This Fall, we’re offering a range of online programming to provide you with writing support while you work from home and maintain social isolation:

Writing the Academic Job Cover Letter

The academic job cover letter is a crucial document in any candidate’s application material; often, it makes the first and most lasting impression on members of a search committee. In this webinar, participants will learn how to approach the writing of their cover letter in a way that makes a coherent and compelling argument about their suitability as a candidate rather than simply repeating information contained in their CV.

September 10 @ 11 AM; register here.

Writing a Book Review

Many academic journals publish reviews of recent books in their field. These reviews are one of the most significant ways in which scholars around the world become aware of the books in question. Consequently, the academic who writes such a review plays a crucial role in shaping the preliminary judgment readers make, thereby influencing the field as a whole. In graduate school, many seminars include a book review as a writing assignment, and advanced graduate students often see them as an ideal place to start when trying to get published. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to the generic conventions of the book review. We will also address the rhetorical and political considerations one needs to make when critiquing senior colleagues, as well as the practicalities of getting placed in a journal.

Friday, September 17 @ 1:00 PM; register here.

Goal Setting and Time Management

In this webinar, designed for students in varying stages of the writing process, we will discuss how to schedule time and keep oneself accountable to academic research and writing goals and deadlines. We’ll discuss habitual writing goals and project-based goals. Participants will make a plan for completing their writing goals, breaking down long-term goals into manageable short-term goals. We’ll also go over some web apps that can help with this process.

Friday, September 24 @ 1:00 PM; register here.

Returning to Academic Writing

Just starting out in graduate school? Are you feeling a little bit jittery about getting back into academic writing?  Maybe you’ve been away from writing for a while and want some refreshers. Join this webinar to learn about the key elements of academic writing, how to overcome writing fears, and how to develop a productive writing habit.

Friday, October 1 @ 1:00 PM; register here.

Writing a Conference Abstract

Do you see a conference in your future? Here we will review the best practices of responding to a CFP. We’ll look at graduate school conference CFPS, as well as regional and national conference CFPs—each has its own peculiarities. We’ll provide examples of successful critical and pedagogical abstracts. We’ll also take a look at a few abstracts that failed to effectively navigate the sometimes-idiosyncratic language of a CFP and discuss why we think they failed to qualify for their panel.

Monday, October 11 @ 10 AM; register here.

Structuring Argument-Based Writing

Writing a long paper can be challenging, especially when it comes to organizing all the reading and thinking one has done into a coherent progression of paragraphs and sections. This webinar introduces participants to some of the fundamental principles that help guide decisions about structuring a longer academic essay.

Friday, November 19 @ 3:00 PM; register here.

Reverse Outlining

When it comes to academic writing, that actual process of putting one’s research and thinking down on paper tends to derail even the best-laid plans; no matter how clear one’s initial outline or mental blueprint, things happen and, as a result, many people end up with a first draft that’s anywhere from a bit unruly to a total mess. In this webinar, participants will be introduced to a reverse outlining technique that can help to gain a clearer view of a draft’s current paragraph-by-paragraph structure in order to figure out what is and isn’t working, and thus to make a plan for structural revision.

Friday, December 3 @ 1:00 PM; register here.

Methods Section in Social Sciences

Feeling stuck on how to write a methods section? The descriptive nature of a methods section often deceives writers into thinking it requires minimal thought and planning. However, the methods section requires a delicate balance between detail and specificity. In this webinar, participants will be introduced to the process of writing an effective methods section in the social sciences for both qualitative and quantitative research.

Friday, October 29 @ 1:00 PM; register here.

Revising an Essay for Publication

This webinar will introduce participants to the process of submitting an article to a peer-reviewed journal. It will cover issues like (1) the key elements of an article, (2) choosing the right journal, (3) understanding what editors and reviewers do after you submit (and the ways this knowledge may affect your revision choices), and (4) responding to reviewer comments if you get a “revise and resubmit.”

Friday, December 10 @ 11:00 AM; register here.