RUB Research School

Wr_04: ONLINE Revision strategies for publications & academic texts in English

For researchers from all research fields | Level all with current scientific writing project

Online Workshop

Date: 18.-19.04.2024 
Time: 09:00 – 13:00 h each day + brief individual task between Day 1 and Day 2
Trainer: Marcy Scholz
Language: English
Participants: max. 12 persons
Credit Point: acknowledged with 0,75 CP for the doctoral training programme of RUB-RS Certificate
Participation requirement: Prior to the workshop, submission of a publication by a leading scientist in the participant’s field and a writing sample (guidelines before the workshop).  After the workshop, participants can submit a newly written text within three days after the workshop for trainer feedback. 

Course Description

This workshop focuses on participants engaged in a current writing process who would like to transform their first draft into a more polished draft. Many writers struggle how to evaluate and strengthen the quality of their writing for their audience during the revision step within the writing process. This workshop begins with defining the significance of the reader’s perspective and how, in particular, feedback (“feedforward”) can demonstrate how a reader perceived the writing.

During the workshop, participants are asked to read their colleagues’ writing to provide “feedforward” for the writing with a focus on its structure and argument. Likewise, the role a sentence plays in a text will be examined through its length, structure, and grammar as well as how a sentence can signal to the reader specific pieces of information. In addition, participants will be encouraged and guided to review the development, coherency, and logic of the writing’s argument that may be difficult for a reader to grasp correctly. They will also explore various strategies that can be used to improve the writing.

After the workshop, participants are offered an opportunity to hone their revision skills by submitting a new text for trainer feedforward about language correctness and style.  This second writing sample is due within three days after the workshop. 

At the end of the workshop, participants will:

  • be able to differentiate writing for oneself and writing for an audience
  • learn various revision strategies to improve the quality of a text
  • recognize stylistically adequate and inadequate language
  • develop an awareness of how to implement linguistical and stylistical strategies for reader understanding
  • be familiarized with providing and receiving feedback as “feedforward” during the writing process.

Methods
During the workshop, professional input from the trainer will alternate with practical written exercises and discussions of relevant issues. Participants will work individually as well as in groups. In between the workshop sessions, participants will be given an assignment to be completed before the following session. Following the workshop, participants can submit an additional text for feedback.

English language skills
A prerequisite to benefit from this course is that participants should have achieved the English level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and be progressing towards level C1.

Trainer
Marcy Scholz is an english native speaking expert and trainer for Academic Writing and a Writing Consultant for many years. She also edits and provides additional coaching for individual authors.

Please click here to register for the workshop: REGISTRATION

After you logged in for the registration you can identify the workshop by the first four characters (e.g. Wr_01, Pr_01) together with title and date.