CWSC evidence-based workshops are open to undergraduates from across the disciplines and professions, at any level of study (unless otherwise specified).
Upcoming Workshops
Workshop Roster
CGS-M Proposal: Crafting a Compelling Research Story
This workshop is designed for undergraduate and master’s students applying for funding from the Canada Graduate Scholarship-Master’s (CGS-M) Program. Drawing on evidence-based research about successful grant proposals, facilitators discuss particular elements of this written academic genre: audience, purpose, knowledge gap, competence claim, structure, style, and more. The workshop includes examples of successful UBC CGS-M research proposals from several disciplines, as well as a facilitated discussion with UBC master’s students about writing their successful CGS-M proposals.
Citation Practices in Academic and Professional Writing
Citations do more than give credit or prevent plagiarism—they shape your voice within scholarly conversations. This workshop examines citation strategies, the common functions of citations in academic writing, and effective ways to engage with sources to build your research narrative. Participants will analyze examples from published academic articles, learn about citation functions and strategies, and practice integrating sources with purpose. Whether you’re writing a research article, a research proposal, or your dissertation, this session will help you use citations strategically to strengthen your writing.
Common Academic Expressions in English: Basic Functions
Did you know that 40% of language production in English is formulaic, that is, made up of common expressions? However, producing effective writing in English can be challenging for many non-native writers of English. The good news is, these formulaic expressions can be learned. This workshop is designed for those who speak English as an additional language. In this workshop, participants are introduced to common expressions that perform a number of basic functions in academic English. Participants will walk away with a better understanding of how to use common academic English expressions in their writing, as well as the motivation and confidence to develop a larger repertoire of these expressions to further improve their academic English writing proficiency.
Common Academic Expressions in English: Making Connections
One of the major challenges that academic writers encounter is making connections within the text, for example, making comparisons and drawing conclusions. Rather than counting on readers to figure out the meaning of a difficult text, academic writing requires writers to make clear connections between ideas. In this workshop, we introduce a variety of academic expressions that are commonly used by academic writers to outline the overall structure of the text, or specify the relationships between sentences. At the end of the workshop, participants will walk away with an awareness of the writer-responsible nature of academic writing, and develop better facility with using academic expressions to connect ideas in their own writing practice.
Common Academic Expressions in English: Research Article Introductions
Writing an effective Introduction is not an easy task, especially for multilingual writers who speak English as an additional language. As a complement to the workshop “Research Article Introductions: Mind the Gap” this workshop introduces participants to common academic expressions characteristic of Introductions (e.g., background context, literature review, knowledge gap). Participants will walk away with a better understanding of common academic expressions that facilitate effective communication in the Introduction section.
Lunch & Learn: Citations in Academic English
This one-hour session demystifies citation beyond just mechanically following the rules of citation style guides by introducing the fundamental roles and functions of citations in academic writing. Designed for writers new to academic English, you will discover how effective citation practices can position your work within your field.
Lunch & Learn: Common Verbs in Academic English
In this one-hour session, we will explore how scholars across disciplines use verbs in academic English. Through hands-on analysis of a variety of writing situations across disciplines, you will discover how strategic verb choices accurately represent your research acts and strengthen your academic voice.
Lunch & Learn: Transitions in Academic English
In this one-hour session, we will explore how scholars guide their readers through complex arguments using transitions. Through analyzing published research articles across disciplines, the facilitator will introduce common expressions that academic writers use to build relationships between ideas (e.g., contrast, cause-effect, elaboration) in order to tell a coherent research story.
Speaking as a Researcher: Turning Findings into Stories
Effective academic speaking goes beyond presenting data—it’s about crafting a compelling narrative that engages your audience. This workshop introduces academic speaking as a distinct genre and showcases how to transform research findings into engaging stories in speaking situations such as a classroom presentation, conference talk, or a seminar presentation. In this session, you will:
-analyze examples of successful academic talks,
-learn key structural elements of effective presentations,
-learn strategies for telling a compelling research story, and
-draft a framework for your upcoming talk.
Verbs for Citations: Moving From Paraphrase to Summary
“Study A showed that …” “Study B showed that…” Have you ever wondered how verbs like show function in describing and summarizing previous studies when writing your literature review, and what alternative verbs are available for you to tell your research story? By focusing on the use of reporting verbs in published research articles, the facilitator will discuss citation strategies in literature review writing that help you to move away from sentence-level paraphrasing, to summarizing and synthesizing from the larger understanding of previous research.
Writing a Personal Statement: Crafting Your Professional Identity
The personal statement is written for admission to graduate and professional programs at academic institutions like UBC. But what does personal mean in an academic context? How do writers construct an appropriate professional identity? Research shows that personal statements must reflect the values of the profession, and that the personal self you construct in the statement must be a relevant self. That is, relevant to the chosen profession or discipline. This workshop draws on research to introduce participants to some of the typical stylistic features of the personal statement, such as personal narrative, identity construction, and self-promotion, and includes dedicated time for participants to draft or revise a statement.
Writing a Statement of Intent or Purpose: Crafting Your Scholarly Identity
Graduate school applications typically include a statement of intent or purpose, whereby prospective students describe their research background and expertise and begin to map out a research plan. But how do emerging scholars craft their identity in this high-stakes document? Research shows that the scholarly identity prospective students construct in these statements must demonstrate the relevance and timeliness of the research proposal to the chosen discipline, as well as demonstrating researcher competence. Therefore, this workshop draws on scholarly evidence and uses real-world examples to introduce participants to some of the typical structural and stylistic elements.
Writing with Integrity: Fundamentals for Emerging Scholars
How do I avoid plagiarizing? “Paraphrase,” “cite everything,” “stick to the style guide”… These answers, and perhaps the question itself, neglect the fact that academic writing involves a complicated process of text integration, rather than mechanically following the rules to avoid being accused of plagiarizing. Despite the widespread interest surrounding academic integrity, what constitutes academic integrity remains unclear to emerging scholars new to academic writing. Drawing on the most recent pedagogical research, this workshop will cover some fundamentals of academic integrity in the writing context.