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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.

We will be starting our Spring 2026 programme on Monday February 9th.

Bookings open on Skills Forge on 19th January 2026

We look forward to seeing you then

RD Online Writing Series Spring 2026

Date Time Session Booking link
12/02/2026 11.00-12.30 How to Respond to Feedback (Writing Series) Book
16/02/2026 11.00-12.30 Get your Writing Organised - Stage 1: storyboards Book
21/02/2026 10.30-12.30 Academic writing: what is it and how to prepare for it (Saturday session) Book
09/03/2026 11.00-12.30 Get your Writing Organised - Stage 2: signposting & mapping Book
10/03/2026 11.00-12.00 Writing Tips - Focus on Style: How to be more Concise Book
16/03/2026 11.00-12.30 Making your thesis easier to read for your examiner Book
18/03/2026 11.00-12.30 Dealing with Writer's Block Book
21/03/2026 10.30-12.00 Writing Proposals and Abstracts (Saturday session) Book
24/03/2026 12.00-13.30 Perfecting your Writing: editing and proofreading tips Book
30/03/2026 15.00-16.30 Advanced Writing: Writing an Article for Publication Book
31/03/2026 12.00-13.30 Writing Sentences: starting strong Book
31/03/2026 14.30-16.00 Paragraphs: the building blocks of your thesis Book
01/04/2026 12.00-13.30 Writing Introductions and Conclusions Book
01/04/2026 14.30-16.00 Representing other research fairly, organising your reading, filling the gap Book

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 Classics

Writing Resources

Referencing Style Guide

University of Warwick

Also

6 Minute Grammar Podcasts

Thesis Whisperer

Write that journal article in seven days( Thesis Whisperer)

Pat Thompson Blog and BlueSky

@patthomson.bsky.social

Writing Advice from University of Toronto

POWA Paradigm Online Writing Advice

Learning English for Academic Purposes LEAP

Further support across Warwick

In addition to the support from the RDO and the PhD in Second language, you may find these resources useful:

Write Right : Academic Writing Moodle (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

The Academic Skills Moodle. A resource for UG & PGT but might have something useful ( Archive)

Academic Writing for PGT & UG

Return to the Researcher Development Online page.

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