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Post Viva Planning (AHSS) new Wed 15 May 2024   14:00 [Places]

Now that you have successfully defended your thesis, it's time to shift your focus to the next phase of your academic and personal life. In this workshop, we will help you navigate the transition and develop an action plan to achieve your short to mid-term essentials and milestones.

We will guide you through practical exercises that will help you establish and maintain career and personal goals, identify potential obstacles, and develop strategies to overcome them. We will also cover essential skills for managing stress, such as effective time management, prioritization, and self-care.

By the end of this workshop, you will have a clear roadmap for your post-viva life and the tools to maintain focus and momentum. You will also have the opportunity to connect with other PhD students and build a supportive community to help you achieve your goals. Don't miss out on this valuable opportunity to invest in your future!

Practicing your presentation skills (AHSS) new Thu 2 Nov 2023   10:00 CANCELLED

This interactive workshop is designed for people who already have some experience of presenting and the basic principles involved, but would like to develop their skills in this area to a higher level. There is a particular focus on presenting online.

During the workshop, you will be given time to design and deliver a short (5-10 minutes) online presentation to a small audience comprised of your fellow researchers.

Please come prepared with a 5-minute presentation on any topic.

Practicing your presentation skills (STEMM) Wed 1 May 2024   10:00   [More dates...] [Places]

This practical in person session gives you opportunity to practice presenting in a supportive environment. Before attending, please prepare a 5 minute presentation. You will deliver your presentation to the rest of the participants and receive feedback.

2 other events...

Date Availability
Wed 22 May 2024 10:00 [Places]
Fri 14 Jun 2024 10:00 [Places]

This beginner’s course is designed to get you thinking about preparing your first presentation. Giving presentations is an essential skill for a researcher, be it in your department, at a major conference, or in your next job interview! During the workshop we will discuss how your story, your slides and you as a presenter contribute to the impactful presentation.

1 other event...

Date Availability
Tue 11 Jun 2024 14:00 [Places]

Researcher Development has moved to Inkpath.

In order to find scheduled training, book places and record your attendance, head over to Inkpath, select 'single sign-on' and log in with Raven.

Click here to Launch Inkpath

The last hurdle, your viva examination, but what will it be like? What will the examiners ask? How can you prepare for it?

This workshop provides participants with an insight into the process, and helps them understand what to expect within a doctoral degree viva, including a discussion on the type and nature of questions most-likely to be posed by examiners.

This course is not suitable for students in their first year, and we strongly advise against students in their second year from attending.

Preparing to Write Your Thesis (STEMM) Fri 10 May 2024   10:00 [Places]

The time has come to start writing your thesis, but you may still be in the lab finishing experiments and/or writing papers for publication.

This ‘hands on’ workshop focuses on helping you plan to write your thesis. In this workshop we will remind you of some writing exercises, introduce techniques to help you with the planning, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and be prepared to do some writing.

This beginner’s course is designed to get you thinking about preparing your first poster. A good poster’s worth 1000 words… but a bad poster’s just a bit of messy paper. When it’s time for you to present your scientific poster how are you going to make the most of the opportunity?

We’ll think about why we use posters to present our research, what makes the difference between a good and bad poster and some useful tips to help you present your data in style.

1 other event...

Date Availability
Fri 7 Jun 2024 10:00 [Places]
Presentation Skills Toolkit: Online Self-taught Booking not required


You've got interesting research to share - but is anyone listening?!

Presenting your research is an essential skill for a researcher, be it with your peers, at a major conference, or even to a classroom of schoolchildren. This online toolkit covers a whole range of performance and presentation techniques for you to work through and incorporate into your presentations, in your own time. From crafting a story to handling the dreaded Q&A, there's guaranteed to be something there to help you improve your presentations.


Outcomes

  • Understand how to create a compelling presentation
  • Know some practical tips for giving an engaging performance
  • Understand how to continue improving with each presentation


How to Access the Course

You will need to use the following enrolment key at the link below: PST_21on

Enrol onto the Presentation Skills Toolkit (Moodle)

A CRSid / Raven password is needed to access this online course. If you don't have one, please get in touch at researcher.development@admin.cam.ac.uk.

Presenting with Impact (STEMM) Unscheduled Not bookable

Researcher Development has moved to Inkpath.

