Study unit

The student knows / is able to

• how to write a research article for an academic journal

• how to communicate across disciplines

• how to write in a reader-centered manner

• function as a ‘host’ writer

• how to use formal language

• work alone and in groups and give constructive peer feedback

• participate actively and take up challenges

The main aim of the course is to help participants become better research writers and thus provide support for their dissertation process. They will learn about

the importance of considering audience, structure and purpose, and become familiar with formal scientific/scholarly discourse and Anglo-American rhetorical conventions.

This advanced writing course for PhD students focuses on writing research papers, with a special focus on research article abstracts and conference abstracts.
The course is genre-based and involves techniques of rhetorical consciousness-raising. Students investigate writing conventions in various fields, work on incorporating devices to improve flow and coherence of writing, and learn the grammar and semantics of academic writing. Students give oral feedback in class on excerpts from research articles written by their classmates. They also give written comments on a longer article excerpt in pairs. They receive feedback from their teacher on their excerptsfor both in-class discussion and the final pair activity

Participation in class and completion of course assignments.
To confirm their place on the course, students need to attend the first session.

This course can be organized either as a fully online course or as a blended-learning course including contact sessions on campus. Both versions require active participation
in teaching and learning activities. Total working hours for each student is 108 hours.
One-on-one consultations are an integral part of the course. Activities include small group work, analysis of academic texts, revising of writing, and tutorial sessions.

Recommended but not compulsory: Students buy on their own a copy of Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills (John M Swales & Christine B Feak. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press) prior to the start of the course. Another book recommended is Scientific Writing 2.0 (Jean-Luc Lebrun, World Scientific).

Continuous assessment.
Pass/Fail
The student has to do a peer review of a 1000-word extract from another student’s article or other piece of research writing by the end of the course. While the course is a pass/fail course, this review has to qualify for the grade ‘satisfactory/sufficient.’ In addition, active participation in class discussions is required.

Level B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

The course is for University of Eastern Finland doctoral students.

No exemptions.
The course is not aimed at international master’s degree students or exchange students.
Taught in English