Academic Writing Programme description

Publication in international journals has become increasingly imperative for academics worldwide. Scholarly success is often measured in terms of publication in high ranking, international ¿ i.e. English language ¿ peer-reviewed journals. At the same time, the internationalisation agendas of higher education institutions ¿ in Norway and around the world ¿ place an emphasis on collaboration and initiatives across international borders. The ability to communicate in English is central to successful involvement in such work. 

This course sets out to equip PhD candidates and faculty members at OsloMet with the writing tools needed to meet these challenges.

The course will focus on familiarising participants with the academic writing conventions, as well as addressing the most common problem areas confronting Norwegians when writing academic English.  This is a practical course in which participants¿ own writing is a key element. Time will be spent discussing participants¿ texts as well as the principles of academic writing.

The course provides participants with the opportunity to practice academic English and develop competence in working with English academic texts.

The course also contributes to the wider university college milieu by developing a forum for work-in-progress discussions and facilitating participation in international fora as well as internal internationalisation projects. Furthermore, the course enables academic/research contact across faculty lines.

The target group for this course is PhD candidates and researchers among the academic staff at OsloMet, who are actively engaged in writing articles, papers or dissertations in English.

• A completed Master¿s Degree.
• Employment at OsloMet.

Admission of PhD candidates and academic staff employed at other higher educational institutions and/or research institutions in Norway can be considered subject to the available places on the course.

Admission of internal and external candidates is based on individual application approved by the applicant¿s Head of Studies or Head of Division.

Participants should be reasonably fluent in written and oral English and familiar with academic conventions and requirements.

Ranking

• PhD candidates and academic staff at OsloMet.
• PhD candidates and academic staff employed at other higher education and/or research institutions in Norway.

After completion of the course, the student will have acquired the following learning outcomes, defined as knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The candidate has in-depth knowledge of:

• the writing conventions and rhetorical patterns needed for international publication in their field
• revision, editing and development strategies needed for international publication
• principles of applied  textual analysis for writing development

Skills

The candidate can:

• formulate academic texts in English intended for international publication
• transform awareness of textual features into specific writing strategies
• analyse and describe trends and features of their field¿s academic English

General competence

The candidate can:

• can identify and establish connections between writing practices, writing conventions and research traditions in their fields 
• discuss and give feedback on a range of academic texts and issues
• can reflect on and document their current practices and how these can be developed

Participants will develop a sophisticated awareness of the conventions of academic writing, and how they vary between different disciplines. Participants throughout the course will apply this awareness to their own projects, refining their writing and increasing their likelihood of publication. Moreover, the analytical tools each participant develops during the course will keep on working after the course: each participant will continue to develop their awareness of academic writing and improve their own writing long after the course has finished.

Among the topics covered by the course are:

• Variations in academic style
• Audience, purpose and style
• The writing process
• Disciplinary identity
• Academic language
• Vocabulary, grammar, sentence, paragraph and text
• Coherence and cohesion
• Directness and formality
• Avoiding common errors: e.g. digression, lack of thesis statement, misunderstanding one¿s audience
• Analysing, discussing and responding to academic texts
• Article structures, including IMRAD

The course is held each semester.

• The course language is English throughout.
• The course will include task-based teaching, focusing on problems typical for Norwegian writers of academic English.
• In each session the group will work on two draft documents submitted by participants. The group works together on improvements.
• The rest of the session will focus on analytical and short writing and thinking tasks, aimed at rooting writing conventions in participants¿ disciplinary knowledge

Participants are expected to work on their papers between sessions, assimilating into their own work topics raised during class. 

Participants will be responsible for distributing their manuscripts to the group at least a week before the session dealing with their work. 

-       Attendance:

• In order to take the exam, and be eligible for study points, the participant must have attended at least five of the six sessions.

-       Compulsory tasks:

• A completed needs analysis form, and an academic text (an unedited manuscript, approx. 5 pages, double spaced font sized 12) must be submitted prior to the first course session.
• Active participation in all group sessions.
• Resubmission of the academic text in progress for discussion in the group.
• Final resubmission of this text, revised further, for the exam.
• A reflective statement, describing the candidate¿s experience of and responses to the course.  

Course Code: AWC6000.

Individual oral exam consists of a 15 minute presentation, containing a visual element (e.g. a PowerPoint or Prezi), describing how the participant¿s article has developed over the course and how they expect it to develop subsequently, followed by a 15 minute discussion with the examiners, testing the reasoning behind the participant¿s writing decisions, their understanding of concepts covered, and their ability to further develop the text.

The exam will be assessed by two internal examiners.

Grading scale

Pass/Fail.

New/postponed exam

In case of failing the exam or in case of valid absence at the time of the exam, the student is entitled to make a renewed attempt. The re-examination will be arranged in the same manner as the regular exam. The students are themselves responsible for registering for the re-examination within given deadlines.

Course Description for Academic Writing Course (6 ECTS)

Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee 11 October 2016. Minor amendment 13.11.2018.