In order to find scheduled training, book places and record your attendance, head over to Inkpath, select 'single sign-on' and log in with Raven.

Click here to Launch Inkpath

Present your Research (STEMM) new Unscheduled Not bookable

Researcher Development has moved to Inkpath.

In order to find scheduled training, book places and record your attendance, head over to Inkpath, select 'single sign-on' and log in with Raven.

Click here to Launch Inkpath

Public Engagement: Drop-in Sessions Mon 29 Apr 2024   15:00   [More dates...] [Places]

A series of 30-minute drop-in sessions to talk with a member of the Public Engagement team. We offer expert advice to support your public engagement work, engagement processes and activities. These include:

  • engagement types and the appropriate format to engage effectively and collaboratively
  • engagement opportunities
  • extensive training portfolio for researchers and professional staff to build skills and confidence
  • funding schemes and resources to inform and support develop projects, events and activities

These sessions are not workshops or taught sessions.

Based on your area of expertise and depending on your School affiliation, you can book a time with one of our public engagement professionals:

  • Dr Tana Joseph, Public Engagement and Impact Manager for the Schools of Arts and Humanities and Social Science - Monday, 15:00-15:30 and 15:30-16:00
  • Dr Lucinda Spokes, Head of Public Engagement, all areas and schools - Monday, 16:00-16:30 and 16:30-17:00
  • Dr Diogo Martins-Gomes, Public Engagement and Communications Manager, Clinical School and School of Biological Sciences - Wednesday, 12:00-12:30 and 12:30-13:00
  • Dr Claudia Antolini, Public Engagement Manager, School of Physical Sciences and School of Technology - Thursday 14:00-14:30 and 14:30-15:00

The team will be available every week, each mentor offering two sessions of 30 minutes in the day and time indicated above. We will release new slots in the same days and times a couple of months in advance.

Please book for the day and time you would like to attend, and you will receive closer to the session the Teams link to meet with the mentor. The link will be sent by RDP Course Administrator. Please make sure that that e-mail does not go to your spam folder.

202 other events...

Date Availability
Mon 29 Apr 2024 15:30 [Places]
Mon 29 Apr 2024 16:00 [Full]
Mon 29 Apr 2024 16:30 [Full]
Wed 1 May 2024 12:00 [Places]
Wed 1 May 2024 12:30 [Places]
Thu 2 May 2024 14:00 [Full]
Thu 2 May 2024 14:30 [Full]
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Putting your Research into Context new Wed 15 May 2024   09:30 [Places]

Do people tune out when you talk to them about your research? Can you explain why your research is worth their attention? Do you know how to make your research better and enhance its impact by gathering external perspectives from industrial and commercial contacts?

This 3-hour workshop gives you the tools to discover and communicate the broader context of your work when engaging with industry and business contacts. It will help you explain the relevance and anticipated impact of your research to non-experts. Practice discussing your work among peers so that you can crystallise your message and make it relevant. This will maximise the value of your next opportunity to talk about your research to external contacts.

This workshop is particularly relevant if you are preparing to participate in a workshop, conference or poster session where you will be engaging with potential industrial partners. It is also relevant if you are looking for future sponsorship for your research, preparing for its commercial uptake, or even if you are considering a job outside academia!

Course Organised by: Maxwell Centre (www.maxwell.cam.ac.uk)

Please note for in-person courses the Maxwell Centre is on the U bus route.

RD Live new Unscheduled Not bookable

Researcher Development has moved to Inkpath.

In order to find scheduled training, book places and record your attendance, head over to Inkpath, select 'single sign-on' and log in with Raven.

Click here to Launch Inkpath

Reading Efficiency Toolkit: Online Self-taught Booking not required


Are you completely overwhelmed by the reading that you have to do? Would you like to be able to scan long documents for the important points?

This online course can help you to make the most of the time available to you by ensuring that your reading isn't slowing you down, and that you are reading strategically. You can complete the course at your own pace.


Outcomes

  • Identify what holds back your personal reading speed
  • Practise techniques for improving your speed
  • Learn how to read articles strategically


How to Access the Course

You will need to use the following enrolment key at the link below: RET_21on

Enrol onto the Reading Efficiency Toolkit (Moodle)

A CRSid / Raven password is needed to access this online course. If you don't have one, please get in touch at researcher.development@admin.cam.ac.uk.

