Institute for Academic Development
Institute for Academic Development

Humanities & Social Science

Booking: these courses generally open for booking one month in advance of the shown date. If you do not see a live booking link please check back nearer the course date.

Cancelling: If you need to cancel your booking, please do so at your earliest opportunity and at least 3 days before the event. Someone else may be able to take your place, but we need time to contact them. Also, although you are not charged for an event, there are costs we incur (e.g. photocopying) which relate directly to places reserved.

How to cancel: you can cancel your booking via the MyEd Event Booking Channel. Go to MyEd and then the Event Booking Channel. Click on "My Bookings" - here you will have the option to cancel your place.

We maintain attendance registers; unexpected absences will be noted. If you consistently fail to attend, or repeatedly cancel with very short notice, you may be prevented from booking future IAD events.

Academic Communication Skills for New Postgraduate Researchers (CAHSS)

Description

***First Year Students Only***

This session is aimed primarily at first year international post-graduate research students whose first language is not English.

It is intended to provide guidance to students who would like to feel more confident when communicating about their research, whether in interaction with their supervisors, or when presenting their research in written or spoken form. The workshop will cover:

  • Email etiquette
  • Making requests
  • Presenting your research
  • Extending your academic vocabulary
  • Enhancing your writing through reading
  • Other sources of help with academic writing

 

Learning Outcomes - after attending this workshop you shoulod feel more confident about:

  • Communicating with your supervisor
  • Telling others about your research, in speech and in writing
  • Working independently to enhance your academic English, using texts in your discipline and other resources

The workshop will not cover research methods

 

 

EligibilityPhD HSS 1st Years
Date Wednesday 16-Oct-2024, 10:00 - 11:30
Venue Central Area
Bookings This event is full. If you are eligible, you can Book a place on a waiting list for this course .

How to Be Your Own Best Editor (CAHSS)

Description

This workshop is open to all PGRs

Workshop pre-requisites:You need some text to work with during this workshop. This can be a few pages of a chapter you are working on, or a paper, your literature review, or your first-year report. Bring work in progress, not a polished draft

Skilful editing requires more than intuitive rewriting. This workshop focuses on working to specific editorial standards, with a degree of detachment as well as care.

Aims/purpose

-             to identify editorial standards for strong writing

-             to apply focused editorial checks to your own writing

Content

-             editing from the reader’s perspective

-             hands-on editorial work

-             editorial toolkit

 

Learning Outcomes - after attending this workshop you will be able to:- edit on the basis of strategy as well as intuition- identify some writing habits (in your own writing) that won’t work for your reader- tune into the rhythm of your writing

This workshop will not cover how to use editorial software

Workshop expectations:

You will need to work on your own writing during this workshop, and share your reflections on the chat. Come prepared to work on your writing and engage with other participants.

Workshop Time - 10:00 – 12:30

Questions and Discussion (optional) - 12:30 – 13:00

 

Workshop Facilitiator: Mimo Caenepeel

EligibilityMScR HSS All Years PhD HSS All Years
Date Wednesday 15-Jan-2025, 10:00 - 13:00
Venue Room 3.2, Lister Learning and Teaching Centre, 5 Roxburgh Place, EH8 9SU Central Area
Bookings This event is not yet open for booking. Please check back later.

Is My Writing 'Academic' Enough? (CAHSS)

Description

This workshop is open to all PGRsPre- requisities:You need to have some of your most recent academic writing handy to work on during the workshop.  

If possible, students should have attended 'The Writing Process — Getting Started'

This workshop is open to all PhD and MScR students in CAHSS

Writing in a wordy, dull or somewhat pompous way won’t make your writing academic. In this workshop, we look at academic writing from the perspective of academic readers: what will they expect and appreciate?

