The Write Idea

Dear Writing Lab Clients [and postgraduate students],

I would like to welcome you to the first instalment of ‘The Write Idea’, a weekly Writing Lab blog/newsletter.

Sawubona, welkom, wamkelekile, dumela, bonjour, jambo, ndaa, lotjhani, mohoro, avuxeni!

Why a newsletter and why now? Well, to be honest, we miss you – we miss seeing your faces in workshops and hearing your voices, we want to connect with you, we want to hear your concerns, we want to share our thoughts and guidance about academic writing, we want to share useful resources to help you succeed, and we want to tell you our news and hear yours. So, we’re going to take it easy, keep it light, and see how it develops over time. I hope that you will join us on this journey. 

While thinking about what to focus on in this first blog, I wondered what you are all going through? What different types of challenges each of you might be facing right now? And, I reflected on my own recent challenges with writing and productivity.

The week before we were all asked to stay at home, I was at a writing retreat and words were just pouring out of me….but over these last couple of months at home I have hardly written anything, and my productivity has definitely taken a knock. This has been hard for me; I am used to working hard and giving 100%, and writing is a huge part of who I am and what I do.

When I have shared these frustrations with colleagues, family, and friends they have told me to be kind to myself, to cut myself some slack, to remember that I can’t expect to continue as normal.

All of this is true, and in fact it is the same advice I have given to others. And yet….

And yet, it is clear that this will be ‘the new normal’ for months to come, and there are still meetings to attend, work to be done, papers to be read and written, and deadlines to be met.

It is clear that for me (and possible for some of you?), the time has come to pull myself together.

And then Pat Thompson’s latest blog post arrived in my inbox this morning and I had to laugh – I swear, the woman is like Google – somehow, she always seems to know just what I need! And what I needed was to hear that I am not the only one grappling with the frustration of being caught in this strange twilight zone between what was, and what will be. And that she, like me, is strongly feeling the need to ‘get it together’.

Certainly, this situation with all of its challenges is not ideal for anyone, but at some point each of us is going to have to accept the specific challenges and limitations we are facing, and find ways to be as productive and successful as possible for the duration of this pandemic. For me, this means going back to basics and reassessing my writing process, and I’m inviting each of you to do the same.

The idea that you have a writing process may be familiar to you (its something I like to talk about in workshops), or it may be something you are considering for the first time. Either way, the better acquainted you can become with your own process, and the more strategic you can be, the more productive your thinking and writing will be. In other words, you need to try to work with, and for yourself, rather than against yourself.

Very few of us probably feel completely satisfied with our current setup, and it may not be possible to achieve our ideal work environment right now, but we can think about what works best for us, and then try to get as close to that as possible. Begin by thinking about the logistics of your process and becoming familiar with your natural rhythms. If you are an early bird or a night owl, it may be possible to find time to write before everyone has woken up or after they have gone to bed. If you are working during the day, figure out whether your thinking and writing flow better in the morning or afternoon. If you prefer things to be quiet while you write, you can use earplugs, cotton wool, or even toilet paper to cut out some of the noise. If, on the other hand, you like having background noise, then try listening to something like these coffee shop sounds. Spend some time experimenting until you find something that feels right for you right now.

Next, think about what motivates you. Motivation can come from within - a favourite song or special verse that encourages you to keep going when times are tough – or from those around us. If you find it helpful to have a coach or a guide, then make an online appointment at the Writing Lab. Perhaps you respond well to structure? If so, consider following one of the Research Writing Pathways. Alternatively, if you are goal orientated, you could set yourself daily or weekly targets, or use a time-management tool, such as the Pomodoro Technique, to help you stay motivated.

Finally, become familiar with your writing rhythms. I don’t want to give advice about writing rhythms because there really is no one right way, so instead I’ll tell you what works for me, which I hope will spark your thinking about what works for you.

When I write, it always begins with thinking. Whether I have been given a topic or have to come up with something on my own, I will always spend a day or two (sometimes longer), just thinking about the topic, rolling it around in my head, letting it percolate while I’m cooking dinner or going for a walk or lying in bed at night. This gives me a chance to think about the different ways I could approach the topic, and possibly to come up with some creative or interesting ideas to use. I keep a journal next to my bed, because I find that I will often get a good idea just before I fall asleep, but if I don’t write it down, I can’t remember it in the morning! Once I have decided what I want to do, I will start to write a very rough first draft, and I really do mean rough; half paragraphs, random sentences, notes or questions, multiple versions of the same section….a beautiful mess 😊 This is the point at which I usually pause the writing and start reading. While I’m reading and gathering information, I will certainly be making notes, but probably not working on my draft. After a few days or more of reading, I’ll come back to my draft and start to integrate what I have read, so my draft will slowly start to take shape. Depending on the size of the project, I may go through many cycles of reading and writing until I am satisfied. Eventually I’ll start editing and polishing what I have written. While I’m doing this, I will usually read out loud, and I’ll often imagine reading to someone who’s opinion I respect. This usually helps me to spot areas where I have rushed over my argument, or not made my point clearly enough, or perhaps where I have made an assumption I know they would challenge me on. Eventually I will either send my piece to someone I trust for feedback or submit. For me, the goal is never to write as quickly as possible, but as well as possible.

So…when, where, and how you write is a process, and figuring out your own process is a journey. Maybe, like me, you thought you had this all worked out and now you are finding that you have to rethink things, or maybe this is the exciting start of things to come. Either way, I wish you well on this journey! If you have any questions or want to let us know how it’s going, please drop us an email at fhs.writinglab@gmail.com.

Wishing you a productive week!

Natashia

Dear Writing Lab Clients,

Sawubona, welkom, wamkelekile, dumela, bonjour, jambo, ndaa, lotjhani, mohoro, avuxeni!

I would like to welcome you to the second instalment of our weekly Writing Lab newsletter, ‘The Write Idea’

Last week, Natashia shared her thoughts on finding your writing process, your rhythm and your motivation during this time. We hope that you have managed to find some processes that work for you. Most of you that have been at my writing workshops, know that I always stress and encourage you to:

"Take risks, try new approaches to find out what doesn’t work for you, so that you don’t waste time following the crowd, thinking this must work for me. In this way, there is more time to get things done using approaches that work for you."

I find that my rhythm and process for productivity changes daily depending on how I envision ‘progress’ for that day. It is a tricky concept and one that I have spent a lot of time trying to decipher. I have come to understand that it cannot be easily defined and often, there is a dominant universal understanding. This idea of progress pegs us up against our peers as if our studies and academic writing need to always be a competition, and that one’s progress is better than the other. That is far from the truth and I, now know that defining progress is much more complex, personal and specific to our circumstances. As Pat Thomson says:

"Progress is always a relative thing – it’s related to the task and the time available. In order to assess my own progress more realistically, I’ve had to think about the particularity of my own situation. And I’ve had to speak to myself very firmly about not falling prey to very unhelpful comparisons. Comparison is, of course, the name of the competitive academic game and it’s toxic. I’ve had to remind myself that it is OK to do what you can, as you can, in the extraordinary times we are in. Just as it was in the old normal."