Researcher Cafe new Tue 14 May 2024   11:00   [More dates...] Not bookable

Welcome to The Researcher Cafe - your online destination for a bi-weekly, laid-back gathering where you can take a break from your research, connect with other researchers, and expand your social circle.

Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee along with a biscuit, while you engage in stimulating conversations and forge new friendships.

Best of all, no reservations required - just drop in and unwind!

1 other event...

Date Availability
Mon 24 Jun 2024 11:00 Not bookable

Researcher Development has moved to Inkpath.

In order to find scheduled training, book places and record your attendance, head over to Inkpath, select 'single sign-on' and log in with Raven.

Click here to Launch Inkpath

Resilience in your PhD new Unscheduled Not bookable

Researcher Development has moved to Inkpath.

In order to find scheduled training, book places and record your attendance, head over to Inkpath, select 'single sign-on' and log in with Raven.

Click here to Launch Inkpath

Researcher Development has moved to Inkpath.

In order to find scheduled training, book places and record your attendance, head over to Inkpath, select 'single sign-on' and log in with Raven.

Click here to Launch Inkpath

Scientific Writing new Wed 12 Jun 2024   09:00 [Places]

This 2 half-day course focuses on the structure of good scientific writing using writing exercises as an integral part of the workshop. The course will look at the practical process of writing, the nature of scientific publishing, and the importance of editing. The day will include editing sessions in which you apply the ideas you have learnt to your own writing. For this, you will need to write a 300-word abstract about your work in advance and have it available to work on during the workshop.

You will need to write a 300-word abstract about your work in advance, and have it ready on the day

(see 'Prerequisites' below for details).

REGISTRATION starts at 9.00am each day. Please ensure you arrive on time 

Shut Up and Write new Thu 30 Nov 2023   12:30 Finished

Come to the Student Services Centre and settle down to enjoy some focused writing time. These sessions will run once a week throughout the Academic Writing Month, in November and are 2.5 hours long. Tea and coffee will be provided.

Researcher Development has moved to Inkpath.

In order to find scheduled training, book places and record your attendance, head over to Inkpath, select 'single sign-on' and log in with Raven.

Click here to Launch Inkpath

Researcher Development has moved to Inkpath.

In order to find scheduled training, book places and record your attendance, head over to Inkpath, select 'single sign-on' and log in with Raven.

Click here to Launch Inkpath

Skills Analysis Survey Self-taught Booking not required


This online course introduces you to the Cambridge Researcher Development Framework and then asks you to complete a short self-analysis quiz, where you will assess your existing skillset against the key competencies mapped out by this framework.

You will have the opportunity to reflect on your self-assessment to identify target areas for improvement and start seeking opportunities to develop these skills. By providing examples that demonstrate your existing skills, you will also create a useful reference for crafting applications in the future.

This is a highly recommended courses for all postgraduate students, as it forms the basis upon which you should plan all of your researcher development! We encourage you to take this course at the beginning of your studies, but also once a year thereafter, to guide your researcher development throughout your time here and ensure you are still working towards your evolving goals.


Outcomes

  • Understand the key skills needed by a professional researcher
  • Reflect on your existing skillset through mapping against these key competencies
  • Plan your development for the coming year


How to Access the Course

Enrol onto the Skills Analysis Survey (Moodle)

A CRSid / Raven password is needed to access this online course. If you don't have one, please get in touch at researcher.development@admin.cam.ac.uk.

Starting your PhD (AHSS induction) new Unscheduled Not bookable

Researcher Development has moved to Inkpath.

In order to find scheduled training, book places and record your attendance, head over to Inkpath, select 'single sign-on' and log in with Raven.

Click here to Launch Inkpath

Starting Your PhD (STEMM) new Unscheduled Not bookable

Researcher Development has moved to Inkpath.

In order to find scheduled training, book places and record your attendance, head over to Inkpath, select 'single sign-on' and log in with Raven.

Click here to Launch Inkpath

Starting your PhD (STEMM) Tue 6 Feb 2024   13:00 CANCELLED

You are beginning one of the most exciting, yet challenging programme of your academic career. You have entered a new lab, with a new supervisor, new lab colleagues and a new project. This workshop will explore what it means to do a PhD, think about how to establish meaningful student-supervisor relationships and plan for a productive PhD project.

