RDO Writing Support
Writing support during your Research Degree
We all need support for our writing during our research degree; it is a craft that we need to learn and practice. Through the Researcher Development Online programme we offer training, development, groups and resources to help you.
You are a specialist in your field. But do you still find yourself getting stuck or frustrated when you try to write about it? Whether you are from a Science or Humanities background we offer sessions to ensure your writing is as effective as your research.
The sessions range from starting out and challenges with grammar, to writing bids and grant applications.
RDO Writing Series Autumn 2026
| 05/10/2026 | 13.00-14.30 | Finding, Reading, and Quoting Research | |
| 06/10/2026 | 11.15-12.45 | Get your Writing on Track | |
| 12/10/2026 | 13.00-14.30 | Writing and Giving Conference Papers | |
| 15/10/2026 | 10.30-12,00 | Writing Proposals and Abstracts | |
| 17/10/2026 | 10.30-11.30 | Writing Tips - Focus on Style: How to be more Concise | |
| 27/10/2026 | 11.15-12.45 | Representing other research fairly, organising your reading, filling the gap | |
| 02/11/2026 | 13.00-14.30 | Making your thesis easier to read for your examiner | |
| 03/11/2026 | 13.00-14.30 | Get your Writing Organised - Stage 1: storyboards | |
| 06/11/2026 | 10.00-11.30 | Paragraphs: the building blocks of your thesis | |
| 10/11/2026 | 10.30-12.00 | Get your Writing Organised - Stage 2: signposting & mapping | |
| 14/11/2026 | 10.30-12.00 | Writing Sentences: starting strong | |
| 16/11/2026 | 10.30-12.00 | Long documents: practical tips, structuring your work, signposting | |
| 17/11/2026 | 15.00-16.00 | Writing Tips - Academic Hedging: advantages and pitfalls | |
| 26/11/2026 | 10.30-12.00 | How to Respond to Feedback | |
| 04/12/2026 | 10.00-11.30 | Finding, Reading, and Quoting Research | |
| 04/12/2026 | 10.30-12.00 | Advanced Writing: How to Edit Effectively |
Authorship in Research Publications
More:
- is an international systematic review registry
-
Harvard Medical School
More
- is a free, unique, persistent identifier (PID) for individuals to use as they engage in research, scholarship, and innovation activities.
Top Tips
Orwell sums up:
1. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do it
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. ( Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous)
George Orwell Politics and the English Language pp348-360 in George Orwell Essays 2000 Penguin ClassicsWriting Resources
University of 海角社区
Also
Grammar Podcasts
( Thesis Whisperer)
Pat Thompson and BlueSky
@patthomson.bsky.social
from University of Toronto
Paradigm Online Writing Advice
Learning English for Academic Purposes LEAP
Further support across 海角社区
In addition to the support from the RDO and the PhD in Second language, you may find these resources useful:
(this is for resource only as the course has now been archived and no longer monitored but contains useful info)
PGCTS: f you can take nine week assessed modules
English for Academic Purpose in sessional English Language support and writing surgeries for International PGRs ( Archive)
Centre for Linguistics offer support. There is an additional cost to you for this course
. A resource for UG & PGT but might have something useful ( Archive)
Return to the Researcher Development Online page.