Research, English and Academic Literacy (REAL)
Our Research, English and Academic Literacy workshops can help you communicate your research more effectively. They are suitable for UK and international postgraduate research students at the University of Bristol.
As a postgraduate research student, it is vital you can communicate effectively and help people from a variety of disciplines engage with your findings. You must also be able to navigate the literature of your field.
Our two-hour workshops will help you hone these essential skills. You will also benefit from collaboration with tutors and peers – sharing knowledge, building on your experiences and developing a community of practice.
Our workshops will be tailored to your academic needs, with topics to address key milestones throughout the year. After selected workshops, we will invite you to book a follow-up one-to-one tutorial. Both workshops and tutorials will be run by expert staff from the Centre for Academic Language and Development.
On-campus location
All our workshops will take place in person, on campus. We will offer 30 places per workshop.
One-to-one tutorials will take place online.
Low time-commitment
Although we will ask you to reflect on your wider academic practice, each workshop will be self-contained, requiring no additional work outside of the two hours. You will leave with skills and strategies that you can apply to your future studies.
Continued support
You can take part in one workshop or several, as suits you.
As part of each workshop, we will signpost you to any upcoming sessions, and to relevant resources and support. After some of the workshops, we will also invite you to book a follow-up one-to-one tutorial.
Tailored to you
Our workshops are suitable for both UK and international postgraduate research students. However, some workshops will be suitable for first-year students only, while others will be for students in years two to four. The workshops taking place during academic writing month will be suitable for all students.
In 23/24, we will be offering the following workshops:
For students in year one
Reading academic literature effectively and efficiently
A workshop to help you increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your academic reading.
Mapping the field for your literature review*
A workshop to help you identify research gaps, evaluate contributions to your field, and plan a literature review.
Choosing a structure (smaller genres)
A workshop to help you organise shorter academic writing genres (such as journal articles, abstracts, or research proposals) effectively.
Finding and expressing your voice*
A workshop on developing your writer’s voice in doctoral-level academic writing.
Academic style
A workshop to help you write more clearly, precisely and concisely.
Writing your year-one progress report*
A workshop to help you produce your end-of-year progress report.
*includes option to book a follow-up one-to-one tutorial.
For students in years two to four
Choosing a structure for your writing*
A workshop to help you organise ideas and arguments effectively across a range of written genres.
Expressing and refining your authorial voice in academic writing*
A workshop to help you develop your authorial voice and recognise common linguistic features of doctoral writing.
Communicating your findings to different audiences
A workshop to equip you to communicate your research to a variety of audiences in writing and in presentations.
Implementing a structure in your writing*
A workshop to help you develop the coherence and flow of your written work.
Academic style in your thesis*
A workshop to explore elements of academic style in samples of doctoral writing.
Responding to feedback
A workshop providing opportunities for peer review among participants, enabling you to develop a feedback-informed action plan.
*includes option to book a follow-up one-to-one tutorial.
For all students (as part of academic writing month)
Expressing critical analysis in doctoral writing
A workshop exploring how critical analysis is expressed in doctoral-level writing, with strategies for reading critically within and between texts.
Writing effective abstracts
A workshop to help you write effective abstracts.
Exchanging peer feedback
A workshop to enable you to exchange feedback on written ‘work in progress’ with peers.
Academic writing: question and answers
An open discussion of academic-writing challenges, with questions supplied by participants.
Book your place
Find out more information about individual workshops and sign up on the Bristol Doctoral College events page.
If you have already attended a workshop, we will contact you directly about booking a one-to-one tutorial.
All workshops and tutorials are free for University of Bristol postgraduate research students. You will not need to pay for any materials.
Book your place
Find out more information about individual workshops and sign up on the Bristol Doctoral College events page.
If you have already attended a workshop, we will contact you directly about booking a one-to-one tutorial.
Get in touch
If you have any questions, please email lang-in-sessional@bristol.ac.uk.