Seminars to hone skills

A series of workshops that break down the art of writing may help students with "tunnel vision" see the light.

Mike Emery, University Communication fine arts writer and communication professor, said students often face writer’s block and tunnel vision when writing research papers, but that the Discovery Initiative worskshop series could show students there are other ways to tackle text.

The series will focus on enhancing research skills while centering on writing, presentations and research project management.

"People think of research as being the white coat and lab experiments, but this type is generally focused on humanities, business and the arts," said Emery, who, along with UH Writing Center assistant director Kyung-Hee Bae, will lead students through the Research Writing: From Academic Journal to Popular Media workshop.

The workshop series aims to teach students needed skills to enhance their research through a range of topics with multiple components to them. For instance, instructors will educate students on utilizing literature reviews and abstracts – crucial components of an academic thesis or undergraduate research paper.

"We don’t want you caught like a deer in the headlights," Emery said. "Their goal is to show students other ways of writing."

Research Writing: From Academic Journal to Popular Media, one of nine topics in the workshop lineup, can be used as an anchor for newspaper, magazine, television and radio writing.

The workshop, slated for 4 p.m. on Thursday in Room 101, Social Work Building, will also convey ways to write for different audiences.

"We provide examples of how research projects are presented in academic journals, trade magazines, the general media, and we will ask students to explain why they think they’ve been formatted in those ways," Emery said. "It helps them read, think and become engaged to understand why certain topics were written for different audiences."

The workshops were created to coincide with the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan, which is centered on enhancing student learning as part of its reaffirmation of accreditation by the Commission on College of the Southern Association of the Colleges and Schools.

"We want to encourage students to come, and bring your research projects so we can help you, and don’t wait the week that your project is due to start on it," said Veronique Tran, director for Quality Enhancement Plan for Undergraduate Research. "The students will be partnered with experts in the subject areas of the particular topic they’ve chosen."

The workshop series is open to graduate and undergraduate students as well as faculty and staff members. To accommodate students’ varying schedules, the session will be repeated on different days throughout November.

Tran said the series is designed to help students from all disciplines and levels.

"If they are thinking about the work industry and not grad school, these are lessons that they need from day one when they land their first job or project," Tran said. "They will need these skills to get them through these projects."

For more information about the Fall 2008 Discovery Workshop Series, visit www.uh.edu/discovery.

FALL 2008 DISCOVERY WORKSHOP SERIES

Managing your References with EndNote

10 -11:30 a.m., Oct. 15, Room 106R, M.D. Anderson Memorial Library

2:30 – 4 p.m., Oct. 14, Room 106R, M.D. Anderson Memorial Library

Due to limited seating, participants must R.S.V.P. for either session at [email protected] by Oct. 12th.

The following workshops will be held in Room 101, Social Work Building.

Research Writing: Technical Reports

4 – 5:30 p.m., Oct. 16; 10 -11:30 a.m., Oct. 22

Research Writing: From Academic Journal to Popular Media

4 – 5:30 p.m., Oct. 23; 10 -11:30 a.m., Oct. 29

Research Writing: Abstracts