Sustainable Academic Practice new Fri 15 Mar 2024   11:00 Finished

Ph.D. research journey can present many challenges in our ability to maintain work life balance and work sustainably while progressing towards our goals. Addressing the challenges of work-life balance and sustainability in the context of a Ph.D. is crucial for the well-being and effectiveness of researchers. This interactive session aims to create a space for researchers to hack key issues for developing sustainable academic practices and offers a toolkit of reliable, evidence-based strategies for wellbeing management.

Teaching Seminars (AHSS) new Thu 16 May 2024   10:00 [Places]

This workshop focuses on the basics of teaching and facilitating seminars in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. It is ideal for participants with little to no seminar teaching experience.  

You will learn how to structure a seminar, harnessing an array of design methods, thought-provoking questioning techniques and effective communication skills, and the importance of reflective practice. Likewise, you will learn how to surmount challenges associated with engagement, including with seminar-related reading materials and any other pre-sessional work.  

By the end of this workshop, you will have heightened confidence in designing and delivering compelling seminars that rely on pedagogical principles for creating an inclusive, engaging and cooperative learning space.  

This workshop aligns with D1 and A1 & A2 of the HEAs Professional Standards Framework (PSF), I.e., with the ‘Associate Fellow’ level. This workshop does not result in recognition or a qualification but can be considered as part of an application. 

Teamworking and Leadership in Research and Beyond new Fri 26 Jan 2024   09:30 Finished

Team working and leadership are essential skills of the modern researcher as more projects are multidisciplinary collaborations. They are also high on the skills requirement list for most employers outside academia. However, the nature of higher education focuses on individual work so many researchers starting their career find that they have little experience or knowledge of how to work as a team member or contribute to leadership.

In this workshop, we will explore fundamental aspects of team working, including why having people in your teams who think and behave differently to you is essential for a successful team.

We will look at theories around teamwork, including work by Will Schutz, John Adair, and Bruce Tuckman, with a main focus on Belbin Team Roles, which is a globally recognised tool.

At the end of this workshop, you will be able to understand:

  • Why teams don’t need well rounded people
  • Why team members don’t need to work on their areas of weakness
  • How conflict in team members’ working styles can be turned to an advantage
  • Why our expectations of team members (including leaders) can set them up to fail
  • Why, when choosing people to work with, we need to look beyond their eligibility, and consider their suitability

Please note that this workshop does not include Belbin assessments or Belbin reports.

Learn how to create and deliver an effective presentation.

Most postgraduate researchers benefit from giving presentations about their research by gaining feedback, sharing their ideas and/or findings, and raising their profile in the research community. Therefore, learning how to present your research effectively is an important skill to develop during the course of your doctorate.

The key to communicating well new Tue 18 Jun 2024   13:30 [Places]

An interactive and participative session that looks at the root of great communication covering:

  • Levels of Listening
  • Listening to understand
  • Asking Great Questions
  • Giving and Receiving Feedback

This session will involve group work, work in pairs and some time for individual reflection.

The Secrets of Storytelling new Tue 7 May 2024   10:00 [Places]

Storytelling is the secret weapon that can help you get on in life, from demonstrating leadership and establishing a reputation, to motivating a team, persuading and influencing, and attracting new business and partnerships.

It’s a deeply human trait to love stories. They account for about two thirds of conversations, according to research, play on our emotions, light up our minds, and are far more likely to be remembered than mere facts.

Which makes good storytelling the most powerful method of marketing, raising profile, and pure and simple selling, whether it’s your agenda, your business, or your vision.

From the hook of how to start you story, to an emotional ending, and everything in between, this high energy, highly interactive workshop covers all you need to know to become a scintillating storyteller.

Time Management Toolkit: Online Self-taught Booking not required


Time management is just something you do... who would spend precious time on getting better at it?

You might already be the most effective person you know, or you might instead be struggling under a pile of to-do lists and missed deadlines. Whatever your situation, this online toolkit will give you some new ideas to think about and try out. Each tool provides some information and examples, then sets you the challenge of seeing if it works for you in real life.