Aims/purpose

-             to reflect on what it means to write ‘academically’ at a postgraduate level

-             to approach your writing preferences with a critical mindset

 

Content

-             Academic genres and territories

-             Academic priorities for research writing

-             Academic qualities at the level of content, structure and writing style

-             Common conundrums for academic writers

 

Learning Outcomes - after attending this workshop you will be able to:

- distinguish between academic writing ‘rules’ that serve a purpose and those that don’t- check whether your writing meets essential academic requirements- explain why or when you would (or would not) use the first-person pronoun in your writing; or why you might (or might not) write in an active style.

This workshop will not cover discipline- or journal-specific academic conventions

Workshop expectations:  This workshop requires active participation; you will be invited to share your observations and views on the chat.

Workshop Time - 10:00 – 12:30

Questions and Discussion (optional) - 12:30 – 13:00

 

Workshop Facilitator: Mimo Caenepeel

EligibilityMScR HSS All Years PhD HSS All Years
Date Tuesday 05-Nov-2024, 10:00 - 13:00
Venue Room 1.21, Paterson's Land Moray House
Bookings If you are eligible, you can Book a place on this course .
EligibilityMScR HSS All Years PhD HSS All Years
Date Tuesday 04-Feb-2025, 10:00 - 13:00
Venue Room 3.2, Lister Learning and Teaching Centre, 5 Roxburgh Place, EH8 9SU Central Area
Bookings This event is not yet open for booking. Please check back later.

The Writing Process: Getting Started (CAHSS)

Description

This workshop is open to all PGRs

Starting to write can be one of the most challenging aspects of doing a PhD. This workshop highlights why writers so often postpone writing, and how you can avoid procrastination.

Aims and purpose

-             to help you write more, sooner

 

Content

-             Reasons and excuses for not writing

-             Starting as a step in a larger process

-             Eight small practical steps that prepare you for drafting

-             Reasons and excuses for not writing

-             Starting as a step in a larger process

-             Eight small practical steps that prepare you for drafting

 

Learning Outcomes - after attending this workshop you will be able to:- recognise how overwhelm stops you from starting to write- avoid leaping into draft writing without preparation- welcome a bad first draft

Workshop Time - 10:00 – 12:30

Questions and Discussion (optional) - 12:30 – 13:00

Workshop expectations:

This workshop requires active participation

 

 

Workshop Facilitator: Mimo Caenepeel

EligibilityMScR HSS All Years PhD HSS All Years
Date Monday 13-Jan-2025, 10:00 - 13:00
Venue Room 3.2, Lister Learning and Teaching Centre, 5 Roxburgh Place, EH8 9SU Central Area
Bookings This event is not yet open for booking. Please check back later.

Writing a Literature Review (CAHSS)

Description

This workshop is open to all PGRsPre-requisite:You need a copy of an academic article that you plan to refer to in your literature to work with during the workshop

If possible, students should have already attended 'Effective Writing: The Writing Process'

A literature review is much more than a list of summaries of articles in your field: it has to contextualise and motivate your research. This workshop offers ways of ensuring that your literature review meets these requirements.

 

Aim/purpose

-             to help you start writing your first-year literature review — without feeling overwhelmed!

 

Content

•            Why the literature review matters

•            The big picture: developing a review

•            Zooming in: engaging with key publications

•            Starting to write the review

 

Learning Outcomes - after attending this workshop you will be able to:- develop a foundation for your literature review- use a template to take effective notes that create continuity between different publications- adopt a step-by-step approach to your literature review, without going down rabbit holes

Workshop Time - 10:00 – 12:30

Questions and Discussion (optional) - 12:30 – 13:00

This workshop does not cover online literature searches.

Workshop expectations:  
You will need to work on your literature review in this workshop, and share your thoughts on the chat.

 

Workshop Facilitator: Mimo Caenepeel

EligibilityMScR HSS All Years PhD HSS All Years
Date Monday 28-Oct-2024, 10:00 - 13:00
Venue Central Area
Bookings This event is full. If you are eligible, you can Book a place on a waiting list for this course .
EligibilityMScR HSS All Years PhD HSS All Years
Date Monday 27-Jan-2025, 10:00 - 13:00
Venue Online (via Zoom) Off Campus
Bookings This event is not yet open for booking. Please check back later.