Target Audience: This course is open to all PGR Students and Research-only Staff in all Faculties. However, please note the materials were created originally for researchers undertaking medical and health-related research. It will be most relevant to researchers in STEMM subjects. It is advised that before booking you read closely the learning outcomes to ensure that the materials are appropriate to your level of academic scholarship.  

All years, although especially helpful for students in their first year of scholarship 

Description: 

This workshop integrates theory with practice in supporting you to develop your academic writing skills. It is aimed at first year PGR students. However, it is open to any PGR student who wants to revisit the basic, underpinning principles of academic writing. If you have received feedback on your writing that asks you to be more critical, suggests you expand your academic argument, or tells you to improve the structure and flow of your written work, then this course is for you! 

You are required to bring a) examples of your own work and feedback, and b) a paper that is key in your research, as these will form the basis of tasks within the workshop.  

Aims: 

To use Bloom's taxonomy to understand the concepts of academic argument and criticality in your writing. 

To apply theory to practice through strategies such as a reading matrix, PEE(L), signposting, summarising and paraphrasing.   

Objectives: 

• Create and use an individualised reading matrix 
• Define how you advance from personal opinion to academic argument  
• Use Bloom's Taxonomy to understand and critique levels of criticality and argument 
• Understand the differences between, and uses of, summaries, paraphrases and quotes 
• Understand the principles of signposting to support structure and flow  
• Evaluate, interpret, and reconsider own work and feedback through the lenses of PEE(L), Bloom's taxonomy and signposting 

Process: 3 hours seminar

Course Accessibility

The following table shows a summary of what is needed to participate in the course. 

If you feel you will experience any difficulties participating, please let us know via the ‘special requirements’ tab, providing as much information as possible. The special requirements tab can be completed when you book your place. Alternatively, you can contact us directly at ra-training@nottingham.ac.uk.

Bring your own laptop/ PC (optional)
Access seminar room on campus
Attend the course at the specified date and time
take part in group activities/ discussions
Watch and listen to the course tutor(s) and/ or other attendees
Follow presentation slides during the course

 

Booking Conditions

Latecomer policy

Researchers should plan to arrive prior to the advertised course start time. Except for exceptional reasons, there will be no admittance to a Researcher Academy or Faculty Training Programme (FTP) course 15 minutes after the advertised course start time.

Importance of booking commitment

When booking on to a Researcher Academy short course you are entering into a commitment to attend. If you find that you are no longer available to attend you MUST cancel your place (on the system if more than three days before the course) or if at short notice by emailing ra-training@nottingham.ac.uk. This will ensure that your place can be offered to another researcher on the waiting list. Failure to cancel a place results in other researchers missing out on places through the waiting list process.

It is unacceptable for researchers to just not attend when booked onto a course. The Researcher Academy maintains records of those who repeatedly do not attend courses they have booked. This may affect future eligibility to book onto further Researcher Academy courses and will affect considerations for Researcher Academy funded opportunities.