Progress is, therefore, defined by you as we are all on different journeys towards a common goal (graduation), and this becomes relevant not only now, but post COVID-19. So, when finding your process for productivity, establish what ‘progress’ means for you by being realistic when setting your daily goals. It is also important to be kind to yourself when you reach those goals and celebrate every progressive moment or milestone, no matter how small (or big) it may be.

I know that even thinking about what progress means can be quite stressful, as right now we are playing catch up with school work and, of course, those looming assignment deadlines! With so many uncertainties flying around about our future we must not forget to always take a time out (and, yes, watching your favourite series counts! I recently watched ‘Unbelievable’, go check it out for a dose of reality), but writing can also offer you a space to re-calibrate your thoughts and ‘check-in’ with yourself.

I find the strategy of free-writing quite calming as it helps me make sense of all my thoughts, especially when I am anxious and the deadlines are piling up. So, what is Free-Writing? Peter Elbow, the pioneer behind this strategy puts it quite succinctly:

“The consequence [of writing] is that you must start by writing the wrong meanings in the wrong words; but keep writing until you get to the right meanings in the right words. Only in the end will you know what you are saying.”

I really like his words because, yet again, we seem to want to focus on being right the first time, producing the perfect first draft, and free-writing offers that freedom to make mistakes until we find the right meanings. It is a useful idea-generating strategy similar to brainstorming, but your ideas are written in sentence and paragraph form without stopping. It has many benefits including to help increase the flow of ideas, reducing the chance that you’ll accidentally lose a good idea, helps to increase your ability to write and most importantly, allows you to appreciate the drafting and revising process of writing. So, why not try it?

1. Get a piece of paper and a pen
2. Set your watch/timer for 10 minutes
3. Then, don’t think, just write!
4. Write in sentences and use a paragraph form
5. Don’t focus on spelling and grammar, just write all the thoughts that are on your mind
6. Keep your hands moving – if you can’t think of anything, keep repeating certain ideas ‘work’ ‘work’ ‘work’ and wait for the ideas to come, and they will!
7. After the 10 minutes or when you feel you have enough, try to make sense of what you have written – maybe it can help generate ideas for your assignment, maybe even a plan for what progress looks like for the day

Sometimes, I also do what I call, free-typing. Instead of writing by hand, I open a MS document and type my thoughts vigorously, or I do a free-voice recording and record myself using my phone to capture my ideas. Whichever method you choose, the great thing about this strategy is that it is for your eyes/ears only and you can be expressive as you want.

This strategy helps me with structure and finding my compass for the day depending on how I portray ‘progress’. I hope you will try it and find what progress means for you, today, tomorrow and when we see each other on campus again.

Wishing you a safe week and the best of luck!

Taahira Goolam Hoosen

Dear Writing Lab Clients,

Sawubona, welkom, wamkelekile, dumela, bonjour, jambo, ndaa, lotjhani, mohoro, avuxen!

Welcome to the weekly Writing Lab newsletter, ‘The Write Idea’. Following from the two previous instalments, I would like to share with you what I call, 'The Chronicle of Turbulence and the Anchor.

I have to raise my hand from my location in Cape Town to say that, during this lockdown, I am one of those who think that the world is turning upside down and we don’t know where this 'ship' of coronavirus pandemic will get us to. Initially I was confused, overwhelmed, scared, cautious, avoidant of the new reality, and unmotivated to work. I guess my initial reaction was because I am not your typical adventurous personality (I only take the risk if it is worth it, or there is no other option, whatever that means). It takes a bit of time to come out from the shell and realize that nothing will change anytime soon. Therefore, it is important to ride the wave; wherever it takes us to, we will see.

I shared a bit of my response to current realities because I think some of you – our clients – could relate to it. Probably others responded differently because of differences in personalities. This brings me to a point I would like to quickly address in this newsletter. I said earlier that it is important to ride the wave and see where it goes, but should we then ride this wave haphazardly without a guide or plan of action? My response is, “NOT EXACTLY”. What we probably need are sketched-out plans that could be iteratively modified to suit current situations. We are dealing with a moving target and we can’t know that the immediate plans are the perfect plans.

Is this not the strategy we often discuss with you each time we meet in workshops, face-to-face, and online consultations? Now, talking about our writing, we need to be kind towards our drafts and not get too attached to them because it can always change depending on current realities. Remember our moving target. It is in the process of allowing these drafts to “transform” that we can produce an academic piece of high quality. It is also in the process of the changes that happen to these drafts, that we develop skills and get comfortable with using those skills within short notice.

Often, the feedback we get from colleagues, supervisors, writing consultants, etc. can break our hearts because, it puts in the bin everything we have toiled on through sleepless nights while trying to craft meaningful thoughts. Yet, if you summon courage again, pick up your sword – your writing tool – and give yourself another shot at crafting those ideas with greater motivation, you can never tell what will come out of it. Probably something better than what you already had. Critical feedback may be what you really need to produce a quality piece.

So friends, while we are on this lockdown, I encourage myself (first) and you to pick up our swords and give it another shot. It may not come right the first time, but trust your instincts and inspiration. If you were able to produce the initial piece, you can do even better now if you try.

If you are like me, writing and beating submission deadlines are the last thing on my mind in the current reality, yet we can draw a silver lining from important anchors. Recently, I have decided to hook up to some key anchors which I hope will carry me through these uncertain times. It may not work for all of you, but this may be an opportunity to develop your own “anchor” to hold you through the turbulent times in which we have found ourselves.  Here is a quote from Martin Luther King Jr,

“Keep moving, for it may well be that the greatest song has not yet been sung, the greatest book has not been written, the highest mountain has not been climbed. This is your challenge! Reach out and grab it… but there is something we can learn from the broken grammar of that mother, that we must keep moving. If you can’t fly, run; if you can’t run, walk; if you can’t walk, crawl; but by all means keep moving.”

I highlighted the last sentence because the emphasis for me is to continue moving at whatever pace you can.

Before I forget, I was going to share with you my anchor in these turbulent times, so here we go:

1. Maintaining a routine: I have tried in these days to be more disciplined and wake up at specific times and start the day at an exact time. Don’t ask me if I keep these routines ;) I just know that it is do-able.
2. Take advantage of your inspiration: I have come to consider the writing process as an art. Like most artists will tell us, there will be that moment when a bright idea hits you. BOOM! I try to seize those moments and write whatever inspiration I have gained because they may never come back again. Maybe that inspiration won’t make it into the final piece, but it is better to have it on paper (or personal computer) just in case you need it in future. Every inspiration comes with ripple inspirations whenever you relook at them again, and I don’t want to miss those ripples!
3. Develop Skills: Be deliberate about developing some skills that will move you forward when the lockdown is over. I have seen that this singular anchor keeps me motivated each day to keep trying to improve and take more calculated risks, because I don’t want to come out of the lockdown the same way I went in.

