SIG Academic Writing

Many teachers and supervisors at the UU encounter questions and challenges related to academic writing. A couple of examples: During their Ba/Ma thesis it turns out that students lack crucial writing skills: how is this possible and how can we better prepare them? Giving feedback takes so much time: how can this be done more effectively? How can we shorten the time that students take to finish their thesis? What to do with students who do not have a basic command of the language?

Similar questions arise at the PhD level. How do I help someone who got stuck in the writing process? How can PhD students be supported to write more efficiently? When do I work on a paper/article together with my PhD student and when do I let them figure out what their own academic voice is?

There are many successful initiatives related to academic writing at the UU. In this Special Interest Group we would like to exchange knowledge and expertise obtained in these initiatives. Not only from daily practice but also from scientific literature. Not only 'best’ practices, but also ‘bad’ practices.

We expect to discuss amongst others: academic writing curricula at program level, effective feedback, writing strategies, explanation of writing problems and organisation of (peer)-supervision. But exact topics will be determined by the questions and answers of the SIG's participants. Together we hope to give an impulse to the writing skills of our (PhD)-students. Furthermore, we hope to enhance the pleasure of teaching and supervising academic writing for lecturers and supervisors. Each meeting will focus more on the student or PhD-level. We expect that insights from meetings for students can be easily transferred to PhD students and vice versa.

Upcoming meetings

On 16 May 2024, the next SIG meeting will take place.

Contact

Please contact Miriam de Boer (m.deboer@uu.nl ) and/or Joy de Jong (j.c.dejong1@uu.nl) for questions and.or remarks. Would you like to be involved in this SIG? Please contact cat@uu.nl.

Co-creators of the SIG