PHD-WRITING Apparatus: Writing (Spring 2026)

For spring 2026 the courses Apparatus: Framing and Apparatus: Writing will be run in one workshop. Candidates may submit either an introductory chapter/kappa draft or a sample of academic material (chapter or article) for the course. Guest Lectures on best practice for the construction of compilation and mongraph theses will be added to the programme.

Apparatus: Writing Brief introduction

This course allows you to receive critique on, and if necessary, workshop, advanced texts of PhD production (peer review articles, thesis chapters) with specialist reviewers and with your peers. The course follows a peer assessment strategy in which giving critique on your peers’ text is a part of the learning outcome (learning through knowledge diffusion and exchange of ideas). Issues addressed can vary according to the nature of the work presented, but we will cover everything from the issues of co-authoring, writing fluency, clarity, and economy. Typical exercises included: re-writing to reduce word count, syntax checks, well-defined abstract, “killing your darlings”, refining the relationship between texts and footnotes, and entertaining alternative models in terms of form or mediation genre.

Skills

At the end of this course the candidate:

• Demonstrates reflective knowledge about academic writing
• Communicates clearly the main findings and conclusions of an article or a chapter
• Formulates logical and compelling written arguments in a well-structured text
• Gives advanced peer-review feedback on a written text

Assignments

• Submission of full chapter/paper a week in advance of the workshop week
• Detailed feedback on two of your peers’ submissions
• Active participation in discussions

Compulsory Activities

At the start advance of the course, participants submit a full draft of either a chapter or an article, which are then circulated to the other participants. All participants read through and prepare peer-review comments on each other’s drafts. At the first day of the workshop week, participants present their submission in an oral presentation, focusing how the submission is situated in the overall research project. After receiving peer-review comments, participants work individually with improving the submission, before submitting again before the final day of the workshop. At the last day of the workshop, the supervisor(s) will join the presentation and we will have a plenum discussion about the further work. To pass this course, you must: Attend 100% of the workshops, turn in all assignments on time, and pass assessment of defined deliverables. All participants are expected to actively participate in discussions which are part of the course.