June 25-26 2018

UPDATES:

A preliminary evaluation report (with names redacted) is now available as a PDF: https://blogs.ubc.ca/dissertationbootcamp/files/2018/06/dissertation-bootcamp-evaluation-report.pdf

The idea behind a bootcamp is to write intensively: not research, not read, not chat. This bootcamp will have breaks for refreshments, a stretch, and a structured conversation about writing & editing. You can work on an article for publication or on your dissertation.

Location: Room T182 (near School of Nursing), third floor, UBC Hospital
Date: Monday June 25 & Tuesday June 26, 9am to 5pm.

This bootcamp will be modeled it on the dissertation & article writing bootcamps at the University of Toronto. For more on the U of T bootcamp model, see Rachael Cayley’s Explorations of Style blog post, “Silent Sociability”: https://explorationsofstyle.com/2014/08/27/silent-sociability/

There is no charge to attend the bootcamp. More details will be posted as they become available.

Participants must agree not to check email, texts, social networks, or web during writing periods.

Registration: Registration is now closed, and no further seats are available. If you are interested in attended a dissertation-writing bootcamp, please refer to this July 26 2018 opportunity being offered by G+PS and the CWSC: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/about-us/events/16976-thesis-boot-camp

 

Preliminary Schedule for Each Day: 

9:00 – 10:00                 Morning Discussion
                                      – Day 1: presentation by Jacqui Brinkman, MSc (Biology)
                                        Manager, UBC Graduate Pathways to Success (download slides)
                                      – Day 2: presentation by Patty Kelly, PhD (Rhetoric and Writing)
                                        Program Manager, UBC Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication (see PDF below)
10:00 – 12:00               Writing
12:00 – 1:00                 Lunch (bring your own)
                                      – Day 1: informal visit and question time with Danielle Barkley,
                                        Graduate Educator, UBC Centre for Student Involvement & Careers
                                      – Day 2: No guests yet confirmed
1:00 – 2:30                   Writing
2:30 – 3:00                   Afternoon Discussion
                                      – Day 1: editing strategies for efficient academic writing
                                      – Day 2: editing strategies for structure and flow
3:00 – 4:00                   Writing
4:00 – 5:00                   – Day 1: open time for writing, chatting, etc.
                                      – Day 2: evaluation 4:00-4:15; must be out of room by 4:15.  

 

Who is organizing this bootcamp?

The dissertation bootcamp will be run by Letitia Henville, the Research Grants Facilitator in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. She has a PhD in English from the University of Toronto, and has taught effective writing strategies at the university level. You can read more about her recommended editing strategies for academics at shortishard.ca.

 

Why have discussion time? Why not write all day?

Writing in bursts, with breaks, provides you with multiple peak, crunch periods throughout the day. We will use the breaks to discuss writing and productivity strategies. This approach is supported by a body of research that focuses on the complexity of becoming an academic writer and the particular challenges of dissertation writing (Kamler and Thomson 2006; Cameron, Nairn, and Higgins 2009; Pare, Starke-Meyerring, and McAlpine 2009; Beal 2014; Starke-Meyerring et al 2014; Phillips 2015).

 

How should I prepare for the bootcamp?

The students who write the most are usually those who prepare to write. If you can, plan in advance the sections of your dissertation you would like to flesh out. Anticipate what paragraphs you will need to include in each section, and what each paragraph will cover. Know what references you will need to use and where, so that you don’t spend time looking them up.

 

Can you help me with my writing?

Yup. Feel free to bring in draft grant proposal or a 5-10 page sample of your writing (article or dissertation excerpt) for Letitia to review. If you’ve worked with her already, please bring in a sample she’s never read before. She can develop a list of targeted editing strategies to help you to improve the clarity, concision, and persuasiveness of your prose. Please note that she will not review the quality of your science–that’s between you and your supervisor! (Letitia assumes that your science is excellent.)

 

What should I bring?

Your laptop, water, coffee, lunch, and snacks. Please note you may not have access to a fridge or microwave during the bootcamp. Bring earplugs if you want to work through the breaks or if you find the sound of typing annoying.

Your cup of coffee on Monday morning will be provided for you by the UBC Centre for Student Involvement and Careers. Please BYO coffee on Tuesday.

 

What are your recommended writing resources?