This Fall 2025 we’re offering a range of online programming to provide you with writing support.

Structuring Argument-Based Writing

Tuesday, December 2 @ 2PM: register here.

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 workshop introduces participants to some of the fundamental principles that help guide decisions about structuring a longer academic essay. 

Revising for Article-Length Publication 

Thursday, December 11 @ 5PM; register here.

Do you have a seminar paper, dissertation chapter, or conference presentation that you’d like to turn into an article? If this is your first time revising something you already have into an article manuscript you can submit, or if you want to learn more about a process you’ve already attempted, join us for an informational webinar on revising for an article-length publication. We’ll review the key elements of an article, identify the criteria reviewers look for in a strong article, and help you understand how to strategically prioritize when revising your way toward an article manuscript that has the best chances of receiving a “revise and resubmit” from reviewers.

Previous Workshops

The Academic Cover Letter

Friday, September 12 @ 4PM; register here.

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.

Writing a Book Review

Tuesday, September 23 @ 4PM; register here.

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 starting place for 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.

Grant Writing: The Summary Statement

Thursday, October 9 @ 10 AM: register here.

Many grant applications ask for a summary statement that makes the case for a grant proposal in a highly condensed form. Depending on the grant, this section may be called “Specific Aims,” “Executive Summary,” or something else. This section can be particularly challenging to write because (1) readers on the selection committee rely on the summary statement to make a preliminary assessment of the entire proposal, so the stakes are very high, and (2) because so much information must be packed into such a short space, so the risk of being confusing or unclear is also high. In this workshop, participants will learn how to craft a more effective summary statement by better understanding what a reviewer is looking for and prioritizing accordingly.

Getting Unstuck: Using Informal Writing Techniques Effectively

Tuesday, October 21 @ 3PM; register here.

A key challenge that writers face is feeling stuck in a project and not knowing how to move forward. This workshop focuses on using informal writing techniques, from freewriting to visualization, to overcome some of the most common practical and emotional obstacles that arise in academic writing. The strategies we’ll discuss are versatile; they can be used for any writing project in any discipline. Everyone gets stuck. Come learn how to get unstuck and recapture your momentum!

Writing a Conference Abstract

Friday, November 7 @ 3PM; register here.

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.

Taking Smarter Notes

Tuesday, November 18 @ 2pm; register here.

When doing research, many people take notes in ways that don’t help them enough. Less organized people jot down their ideas on loose papers that can easily get lost, and more organized people gather their notes into project-based books and folders that may never get consulted again when that particular project is finished. This workshop introduces participants to a particular note-taking system, the Zettelkasten, that can serve as a life-long research and learning companion. It is a way to take and store notes so that the ideas you develop over your entire career are always at hand and never get lost. Whether you are taking courses, reading for orals, or already writing your thesis or dissertation, consider the enormous long-term advantages of taking smarter notes.