Now it is your turn, what are the anchors that you will develop to keep you through this turbulence and help you to stay focused, sane, and more adaptable? 

Wishing you all of the best and safety.

Yours truly

Emmanuel Nwosu

Hello FHS Writing Lab family, and welcome to the 4^th edition of 'The Write Idea', entitled:

Keep your light shining

How are you today?

It is almost nine weeks since the South African national lockdown was announced on the 26^th of March 2020. When the announcement was made that day, none of us were fully prepared for it, nor anticipated what was to come. Personally, I was in the middle of my lab work and had planned to get a good deal of work done before June. I remember cryo-freezing my cell cultures and packing away my reagents with the hope that soon, the ‘normal’ will resume. My last face-to-face conversation with my supervisor was filled with positive plans on what we will do as soon as the lockdown lifts. I was certain that it would only be for 21 days. But as I watched the statistics, the infection rate rising, and the leadership of the country put their heads together for solutions, I soon realised that we are truly living in unpreceded times and nothing is certain. Little scientific data is available on COVID-19, so we develop knowledge on it day by day. As I slowly tried to adjust to my new normal of writing from home, just like many of you, in a short space of time I had to learn how to adapt to virtual meetings, exercising self-discipline, and managing back-to-back deadlines. I am still learning and exploring new techniques that work for my daily tasks.

Here, I share five techniques that have worked for me in my thesis writing process during this time:

1. Make a brief plan of action the day before: I’ve found that I am more productive when I sketch out the next day’s itinerary in my dairy beforehand and physically gather the resources that I will need for my tasks. I do this by first deciding on the themes that I will focus on for my literature review and then gather main articles that I will start off with; my literature review matrix has come in very handy for this. I also aim to start my days early by going to bed early and setting my alarm. I’ve realised that when I go to bed late, I wake up tired and do not have enough concentration energy for the day.
2. Having an accountability partner: I don’t know about you, but I’m the queen of spoiling myself with in-between short breaks - all in the name of self-care - but I then end up not reaching my daily goals, and the workload piles up. What has worked during this lockdown is having a friend who knows me, and is also in the writing process, as an accountability partner. We check in on each other’s daily itineraries and honestly communicate on our progress. You can also do this with a friend or alternatively join a platform that will encourage you to be a part of a community and hold you accountable on your progress. If you are unable to, e-mail us (fhs.writinglab@gmail.com) and we will do our best assist you.
3. Communicating with my supervisor: I’ve found that regular meetings with my supervisor give me early feedback on what I’ve already written; and therefore, guide as well as fuel me to stay the course. I encourage you to also communicate with your supervisor as often as you can and get feedback as early as possible. If you are an undergraduate and perhaps writing an essay, I encourage you to engage in your Vula site for online assistance from lecturers, facilitators, or tutors.
4. Humour: Laugh with your friends and share non-offensive jokes. It works.
5. Gratitude: The last, but certainly not the least, of my techniques is practising gratitude. In the words of Alice Morse Earle “Everyday may not be good… but there is something good in everyday”. I’ve found that I am more optimistic, joyful and willing to try again when I take some time to reflect on my day and be thankful for what I was able to do and look for the good that came out of that day. You can try this as well; it will fuel you to achieve more of your little daily goals.

Despite living in times of uncertainty, compounded by the global social issues, I encourage you to keep your light shining - in your writing journey and your personal lives.  This shining light is within you and it is your source of hope for the end goal. Think of it as a Lighthouse that emits light at night to guide maritime pilots to their destinations.

Take care,

Silindile

Hello writers

Every little step is a milestone.

During this lockdown, we have all experienced anxiety and stress at various degrees, mainly because of the uncertainty that surrounds us and the fear of the unknown, due to the Covid-19 epidemic.  Our daily pattern resembles that of a nonmonotonic graph. On some days we are very productive, our spirits are high, energy is on point and we get things done. Other days are just dull, energies are low, and we can barely even get through the introduction of an article. But I think there is no more comforting feeling than knowing that we are all in the same boat. We are all frustrated by the thought of how much time has gone to waste, precious time that we could have used to maybe optimize the first objective of our projects. We know we can never get this time back, so the best we can do is maximize on productive days, because there is no telling when that graph is going to start decreasing again.  I think the best thing we can do for ourselves right now is to celebrate the little “victories”. If today you managed to read an article or two, tomorrow you write a paragraph or two, by the end of the week you will not be in the same position you were when the week began. Celebrate that movement, no matter how tiny the step may seem. Remember slow and steady wins the race!

Without a doubt, we all started the year with a plan, but seemingly that plan is disappearing bit by bit like the morning dew when the sun comes out, as the lockdown keeps us bound in our homes. With this comes a lot of strain on our state of mental health. As we attempt to adjust and familiarise ourselves with these unfamiliar territories, we ought to be cautious to not self-neglect. Take care of you first, because just as the blind cannot lead the blind, if you are unwell you cannot help the next person. So, stay positive, even though that may sound like a distant concept, but a positive spirit is very contagious, and we need those, now more than ever.

Here is a little magic you can sprinkle on your day to make it brighter:

Set small goals: It is not easy; however, I have found that setting small goals that I would like to achieve each day helps a lot. So, make a little “to-do list”, do not overpack it though, just so you avoid being overwhelmed. Add three to five things, depending on your goal for each day. Doing this every day, and seeing everything I managed to get done each day, has been really motivating for me.

Put time aside for writing: I have also discovered that having a set time for writing is very helpful. I did not realize how much I could get done in an hour, but it is remarkable once you get started and make this your daily routine. Pick a time that works for you when you are most productive. I am a night owl, and some of you work better in the morning. Whatever time works for, just take an hour, and focus on your writing.  However, you do not have to limit yourself to a set time (1 hr) - make hay while the sun shines.

Acknowledge the progress: Sometimes I find myself frustrated because I did not get much done that day. There are days where I only manage to write one perfect sentence and it feels like it was not enough, like I could have done better. But I have developed a habit of acknowledging the little that I did get done. That one perfect line or paragraph is not a full page or a complete chapter, but it is a step in the right direction. It might not seem like great progress, but the bits and pieces will eventually add up. So don’t beat yourselves up for only writing one paragraph, rather, celebrate small victories because they are the fuel that keeps us going.

Make time for yourself: I know it is easy to get caught up in the midst of everything else going on in our lives; we find ourselves knee-deep in the race against the endless deadlines, we forget to take care of ourselves, and we put everything else before our mental health. Taking care of yourself is an essential service to you, so pause and breathe. On days when you are feeling anxious or lack motivation, go for a walk/jog, meditate, watch a movie or two, try out a new hobby, or maybe call a friend (video calls are my personal favourite). Remember, take care of your present self, so your future self can thank you.

Sincerely,

Nontobeko Mthembu

Dear Writing Lab Clients,

Sawubona, welkom, wamkelekile, dumela, bonjour, jambo, ndaa,

lotjhani, mohoro, avuxeni!

