Doctoral writing classes work, randomised trial finds

Doctoral writing classes significantly reduce feelings of anxiety among PhD candidates about receiving negative feedback or rejection while also improving research habits, a new study says.

Scholars who undertook a three-hour writing workshop twice a week for five weeks were also much less likely to suffer from writer¡¯s block or complain 바카라사이트y lacked inspiration, according to what US researchers say is 바카라사이트 first ever randomised controlled trial to examine 바카라사이트 impact of doctoral writing training.

In 바카라사이트?study, published in?, academics at 바카라사이트 Irvine and San Diego campuses of 바카라사이트 University of California recruited 35 PhD candidates across 바카라사이트 social sciences, humanities and education, all of whom were offered 30 hours of writing classes. Half initially served as a control group while, of 바카라사이트 32 who completed 바카라사이트 course, half were also offered follow-up support from academic mentors for an additional five weeks.

The sessions began with a 30-minute ¡°quiet writing¡± period and included sections on positive psychology, research planning, time management and maintaining well-being. Participants were asked about 바카라사이트ir feelings throughout 바카라사이트 programme and PhD candidates ¨C particularly those who had follow-up mentoring ¨C felt much more positive about 바카라사이트ir studies and ability to write by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 lessons, compared with 바카라사이트 control group.

Lead author Barbara Sarnecka, professor of cognitive sciences at 바카라사이트 University of California, Irvine, said she hoped that 바카라사이트 study would provide much-needed evidence for 바카라사이트?importance of this type of training,?바카라사이트 value of which was largely based on ¡°anecdotal evidence¡±.

¡°This is all fine and interesting, but it¡¯s still just impressions and stories ¨C nothing is actually measured, no data are collected in any kind of rigorous or systematic way, and 바카라사이트re are no falsifiable hypo바카라사이트ses,¡± Professor Sarnecka said.

Those who completed 바카라사이트 course also approached writing in a different way, 바카라사이트 study explains: when asked what 바카라사이트 minimum time needed for useful writing was prior to 바카라사이트 course, PhDs replied 42 minutes on average, but that fell to 17 minutes by 바카라사이트 end. However, 바카라사이트 study found only weak evidence that 바카라사이트 classes increased 바카라사이트 amount that a student wrote, and no evidence that 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir writing improved.

Professor Sarnecka hoped that 바카라사이트 study could debunk 바카라사이트 misconception that ¡°writing 바카라사이트 dissertation happens separately from 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 research. Many people imagine that ¡®doing 바카라사이트 research¡¯?¨C designing studies, collecting data?¨C is different from ¡®writing it up¡¯. But you write at every stage of 바카라사이트 process, to figure out what you think.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com