Discipline-specific writing courses (HEC, LAW, SPS)

By the end of the course, researchers will:

• have a clear understanding of relevant discipline-specific aspects of academic writing within their chosen field of study
• gain awareness of any style issues in academic writing that are associated with their subject
• have enhanced their knowledge of academic terminology and grammar for writing academic prose and feel able to apply this satisfactorily in their writing

The sessions will address rhetorical and stylistic issues related to drafting and revising your work such as:

• Defining terms and concepts
• Organizing notes
• Openings and conclusions
• The narrative
• Using corpora

They will also address practical matters such as:

• Grammatical accuracy
• Research Paper structure & organization across paragraphs and longer structures
• Syntax in academic writing in History
• How to achieve “style” in academic writing

You will be invited to specify areas of interest and topics to work on throughout the course.

The teacher will provide targeted materials and activities to help you complete your writing within this timeframe. 

Each session includes both input and peer discussion. You will get feedback on your writing from the teacher and from your peers, which will equip you to work in writers’ groups from your second year. 

Ben Carver teaches English research writing and communication at the EUI Centre for Academic Literacies and Languages (CALL). His PhD in literary history was awarded in 2012 (University of Exeter) and appeared as a monograph in 2017 (Palgrave). Since then he has published research articles, edited a volume of essays on literature and conspiracy culture (Routledge), and published pieces for a broad readership on television programmes, science fiction, and music. He is interested in supporting early-career academics’ ability to write and publish in a range of formats, for audiences within and beyond the academy.

By the end of the course, researchers will:

• have a clear understanding of relevant discipline-specific aspects of academic writing within their chosen field of study
• gain awareness of any style issues in academic writing that are associated with their subject
• have enhanced their knowledge of academic grammar and feel able to apply this satisfactorily in their writing

The sessions will address rhetorical and stylistic issues related to drafting and revising your work such as:

• Defining terms & concepts
• Writing about caselaw
• Clear writing
• Evaluative writing
• Openings and conclusions
• Using corpora

They will also address practical concerns such as:

• Grammatical accuracy
• Research Paper structure & organisational features, e.g. paragraphs
• Syntax in academic writing in Law
• Defining 'Style' in academic writing

You will be asked for your input and feedback on the syllabus in the first session.

The teacher will provide targeted materials and activities to help you complete your writing within this timeframe. 

Each session includes both input and peer discussion. You will get feedback on your writing from the teacher, from your peers and from yourselves. 

Mary Greenshields teaches English for Academic Purposes at the EUI Centre for Academic Literacies and Languages. She is an experienced post-secondary teacher, an academic librarian, and a researcher pursuing a PhD. In addition to a master’s in library and information sciences, Mary has a master’s in English. She has published research articles, co-edited a book, and works as a freelance editor and peer-reviewer. Mary is interested in supporting researchers’ academic literacy and writing skills.

By the end of the course, researchers will:

• have a clear understanding of relevant discipline-specific aspects of academic writing within their chosen field of study
• gain awareness of any style issues in academic writing that are associated with their subject
• have enhanced their knowledge of academic grammar and feel able to apply this satisfactorily in their writing

The sessions will address rhetorical and stylistic issues related to drafting and revising your work such as:

• Defining terms and concepts
• Evaluative writing
• Data presentation and commentary
• Openings and conclusions
• Advancing your argument

They will also address practical matters such as:

• Grammatical accuracy
• Research Paper structure & organization of paragraphs and sections
• Syntax in academic writing in the Social and Political Sciences
• Managing “style” in academic writing

You will be invited to specify areas of interest and topics to work on throughout the course.

The teacher will provide targeted materials and activities to help you complete your writing within this timeframe. 

Each session includes both input and peer discussion. You will get feedback on your writing from the teacher and from your peers, which will equip you to work in writers’ groups from your second year. 

Katie Fry is a teacher of academic communication and English for Academic Purposes. She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Toronto (2017), an MA in English from York University (2009), a BA Honours in English from Simon Fraser University (2004), and a Cambridge CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, 2010). She has published research articles in academic journals and collected volumes as well as several literary translations (Spanish to English). Before joining the Centre for Academic Literacies and Languages (CALL) at EUI, she taught academic writing and speaking at the University of Toronto’s Graduate Centre for Academic Communication.