I would like to welcome you to another instalment of our weekly Writing Lab newsletter, ‘The Write Idea’

I hope this newsletter has been as helpful for you as it has been for me.

It has been just over two months since the lockdown commenced, and I can definitely say some days are better than others. Initially, I found myself quite resistant to what was happening around me and soon realized it was because it happen so abruptly. There was no real preparation period or time to bid the “old normal” farewell. So I found myself taking a few weeks to take everything in and to find my feet again. The most challenging thing for me was finding my rhythm, especially in the comfort of my home. Being a postgraduate student that works predominantly in a laboratory, the idea of working from home was completely new for me. The lack of pressure, deadlines and physically going to the lab/campus completely threw me off my usual productive routine. I was like a deer in headlights. Sure enough the writing lab newsletters came to my rescue and helped me find my rhythm of working from home.

The useful tips of finding my rhythm and things I could do to get the writing “ball” rolling gave me some direction. However, I found a few days passing with me doing little to no writing at all. All the questions my accountability partner posed in relation to my writing, I diverted to other topics. The writing process was not going well and I just did not understand why. I knew what I had to write, I read and made notes but, when it came writing/typing, my mind went into panic mode. I over-thought every single sentence, questioned if it was ‘academic’ enough, or if it even made sense. My motivation had hit a dip. After some self-reflection/introspection I realized I had no real goal when it came to my writing. Completing my thesis writing is a long-term goal, but I did not have daily short-term goals to get me going with the process. I needed some key objectives in order for me to see where the writing was going.

I opted for setting up some short-term goals and tasks for myself. The advantage of short-term goals is that they are relatable, great for positive re-enforcement, and lead to some form of action. The purpose of the tasks was for them to be actionable and achievable. Personally, I know I do well with a little bit of pressure, so I decided to set weekly actionable tasks. Breaking up the bigger piece of writing into smaller chunks that I can achieve in each week. This allowed me to not become overwhelmed by how much writing I needed to do, but instead gave me a clear focus and scope on what I wanted to achieve that day, week, or month. The tasks were specific, actionable and realistic which made them easier to achieve. I also joined a weekly ‘Shut up and write’ session just to crank-up the pressure and, sure enough, with my actionable tasks in place, the writing process started taking off.  As mentioned, the progress made is self-determined and will be different for each person, but personally, the feeling of achieving small goals or tasks did boost my confidence. Don’t get me wrong, some days still remain better than others, and I myself have not perfected the process of being productive from home, especially during such uncertain times, but every little step or action makes a difference in the bigger picture. Whether it be planning, reading a journal paper, writing one paragraph, or reviewing what you have written, all of those steps are still building blocks to your bigger writing piece or assignment.

I know that even thinking of goals or progress can be very stressful. Hence, I do not see this as another to-do list that I have to tick, but more as a method to direct my focus each day. With all the uncertainty looming and stresses of the “new normal”, it is important to also incorporate some intentional breaks to remove you from your writing and give your brain a bit of a rest. Adapting to change is challenging and some days may be more productive than others, so do not forget to be kind to yourself. So, while we are under this lock down, I encourage you to try, even if it is not perfect, it will definitely get better as the process continues.

Yours Truly

Nonku Mkwanazi

Hello Fellow Writers,

I hope you are keeping well!

Recently I have been thinking a lot about the issue of dependency in teaching and learning contexts and, to talk about this, I need to begin by sharing a story about my own learning experience this year.

At the start of the lockdown - when we weren’t allowed to leave our houses to go for a walk or a run - I, like many others, went searching online for an exercise class I could follow and I, like many MANY others, found the internet sensation Yoga with Adriene. It had been more than 10 years since I took a yoga class, so I really was starting from scratch, but it was exactly what I was looking for – a structured 30 day programme to help me build strength and flexibility and, honestly, to keep me sane during these crazy times.

Right away I resonated with Adriene’s informal style, warm personality, and her catch phrase ‘find what feels good’ – a sentiment similar to what I often say in writing workshops; find your own style as a writer. Those early weeks of yoga felt like a safe and joyous adventure; I was wobbly and nervous, laughing at myself as I repeatedly wondered, am I doing this right? Despite my uncertainty though, I kept going with the programme and also started doing her Foundations of Yoga programme, so I could get the basics right. I could really feel myself stretching both physically and mentally, and I can’t tell you how much I looked forward to doing my class each day…until day 30 that is.

Day 30 was a surprise. In the video, Adriene welcomes you as usual, congratulates you for making it to the end of the programme, and talks about how you have been learning all the tools you need for yoga, and how to find what feels good for you. Then she says its time for you to start taking more ownership of your own practice and takes off her mic.

The sense of loss and discomfort was palpable as I struggled to keep an eye on what she was silently doing in the video, while fretting about whether I should follow my ‘one-legged pigeon’ pose with ‘cow legs’ or ‘downward facing dog’. Really, I hated that class.

Fortunately, there are many other 30-day programmes that Adriene has put together, so I forgave her, put it behind me, and started a new journey. I continued to build strength, stamina, and flexibility. I became more familiar with the poses and was really loving the programme until…the dreaded day 30. Again, the silent class of torture where we are expected to do it alone.

And that is when it struck me.

I had practiced almost every day for two months and done over 60 yoga classes….and I still wasn’t ready to confidently do it alone. Immediately I started to think about how this realisation might apply to mastering academic writing.

In writing centres, something we worry about is the issue of dependency. What I mean by this is, we don’t want you to become dependent upon us. We want you to learn and practices and ultimately become confident, independent writers. This is a valid and important goal for several reasons. Firstly, writing centres seldom have enough staff to meet the demand; if you become dependent on us we’d be able to help even fewer clients, and we already struggle to meet need (you will know this frustration if you’ve ever logged on to make an appointment, only to find that we’re fully booked). Another important reason you need to be able to write alone, is that we can’t always be there to help; tests and exams are a prime example of some of the most high-stakes writing you do, that we simply cannot help you with. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly in my mind, writing is an expression of your identity (more about this in another post); if we do the writing for you, then who’s identity is actually being represented? So, I hope it is clear to you why dependency is a valid concern for us. However, that said, how do we distinguish between the normal learning process and dependency?

I suspect that we (as educators) may be panicking about dependency far too early in the learning process. We worry that if we have seen you five or ten times that you may be becoming dependent on us, and some writing centres even have limits on the number of consultations that you can book in a year. But let us pause for a moment and think about this.

If you are fortunate, you might attend three or four writing workshops in a year at the very most and, perhaps, you have also visited the Writing Lab ten times. At this point, I guarantee we would be getting very nervous about dependency. But now, my own learning experience with yoga has reminded me how long it can take to master a new practice - I did over 60 yoga classes and still didn’t feel confident to do it alone – so worrying about dependency after 10 or 15 writing “classes” is starting to seem very premature. Especially as academic writing is arguable more complex than yoga.

So, what does all this mean?

First and foremost, I think it means that we should never be afraid to ask for guidance – as much as we need and as often as we need. Learning and mastering any new practice is an ongoing process; it can take a very long time, and that is okay!