Outcomes

  • Understand how to use several different time management techniques
  • Identify which of these help you to be more effective
  • Feel more in control of your time


How to Access the Course

You will need to use the following enrolment key at the link below: TMT_21on

Enrol onto the Time Management Toolkit (Moodle)

A CRSid / Raven password is needed to access this online course. If you don't have one, please get in touch at researcher.development@admin.cam.ac.uk.

This workshop is designed to help PhD students optimize their time and increase their productivity. In this workshop, we will explore a variety of time management strategies and tools to help you prioritize your tasks, meet deadlines, and achieve your academic goals.

We will guide you through practical exercises that will help you identify your priorities, create realistic schedules, and manage your workload efficiently. We will also cover essential tools and techniques for managing your time effectively, such as the Pomodoro Technique, time-blocking, and goal setting.

By the end of this workshop, you will have a comprehensive toolkit for managing your time more effectively, reducing stress, and enhancing your overall productivity.

1 other event...

Date Availability
Wed 29 May 2024 10:00 [Places]

When we talk about turning a thesis into a ‘book’, we are really talking about a ‘monograph’. In keeping with the etymological sense of the word, a monograph is generally considered a written work that focuses on one specialised subject with a view to contributing original insight and knowledge.

Given a doctoral thesis – particularly in the arts, humanities and social sciences – is a dedicated study on one specialised topic or area of research, it stands to reason that it is a kind of proto-monograph. This course is concerned with turning a proto-monograph into a fully-fledged and published monograph, i.e. a book. The aim, therefore, is to familiarise students with the process of, and the various issues involved with, turning their PhD thesis into a published monograph.

Researcher Development has moved to Inkpath.

In order to find scheduled training, book places and record your attendance, head over to Inkpath, select 'single sign-on' and log in with Raven.

Click here to Launch Inkpath

Striking the balance between good writing and following best academic practice through referencing can be a bit of a headache. In this session, we will demonstrate how referencing can help you structure your work as well as sharing techniques to support you in keeping your writing process flowing without any extra stress when it comes to submitting your thesis. We will provide a live demonstration of the reference management tool Zotero to give you an idea of how tools can do some of the heavy lifting for you.

Welcome to your Doctorate new Fri 20 Oct 2023   10:00 Finished

Welcome to Cambridge! This day-long workshop will provide incoming doctoral students with essential information and resources that will help them navigate the complexities of doctoral research, foster productive relationships, and take advantage of the educational and developmental opportunities available to them during their studies. You will have the opportunity to hear from Postgraduate Researcher Development team, Careers, Public Engagement, Research Integrity, Wellbeing, and the University Library.

This is also an excellent opportunity to meet fellow PhD students from outside their Department/Faculty. By the end of this session, students should feel more settled and confident in taking their first steps into doctoral research.

Please note, this event is intended to complement local Departmental and Faculty inductions and also RD workshops such as ‘Starting your PhD’ or ‘Working with your Supervisor’.

Writing at postgraduate level isn’t simply about, well, writing – it’s a complex cognitive activity which involves you juggling a whole host of balls at once. But one of the main reasons it’s hard is that at postgraduate level you’re basically creating knowledge, which is no mean feat. Even seasoned academics find it challenging – they have just developed a range of strategies and coping mechanisms to make it that bit more manageable.

So, in this session, we’ll first start by taking a small step back, just to consider why it’s hard – before taking a look at a couple of things that experience has shown me it is helpful to focus on right from the start so as to make the whole process that bit easier: firstly, the fact that English is a writer-responsible language (and we’ll be looking at what this is, why it’s important (especially if English isn’t your first language), and what this means for written communication in English); and secondly, and in some ways stemming from the first point, the importance of structure – at all levels and in all things.

Working with your Supervisor new Tue 4 Jun 2024   10:00 [Places]

The student-supervisor relationship is vital for success in all research degree programmes. However, the exact role of the supervisor is often unclear and sometimes it may feel as though you are not getting the support you need. This can be frustrating for students and supervisors alike, and can lead to a negative doctoral experience.

Working with your Supervisor new Unscheduled Not bookable

Researcher Development has moved to Inkpath.

In order to find scheduled training, book places and record your attendance, head over to Inkpath, select 'single sign-on' and log in with Raven.

