identify tools and techniques that work in their own writing context and discipline. The programme will gather information on this to see how students can facilitate resource development. |
| Subject Specific Skills | a) Students will be working within their own subject areas and will further develop their own subject knowledge through a reflexive approach to writing and communication. b) In terms of writing development, students will engage in theoretical and practical discussions of writing as an applied language discipline. This will be evident in the assessed 2500 word draft. |
| Team work | Students will be required to work in peer review focus groups. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7