Secondly, it means that writing centre staff must take responsibility for managing issues of dependency – not though limiting your access to us, but though being careful with our own practices. If you come to a consultation and your consultant edits your work, or tells you what to write, they are enabling your dependency. But, if they talk to you and offer guidance while you edit your work and decide what to write, they are supporting your learning journey.

Thirdly, it calls into question how we understand what it means to be independent. In his excellent TED talk, Atul Gawande explores the value that coaching plays in lifelong learning and the achievement of excellence. As he concludes, maybe we aren’t meant to do it alone?

And, finally, it means that each of us needs to take ownership of our learning journeys; finding programmes to follow, making time to practice, seeking mentorship, and asking for guidance when we need.

So I wish you all happy writing my friends, and I urge you to reach out for guidance – it doesn’t matter if it is your 2^nd or 22^nd visit to the Writing Lab, we are here to support you on your journey.

Namaste,

Take care,

Natashia

Greetings fellow writers,

Welcome to another instalment of our newsletter!

Over the weeks we have shared with you our challenges, strategies, and in general, some advice for how you could be approaching your writing tasks. However, as we all know, we do not write in a vacuum, meaning that writing is always CONTEXT dependent. And, as we write to you every week, our writing has been shaped by our experiences, and the current climate and circumstances we are living in.

Much like writing, we are always aware of the bigger picture as human beings, students and professionals. As you prepare for examinations, write your thesis or prepare your manuscripts, you are thinking about how you would respond as a health care professional or a scientist, and how you would incorporate your experiences into your writing, change your research design, etcetera.

For some of us, #BlackLivesMatter has made us more acutely aware of our African identity and the need to cite and highlight more African scholars in our fields of research. For others, it could mean writing about the challenges you may face in the health care sector during the current pandemic and how you plan to work through them. Either way, writing is context-dependent and we need to adapt and keep that in mind as we write.

However, as I had said in my earlier post, we also need to be kind to ourselves. Now, more than ever! And, part of that is accepting the fact that it is ok to not BE OK.

• It is ok to take a break
• It is ok to be behind schedule
• It is ok to feel demotivated
• It is ok to grieve and take moments to consolidate your thoughts & feelings
• It is ALL ok, and, you NEED to have ME TIME

It is the same for writing. We don’t emphasise enough that there is a lot of hidden pressure, anxiety and other psychological factors associated with the writing process. I am here to say that THIS IS ALL NORMAL, IT IS OK. When we are learning new aspects, it is meant to make us feel uncomfortable. In that discomfort though, we need to seek solace and support, so that we see the light at the end of the tunnel. These may take many forms:

‘Aha, I get it now’

'I'm going to be ok'

'I have got a plan'

Part of these ‘Aha moments’ is also leaving your writing for an hour or so to ‘marinate’, so that when you approach it again it is from a fresh perspective, which allows you to gain clarity and build momentum. It also means reaching out to US, your writing coaches and mentors. So, I want to reiterate that what you feel when you write your exams, your thesis or whatever you are engaged with...

..... is real and part of the learning process.

We, as the Writing Lab team want to reassure you of the above, and that WE are here to ride along with you on your journeys, no matter how bumpy or smooth they may be.

We, too, are also writers, and I would like to share that last week I felt I was not ok. I felt very unmotivated to do anything and I also fell behind on my deadlines. But, then I came across this blog post by Dr Anuja Cabraal, who helped me see the light at the end of my dark tunnel. I hope it inspires you a little, as it did me!

When I write, I write for myself. I put myself on the pages. I put myself in the edits.

I write so that I can understand, explain and express. I don’t know if my words will be heard, I don’t know if my words will resonate. I don’t really think about that when I write. What matters to me is that I have heard, that I have gained clarity. I recognise that being clear about my audience is important, the audience does matter.

For me, though, this comes after I have clarity and understanding of my own thoughts and words.

For me, the process of writing is sometimes about intellectual understanding, and sometimes it is simply about expression. I don’t always like sitting down at the table to write. But when I do sit down, and when I do start writing, I can’t seem to stop typing the words. Other times, I ache to get to the computer, and will wake very early in the morning, or stay up for hours into the night, just so I can write.

There may be times where I have thoughts after something I have read, or a person in mind like a student and the advice I have shared with them, or where I reflect on an idea after a conversation with a friend or colleague. I write it down so that I can see the structure myself. I might know the concepts, but to articulate them, see them on the pages, and form that clarity of thinking around that thought – to be sure that I know what I mean. That is writing for me.

Other times, I write in my head. The words flow and it is almost like I can see them on the pages. I tell my mind to hold them there until I get an opportunity to write. I believe that if they are important enough, they will stay. If they go away…well, that’s okay. Other ideas and words will come.

Right now though, I’m struggling.

I’m writing this because I can’t seem to bring myself to edit my already written words, or to form any structure around them. Fear is in the way. Not fear of what the words say, not because I judge my writing, but I fear sharing my writing. Right now, I am blocked because I fear what others will say. This makes it difficult for me to write, for me to put “me” on the pages and then press send. I don’t always fear sharing my words, but right now, I do.

This fear is cautioning me. It is telling me to put up some walls, some barriers. Sometimes, my fear is about insecurity. This isn’t insecurity; this is caution and, as a friend pointed out to me, fear can sometimes be wise and intelligent. It is a warning that we need to heed. This type of blockage is new for me. A different kind of chatter, a different conversation to ones from before, a differently worded fear in my mind.

You see, I don’t mind the world accessing my words. I’ve written blog posts, papers, and other forms of publications. I understand that I will get criticism in my life, even over my writing. I often seek critical feedback. I like it and believe it only makes me and my writing better. But I’ve recently had interactions that have led to self-doubt. So, right now, the writing feels different, like I am seeking out toxicity, like I am putting myself in the mouth of the lion. But then I remind myself that I have a choice. As my friends and colleagues have reminded me, those experiences were not about me, they were about the toxic people. So, I go back and remember that I have a safe support network, that I am my own safe place.

This is what I will do: I will write, like I always do. Free and flowing. I will remind myself that I can add the armour later. If I try to add the shields and armour from the start, I miss the process of reflection and understanding around my thoughts. I miss the joy and freedom of expression, the beauty and love that comes with the process of simply writing for myself. It is private, intimate, and it is about me and the pages in front of me. I won’t let anything else get in the way of that. I can add the shields later, they are important, and I may very well need them. However, I cannot add the shields, I cannot add the armour, if there is nothing there to protect.

Right now, I’m going to take the time to ground and reconnect with myself again, come back to “me”. Remind myself that I am my own safe place.

Right now, I write for me. This is for me. Let the world do what it will. Let my words fly off into the wind.

Wherever we are, we are in this together. As you move forward right now, do it for yourself, as best you can, BUT please reach out to us to help your words fly off into the wind.

Right now, write for YOURSELF.

It is ok to not be ok, but we always rise and lift one another together!