Click here to Launch Inkpath


Writing at postgraduate level

In this series of four sessions we’ll be taking an in-depth look at various aspects of writing at postgraduate level. Each session will be 90mins, with 30mins at the end for questions and discussion.

Whilst they have been designed as a set of sessions, with each building on from the previous, the individual sessions have been designed to be standalone – which means that you can attend the whole series or just those that particularly speak to you.


Workshop 3: Reader Empathy. Its not just about the writing – its writing for your readers

The primary focus of most writing training is on honing your skills as a writer – and for obvious reasons. But what tends to be overlooked is the reason why we are writing – namely, to be read. Text is generated to be read by a reader and as soon as it has been submitted, it belongs to the reader, a reader who has no recourse to question the writer. This is why the monological form of writing is difficult, as the writer has to structure the text and articulate the content in such a way that they will hopefully be received by the reader as the writer intended it, and so it has to be clearly articulated.

And this is precisely an aspect that novice postgraduate writers often struggle with – the research has been conducted and it is now simply a case of getting it down on the page. As one academic I have spoken to about this put it, they tend to write with no empathy for the reader, thereby forcing the reader to do the hard work of trying to elicit from what they have said what it is that they are actually trying to say. Being widely read has long been known as good training for a writer – but explicitly thinking of the reader when constructing text is often overlooked, when in fact it proffers a useful frame through which to view one’s own writing.

So, in this third session we’ll be looking at the concept of reader empathy and why it’s important to think of your reader when writing. We’ll look at a range of strategies to help you to do this: from the macro perspective of the structure of the entire document, through rhetorical templates, right down to where the reader expects information to be in a sentence.


The other workshops in the series are:

Workshop 1: Why writing at postgraduate level is hard
Workshop 2: The Universitys criterion clearly written - what this means
Workshop 4: The true secret to clarity - multi-level editing


Writing at postgraduate level

In this series of four sessions we’ll be taking an in-depth look at various aspects of writing at postgraduate level. Each session will be 90mins, with 30mins at the end for questions and discussion.

Whilst they have been designed as a set of sessions, with each building on from the previous, the individual sessions have been designed to be standalone – which means that you can attend the whole series or just those that particularly speak to you.


Workshop 4: The true secret to clarity - Multi-level editing

Having got everything down on paper in a first draft is a huge achievement, but this is where the work really starts in the editing – refining the structure, the content, and the language to strengthen your argument and the clarity of your articulation. Academics I’ve spoken to say that on average they go through between 10-20 rounds of edits in their own writing, with the lower end being more in the sciences disciplines and the higher figure more in the arts and humanities disciplines.

In this final session, we’ll be looking at editing from a macro, through the mezzo, and down to the micro level, from the bigger picture of how the entire document hangs together, through how to keep the argument on track at the mezzo level, and then right down to individual paragraphs and sentence, where we’ll be looking at such features as hedging, emphasis, passive voice, and nominalisations.


The other workshops in the series are:

Workshop 1: Why writing at postgraduate level is hard
Workshop 2: The Universitys criterion clearly written - what this means
Workshop 3: Reader Empathy. Its not just about the writing - its writing for your reader


Writing at postgraduate level

In this series of four sessions we’ll be taking an in-depth look at various aspects of writing at postgraduate level. Each session will be 90mins, with 30mins at the end for questions and discussion.

Whilst they have been designed as a set of sessions, with each building on from the previous, the individual sessions have been designed to be standalone – which means that you can attend the whole series or just those that particularly speak to you.


Workshop 2: The Universitys criterion clearly written – what this means

If you’ve ever had a look at the Cambridge Student webpages as to the requirements of postgraduate writing submitted for assessment, you’ll see that the University has only one criterion – and this is that it is ‘clearly written.’ At first glance, this seems both explicit and unequivocal as clarity in all its forms is surely the bedrock not only of postgraduate study, but of academia itself. Yet on further scrutiny, whilst there may be an instinctive consensus that this is a cardinal criterion for postgraduate writing, when it comes to defining what this actually means and how we are supposed to attain it, the matter is far less perspicuous. And indeed, clearly written is not simply an assessment criterion at Cambridge, as the vast majority of guides to academic writing rhapsodise about clarity as an assumed mutually acknowledged objective. Yet rarely is this criterion unpacked.

