Important Information:

Candidates should bring their laptops with at least one journal article from their disciple, which they regard as having a well-written discussion section (or a thesis). Since this will be electronic for the most part, (though hard copy is good to work with) the latter is feasible. Candidates should also bring any draft discussion sections they have begun to work on. 

Workshop Description:

This workshop will offer insights into what is arguably one of the most difficult sections of a thesis or article to write well – the Discussion.

The workshop will begin by summarising what the literature and writing advisors have to say about the purpose and structure of the discussion, what is included and what is not included and how this might be different for different disciplines and genres.

The second part of the workshop will involve participants deconstructing well written discussion sections from discipline specific journal articles or theses, they have brought to the workshop.

The third part will depend on where participants are up to with their own writing. It could involve mapping out a discussion section, getting feedback on early versions of discussions. Or it could take the form of an exercise, following an approach advised by Kamler and Thomson to work with what had been learnt about using language in the second part of the workshop to begin to construct your own discussion.

Tasks:

Candidates deconstruct the linguistic features of a well written discussion in a journal article or thesis and begin to use these in their own writing.

Learning Outcomes:

Candidates learn to recognised the features of a well structured and convincing discussion and apply these to their own writing.

Accessibility: 

24.102 is a wheelchair accessible room. A number of blue badge parking spaces are available immediately outside building, and an accessible toilet is situated near by.