Best wishes,

Taahira Goolam Hoosen

Greetings fellow writers and Writing Lab Clients,

Welcome to another instalment of our newsletter, which I’ve titled, Here is to your voice and style!

When it comes to writing in academia, the biggest challenge is finding and clearly expressing your style (self). In the sciences (and especially Health Sciences), there are strict guiding rules for academic writing. Whether it is writing a research proposal, manuscripts for paper publications, policy briefs, portfolios, essays, literature reviews, etc., there are already existing formats and standards. It is often almost impossible to manoeuvre between these standards and introduce your style if you aim to have your piece accepted within the academic community. 

Another challenge is that writing in the Health Sciences often tends to be about creating a “mini” version of the expert. For example, our clients working on research projects may agree with me that by the time your proposal or journal manuscript has undergone several reviews based on a supervisor’s feedback, it tends to have lost your flavour and look more like what your supervisor wrote. Undergraduates who submit essay portfolios often realise that by the time they are submitting their third essays, it doesn’t look like their piece anymore but rather more like what a facilitator, supervisor, or a writing coach (at Writing Lab) wrote depending on who you approach for guidance with your writing  tasks. I must accept that as a writing coach at Writing Lab, we may have helped to perpetuate this as our support sometimes tends to drive clients to follow standard practices that are generally recognized as the “right” way to write.

While I do not disregard the importance of obeying the standard rules of writing in the different genre, we often loose our style and self because we stick to these rules too strictly. I am all for being academic literate and writing according to the specific genre, but academic literacy is also supposed to make you aware of your style. There is the difference it makes, and there is that tinge of excitement that comes with bringing a bit of your own “flavour” into the mix.

That is why today, I have come to ask you, our clients and fellow writers, to find a way to interweave your voice and style into those standard formats of academic writing. We often don’t say it enough in the consultation spaces because each time you meet with us, either online or physically (face-to-face), we are under pressure to get you to see thing from the “right” perspective (academic literacy) within the short time we have with you. So, what you may not have heard enough is that one of the key tenets of academic literacy is finding your ‘voice’ and ‘style’ and being bold enough to put it out there.

As the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic is extending with no end in sight yet, I will encourage you to use this time effectively and be more deliberate about discovering something about yourself that will help your writing go forward. If you ask me, I will suggest that you find your voice and style in writing during this time. Take some time to freestyle a bit, (I have been toying with the idea of starting a blog that has got nothing to do with academic style of writing. It will be just me and my style). If we don’t ever put ourselves out there, we may never know that feeling of doing it our way.

Now is your turn, think of what you can do to bring your voice and style into your academic writing. We will be happy to hear from you. Let us know your thoughts and how we can support you in your writing journey during this time. Have a great week further!

Kind regards

Emmanuel Nwosu 

Hello FHS Writing Lab family and welcome to the 10^th instalment of The Write Idea, entitled

‘The questions we ask empower us’

How are you feeling today? What are your thoughts on your writing process at present?  You might be feeling confident and proud of yourself for the progress you’ve made so far and may even be motivated to take your target goals a step further. Someone else, on the other hand, might be feeling demotivated and finding it difficult to connect with their writing process. Neither one of these two states are a universal yardstick for absolute success or failure. In truth, they are the realities of us, as humans, journeying through life - one pocket filled with stories of victory and the other with the setbacks we’ve experienced. So, progress comes in many forms. For one person it might be finally coming to understand a journal article that was confusing, while it could be renewed hope for someone else and, for another, it could be making sense of their thoughts about a certain life event. Every form of progress is significant and being aware of this helps us to connect back to the bigger picture of our writing process and our research at large.

In attempt to track my research progress, I recently revisited the “social circle’s activity” from one of our workshops. The activity poses the question, “Why do we ask the questions we ask?”. In this activity, the researcher must engage with this question by exploring the connection between themselves and their research. They must focus on three aspects; the personal, social, and theoretical factors that influenced their interests and decisions for undertaking research. Using prompting questions, the researcher then unpacks each aspect. The personal aspect includes the researcher’s strengths, values, and beliefs; the social aspect includes what has happened or is happening around us; and the theoretical aspect includes literature and the knowledge that the researcher possesses about the field.  I took this activity and used it to reflect on my research journey because I needed to be reminded of why I started and why I should keep going.

Perhaps finding out why we ask the questions we ask, or understanding what led us to our research questions, or even identifying a part of ourselves in our research work can also be a useful tool through which to draw strength, courage, and motivation for the process? This may not be an easy activity, but it will be empowering, and it will augment our self-awareness about our research work and the academic tasks we engage with.

I wish you a great week further; filled with gratitude and peace

Regards

Silindile Ngcobo

Hello FHS Writing Lab family, and welcome to the 11th instalment of The Write Idea, entitled

A different perspective on feedback

I am, hopefully, not the only one who is constantly apprehensive about opening a document that has feedback from my supervisor. Given the long hours of hard work put into producing a well-structured argument or a rationally formulated piece of writing, perhaps our anxiety is justifiable. It is, however, a bother that the source of our anxiety when it comes to dealing with feedback is somewhat unknown. The long hours spent producing any piece of writing surely cannot be the only factor at play here, and this has led me to do some introspection in the hope of identifying the basis of this uneasiness we experience as soon as we get that email which opens with “…see my comments on the document attached…”. In my experience, it is the way we perceive feedback/supervisor’s comments that opens a gateway to all these “negative” thoughts and feelings.  Often, we feel personally attacked, sometimes a sense of not belonging may set in, and we may even find ourselves questioning our abilities.

But hey, feedback is just that, feedback! While I was reading up on the literal meaning of the term feedback, one definition that stood out for me was by Charles Proteus Steinmetz who described feedback in reference to electricity, stating that, “When a cable grounds, the current at its end reverses; that is, flows into the cable (”feeding back”) instead of coming out of it”. And I think this is the cure I’ve been searching for when it comes to dealing with supervisor comments.

So here are a few tips on approaching feedback/supervisor’s comments:

Do not take it personally: Comments from your supervisor have nothing to do with questioning your abilities but have everything to do with growing you and pushing you to your level best. The best way to look at it is that you are having a conversation with your supervisor or rather telling them a story and, as they listen, they identify gaps in the story and the comments are basically them asking you to fill those gaps.

Every exceptional performer needs a coach: All outstanding performers have coaches, and you can view any piece of writing as a performance. Just as much as a ballerina needs a mirror for immediate visual feedback, our supervisor’s comments ensure that our work is void of errors and inaccuracies which guarantees a final piece that is absolute perfection.

GPS your way out of confusion: Academic writing can be quite overwhelming, and often we just need that little nudge to point us in the right direction. I see the feedback from our supervisors as that voice on your GPS that tells you to turn left or right, or sometimes reroute, to get you to your destination.

On that note, let us soldier on, even in these unprecedented times & remember to keep your chin up!

Keep safe.

Nontobeko

 Hello FHS Writing Lab family, and welcome to the next instalment of The Write Idea, entitled:

How can you tell that your writing is improving?