And so in this second session, we’ll be looking at doing just that – by considering what academics see as the central tenet of ‘clearly written’, namely, argument, and also in what ways the rhetorical expectations of ‘clearly written’ in English may differ from the expectations in other languages.


The other workshops in the series are:
Workshop 1: Why writing at postgraduate level is hard
Workshop 3: Reader Empathy. Its not just about the writing - its writing for your reader
Workshop 4: The true secret to clarity - multi-level editing


Writing at postgraduate level

In this series of four sessions we’ll be taking an in-depth look at various aspects of writing at postgraduate level. Each session will be 90mins, with 30mins at the end for questions and discussion.

Whilst they have been designed as a set of sessions, with each building on from the previous, the individual sessions have been designed to be standalone – which means that you can attend the whole series or just those that particularly speak to you.


Workshop 1: Why writing at postgraduate level is hard

In this first session, we’ll be taking a step back and reflecting for a moment on what it is that you’re actually doing at PG level, as this is far more than simply writing. You’re engaging in a complex, cognitive process of knowledge creation. And so when the writing gets hard, its useful just to remember that what you are doing is far more complicated than just writing – as writing is something that you can all already do and to a pretty high degree of ability. In fact, as we will see, there are numerous factors involved in writing at this level, from the epistemological assumptions of your discipline, through how we construct argument, before we even get to how we construct an articulate sentence – and we’ll be looking at all of these.


The other workshops in the series are:
Workshop 2: The Universitys criterion clearly written - what this means
Workshop 3: Reader Empathy. Its not just about the writing - its writing for your reader
Workshop 4: The true secret to clarity - multi-level editing

This session brings together ‘Writing your first-year report’ with a dedicated time and space for getting started with actually writing that report.

The first two hours will focus on equipping you with the essential skills to excel in preparing your First Year Report, specifically by looking at:

  • Mastering Report Composition: Learn how to structure and present your First Year Report effectively, adhering to the University's guidelines and ensuring clarity in conveying your research objectives and initial findings.
  • Enhancing Writing Skills: Develop strong academic writing abilities, ensuring coherence, and demonstrating the significance of your research in your chosen field of study.
  • Engaging with Research Methodologies: Explore diverse research methodologies relevant to your discipline, and research positionality in enabling you to select the most suitable approach for your study.
  • Navigating the Upgrading Process: Gain valuable insights into the requirements for successful upgrading to a full PhD candidate and receive guidance on how to meet these criteria.

The second half of the session will run as a writing retreat, wrapping up at 4pm. The retreat half will be structured according to your ‘writing objectives’ which you will develop with the course lead.

Writing Retreat: One Day Retreat new Wed 22 Nov 2023   09:00 CANCELLED

Join us for an intensive and productive writing retreat tailored exclusively for doctoral scholars like you. Enjoy uninterrupted writing time, expert guidance from mentors, and a collaborative environment to refine your research. Take a day to focus solely on your dissertation or thesis projects, right here on campus. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your productivity and connect with fellow scholars!

Writing Retreat: One Day Retreat (AHSS) new Fri 24 May 2024   09:30   [More dates...] [Places]

Join us for an intensive and productive writing retreat tailored exclusively for doctoral scholars like you. Enjoy uninterrupted writing time, expert guidance from mentors, and a collaborative environment to refine your research. Take a day to focus solely on your dissertation or thesis projects, right here on campus. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your productivity and connect with fellow scholars!

2 other events...

Date Availability
Mon 24 Jun 2024 09:30 [Places]
Mon 1 Jul 2024 09:30 [Places]
Writing your First Year Report (AHSS) new Thu 8 Feb 2024   10:00 Finished

Getting off to a strong start in your PhD is vital, and at the University of Cambridge, we recognize the significance of your First Year Report in shaping your academic progress. This course is designed exclusively for PhD students in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, focusing on equipping you with the essential skills to excel in preparing your First Year Report - a pivotal step toward upgrading to a full PhD candidate.

Don't Miss This Opportunity:

Preparing your First Year Report is a crucial milestone in your academic career. Enrol in this course to receive expert guidance and support that will set you on the path to excellence. Secure your spot now and equip yourself with the skills to navigate this essential phase of your PhD journey at the University of Cambridge.

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