Topic outline

  • I’m very busy, will the workshops be worth my time?

    Yes. Attending workshops can help you to improve and organise notetaking, establish a writing plan, clarify what is expected, break down the steps involved in achieving your writing goals, and provide valuable feedback on your writing, all of which can save you considerable time in the long run. The workshops will also help you to find your own voice in your writing, improve the sophistication of your writing, and make your writing more accessible and powerful. It is also important to attend workshops because you will meet and learn from other research candidates, and expand your network. The people you meet in workshops often become friends and acquaintances with whom you can swap information, discuss research, learn with, and give and receive support, enhancing your research experience. 

    Will the workshops be relevant to my specific field?

    Yes! Many aspects of research communication and of the research process, as well as features of research writing are common across disciplines. Of course there are variations and important differences, but this does not mean that what is covered in workshops will not be relevant to your discipline. In the workshops we explore generic aspects of research writing and communication, as well as some of the important variations among them. You will also be asked to analyse and bring along example texts of the type you would like to write from your own discipline or field, and learn how to analyse those examples in order to reflect on and improve on your own discipline based writing. We will also spend time working on your own texts in workshops.

    I'm a commencing student, should I attend the journal article and thesis writing workshops now?

    The thesis and journal article writing workshops are designed to support continuing research degree students who are actively engaged in writing journal articles and theses. The journal article writing workshops focus on the planning, drafting and revision processes. Following workshop one (but preferably before the commencement of the workshop series), students will be expected to have researched key journals and their manuscript submission requirements, and have collated exemplar articles from these journals. Doing so will enable you to participate meaningfully in the workshops in the series.

    The thesis writing workshops focus on structuring a large document and will involve activities to support you in developing abstracts, introductions and other key sections of writing in the longer document. If you have not begun the thesis writing process, you may not be able to participate meaningfully in all of the activities. Thesis writing workshops are recommended for research degree students who are in the middle to later stages of candidature.

    There is no workshop on the topic I need right now, what should I do? 

    Because candidates start at different times throughout the year and work in both internal and external, full-time and part-time modes, it is sometimes difficult to get enough of you together at the same time to provide a workshop when you want it. The best thing to do is to note when the workshops are offered and to plan to attend them in advance so that you don't miss out. But if you do, you can always attend at a later date when the workshop is repeated. It won't be too late or too early to benefit from the workshops. 

    Are there recordings of workshops?

    We don't make recordings of the workshops because much of the time is spent in small group discussions or pair work or in quiet writing activities. In addition, the workshops are intended to provide a private teaching space in which you feel comfortable to relax, ask questions and engage with others without feeling self-conscious or observed. Many of the core messages we work on in workshops are contained in the online resources listed on this site.

    What is the etiquette for zoom workshops?

    We aim for the zoom workshops to be just as interactive as the face-to-face workshops as this is most conducive to learning. We use break out rooms or share our thoughts in the main workshop room when there are smaller numbers. This means that it is important for you to be seen and heard and to be able to interact fully with other candidates and with the facilitator as you would in a face-to-face workshop. If you will be attending a workshop via zoom, please ensure you are able to participate in a quiet, private space and that your audio and video is working effectively. When you enter the workshop room it is important to turn your video and audio on. If your audio or video is not working, that's ok, come to the workshop anyway, but please let the group know using the chat function and we'll do our best to ensure you're included in the discussion. No lurking please! It's disconcerting for the group. 

    What should I do if I can't make it to a workshop I have registered for?

    Log into EDGEx and find the activity in your booking summary. Click on the activity and then click the option to cancel at the bottom of the page. If the activity is within the two days prior to the workshop, the EDGEx system will not allow you to cancel. In this instance, contact the provider who will then select 'excused' on the registration page against your name thereby avoiding a 'no show' on your record. To find the contact email for the activity provider, go to the activity through your booking summary or the EDGEx catalogue. Below the summary line and above the domain and capability statement graphic, you will find the provider group name and their contact email address. Simply email them and advise them that you are unable to attend. Your record should then be updated in due course to 'Excused'.