In our last instalment of our newsletter, Nonto spoke to a very important concept - seeing feedback in a different light. Feedback in academic writing is important to help you improve your written piece and to help you notice writing habits that you have, but that you may not have been aware of. While going through some feedback I received from my supervisor on one of my written pieces, a question came to me that I am sure many of you have had before. How do I know that my writing is improving?

My idea of improvement in writing practice used to be receiving a document back with no comments at all. I have come to realize that this is never the case. So, how do I know that my writing is getting better? With many things that we do in life, there are usually indicators that can tell us if there has been some form of improvement. Think about exercise. When you embark on the journey of a new exercise plan, along the journey there are indicators that improvement is happening such as an improved running time, increased flexibility, gaining muscle or even losing weight. Those indicators give you some idea that you’re going in the right direction. However, in our writing, most of us only really know if we are improving based on assessments or feedback from our supervisors. Without some feedback we rarely know whether our own writing has improved, gotten worse, or if we are treading water. To answer this question for myself I decided to go through some of my older pieces of writing, and I came across my honors research proposal.

When I pulled out this piece, I was surprised to see how clunky and unclear some parts of my writing were. When I wrote it, I remember thinking it was great; clear, informative, and free of grammatical errors. I was very proud of it (At the time, I was not using Grammarly, which is a great tool to detect obvious writing errors!). Some of the things I noticed included sentences that were too long, a lack of evidence for statements put forward, and not explaining/elaborating enough on the theory I presented in my literature review. It was quite surprising to notice this, especially because I never took the time to look back or reflect on my writing practice. And that is when it hit me, the indicator I was looking for. By looking back at some of my old written pieces I was able to notice what has changed since then.

I’m not saying that my writing practice is currently perfect, but the practice of looking back allowed me to locate what has changed and which writing habits I still have that require attention. Because writing is a journey, and only gets better with practice, small indicators can help you locate where you are and where you can improve. If you care to look at some of your earlier writing, even from a few months ago, do you notice a difference? Did you notice a difference in what you received feedback on? It may be a minor or major difference, but it sure is a test or indication of improvement. I hope this practice will help you realise that, even in the journey of writing, there are milestones and improvements that can act as indicators.

Yours Truly,

Nonku Mkwanazi

Hello Fellow Writers,

As someone who teaches people about academic writing, I find myself spending a lot of time breaking things down and talking about the different ‘parts’ of a text. So, for a change, I thought that this week I’d talk about building things up; about something that is critically important for successful academic writing:

The Golden Thread.

When healthcare professionals talk about the ‘golden thread’, they are talking about an unbroken chain of documentation that starts with a patient’s intake assessment, follows their treatment plan, and continues through to their progress notes.

When writing lab consultants, supervisors, editors, or reviewers talk about the ‘golden thread’, they are talking about an unbroken chain of ideas that start in the introduction with the main theme or argument of a piece of writing, follows through the body, and continues into the conclusion of the text.

Although these are two different ways of interpreting the golden thread, they share a conceptual similarity; a golden thread is the thing that connects the parts of something together, making it whole.

The parts, and the whole. The parts that make up the whole. Or, the whole, that can be thought of in parts.

When we write, we often compartmentalise our thinking into the different parts of the text – the introduction, the literature review, the conclusion, or the methods – and this is helpful while we are developing our text because each of these parts does have its own specific structure and function. However, we must also think about the whole. Each of these parts are only parts, and it is only when all the parts are working together as a whole, that their true value can be realised. Similarly, if one part is broken, it compromises the whole and, what we do to one part, impacts the whole.

I’d like you to experience what I mean.

Hold your arm out in front of you and look at it. It is composed of three major parts: the upper arm, forearm, and hand. While each of these parts has its own specialised structure and function, the parts do not work alone. You cannot move your upper arm, without also moving your forearm and hand. Now, place your other hand on your bicep and move the hand of your extended arm from side to side, as if you are waving slowly. Can you feel the muscle in your upper arm moving? Of course you can, because even though there is a forearm in between your hand and your upper arm, all the parts are connected and work as a whole.

Just as much as what you do with your hand impacts your upper arm, so too does your introduction impact on your conclusion. And creating an engaging and compelling text that grabs the readers' attention in the introduction and holds it all the way through to the conclusion requires a ‘golden thread’.

So, how can you ensure that the golden thread is evident from start to finish?

First and foremost, you must have a goal for each piece of writing. Ask yourself, what is the message I want to communicate to my reader? If you are writing a journal article or a thesis, you will have more control over your topic and so it may be easier to answer this question. If you are writing an essay with an assigned topic, you will need to think about how you will make this topic ‘your own’.

For example, in semester one all first year Health Science students wrote this essay:

IHP and the ABC and D of dignity conserving care in healthcare

Reflecting on your future as a healthcare professional, discuss the value of being an Integrated Health Professional (IHP) who is knowledgeable, empathic, and reflective while also practicing the ABC and D of dignity conserving care.

Even though everyone had the same topic, it doesn’t mean there should have been 450 essays all saying the same thing. For instance, after doing the readings and thinking about the topic, one student may have decided that the value of being an IHP is that it enables HPs to champion social justice through their practice, while another student may have decided that the value of being an IHP is that it gives you the tools for working with culturally diverse patients. In other words, even if the topic is assigned, you need to think about what YOU want to say about the topic.

Once you have this idea or argument clear in your mind, you have found your golden thread. The next step is to communicate this idea or argument to your reader.

Along with providing context and highlighting the topics to be covered in the text, another function of the introduction is to tell the reader the message you are going to communicate, or, where you are leading them on this textual journey. Continuing with the essay example I gave above, notice how the golden thread of ‘social justice’ is woven into this introduction:

“Generalised inequality is one of the greatest challenges facing the South African healthcare system yet, due to the stark socio-economic disparities among patients, the answer is not a more equal health system, but rather a more socially just health system…through this discussion I will demonstrate that within the South African context, the true value of being a knowledgeable, empathetic, and reflective healthcare provider, is that it enables you to practice in a way that supports social justice.”

Now that your reader is aware of your message, as you move into the body of the text your next task is to ensure that your golden thread remains visible.

Although each paragraph you write will have its own specialised focus within the larger topic, it is your job, as the writer, to show the reader how it ties into the golden thread. There is no one correct way to do this and you will need to judge what works best as you are writing. For example, you might include it as part of your topic sentence:

“As social justice is more than equality, healthcare providers should not use a ‘one size fits all’ approach in their practice, but rather assess the needs of each individual patient, which requires empathy. Empathy is…”

Or, you might weave it in as part of the paragraph’s ‘take-home’ message:

“In other words, it is only through deep critical reflection that healthcare providers can evaluate their own practice against the values of a socially just approach. With this in mind….” 

The effect of this careful weaving of the golden thread into the body of your text, is that it is continually clear to the reader how each new topic and idea you introduce builds and develops your central argument or message.

Finally, when you reach the conclusion, it is time to bring the reader full circle by connecting back to the introduction, and ‘tying’ the two ends of the golden thread together.

“By exploring what it means to be an integrated healthcare professional in the South African context, it is clear that the value of being knowledgeable, empathetic, and reflective is that it enables healthcare providers to embody socially just practice…Therefore, while systemic change will take time and political will, individual healthcare providers still have it within their power to interrogate their own practice and champion a socially just approach to healthcare, one patient at a time.”

Identifying the golden thread for each piece of writing, is an important strategy for empowering yourself and taking ownership of your work. While, consciously using the golden thread to connect the parts of your text together, is important strategy for achieving a coherent, cohesive, and compelling text for your reader.

Until next time, happy writing my friends!

Natashia

P.S. Notice how I have used the cohesive device of repeating a key term or phrase (golden thread) to connect the different parts of my blog post together and keep my central theme visible to you as the reader.

Hello Writers!

When we started this weekly email a few months ago, I really wasn’t sure how it would work or where it would lead us…but here we are, sharing our 14^th(!) blog post and, based on the interactions we have had with some of you, it appears that these posts are coming to be seen as a valuable resource. 

Today, I’m thrilled to introduce you all to Danica Sims, our guest blogger for the next three weeks. Danica recently completed her PhD in the Department of Health Science Education, with a study entitled “Factors influencing Lecturer Assessment Practice in Diverse Southern Contexts”. As I sat in Danica’s PhD exit seminar last week, I was struck by how frequently she mentioned the role of various writing practices as an important part of her research journey. We often tend to think of ‘research’ as data collection and analysis, but in fact the whole research process is both embedded in and wrapped in writing - from the proposal, to the thesis, to the publications, and everything in between.

Whether you are doing the 3^rd yr MBChB Special Study Module, or an undergraduate thesis in the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, or an honours, masters, or PhD, recognising ‘writing’ as an inextricable aspect of research is a important step forward in your development and maturity as a researcher. I sincerely hope that Danica’s reflections on the role of writing during her PhD will serve to inform, motivate, and encourage you along your own research journeys.

 

Part 1 – “The beginning”

I submitted my doctoral thesis at the end of 2019. There were moments of intense stress, especially at the end, but, in general, for me, writing my thesis was not the ‘Everest’ many experience it to be. Here are some of my reflections and recommendations – Part 1.

The importance of your research proposal

Depending on what field your research project is in, writing your research proposal can take a week, or a year!

Moving from the biomedical sciences to education was a shock (to say the least). My masters research proposal in medical cell biology (cancer) took me a few days to whip up without much stress. For my doctorate, I was completely taken aback at the several months it took to craft and revise my research proposal.

With each round of critique and feedback, the focus of my research became narrower and my arguments more robust. It was a slow and painful, but necessary, process. This rigorous process of peer-review helped me really fight for what exactly (just the one thing – not everything I found interesting) I would research and made sure that every decision going forward reflected this core mission. It also ensured that there was in fact a theoretical basis for my research questions and approaches. Without having a clear “map” for the next couple years of research, I would have most likely gotten lost on my journey.

My advice when writing your research proposal:

• Be patient!
• Read and write broadly…
• Before narrowing down and refining your focus.
• You should have a clearly defined, single research focus.
• This focus may change (many times!)
• But it needs to be nailed down eventually.
• Do not be afraid of peer-review, because it will only make your research proposal better!

Ask yourself:

• Is the rationale of my research proposal clear and theoretically grounded?
• Are my arguments coherent and consistent (from beginning to end)?
• Have I explicitly justified (with literature) my research choices?
• Is it easy for my reader to follow along, or are they getting lost?

Remember, all the hard work you put into your proposal at the beginning of your research journey saves you so much time and effort in the future! Your research proposal is your thesis master plan. You already have your core arguments presented – that golden thread running from start to finish. You have the foundation of your literature review – that just needs to be expanded, deepened, and updated in your thesis. You have your ultimate direction to guide you when research gets muddy and messy (it will). Glance back over it from time to time, especially when you are feeling lost or confused, because it will remind you of where you are going and why.

Today, we continue our series of guest blogs by Danica Sims. Danica recently completed her PhD in the Department of Health Science Education, with a study entitled “Factors influencing Lecturer Assessment Practice in Diverse Southern Contexts”. As I sat in Danica’s PhD exit seminar a couple weeks ago, I was struck by how frequently she mentioned the role of various writing practices as an important part of her research journey. We often tend to think of ‘research’ as data collection and analysis, but in fact the whole research process is both embedded in and wrapped in writing - from the proposal, to the thesis, to the publications, and everything in between.

Whether you are doing the 3^rd yr MBChB Special Study Module, or an undergraduate thesis in the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, or an honours, masters, or PhD, recognising ‘writing’ as an inextricable aspect of research is a important step forward in your development and maturity as a researcher. I sincerely hope that Danica’s reflections on the role of writing during her PhD will serve to inform, motivate, and encourage you along your own research journeys.

 

Part 2 – “The middle”

 

In part 1 I spoke about the importance of writing your research proposal as it is the master plan for your research project. But, what happens when you start your research project – as things get messy in “the middle”?

 

The importance of your research journal

When I was a biomedical scientist, I wrote in my lab-book daily. It was my record of every single experiment I ever did, the planning, all my calculations, and results. It was more technical (quantitative) than insightful. However, that practice of keeping clear records, detailing what I was doing, how, why, and the outcome of those actions, was critically important – especially when I had to look back and double-check an experiment.

The same can be said for keeping a qualitative research journal. The journal became my “everything” book.

What I included in my research journal:

• Every time I read a new article I would pop a summary in there.
• I would also include “hashtags” with each article summary. These hashtags were little notes that specified where I thought this article could be added into my thesis and aided in later searching. This was incredibly helpful when I could not quite remember, “who said that thing again?”
• Supervisor meeting notes were a critical inclusion, as these tracked feedback I had received and actions to be taken.
• Including decision-making, and reasons behind those choices, was essential. Months later I then had a record of why I made certain changes, along with a justification.
• This relates to analysis (which I found to be the most challenging part of performing and writing qualitative research). Detailing what I was doing allowed me to track the deepening analysis and construction of my results. Explicitly writing my thought-processes made me feel surer of and more confident in the final reporting of the results.
• It was also very encouraging to read back and see how I had developed and matured as a researcher. It assisted me in “finding my voice” and incorporating aspects of this into my thesis.
• These reflections contributed to my reflexive statement in my thesis too. I could honestly and transparently share my journey with my readers.

Keeping a research journal is part of the process of being a rigorous researcher. It not only stands as additional evidence for the research project, but provides an audit-trail for you. As you write in your research journal, be heartened to know that you are “doing the work” right there and then. You are contributing to your thesis, your analysis and your personal growth as a researcher.

Hello Writers,

Today, we share the final instalment by Danica Sims, who has been our guest blogger for the last three weeks. Danica recently completed her PhD in the Department of Health Science Education, with a study entitled “Factors influencing Lecturer Assessment Practice in Diverse Southern Contexts”. As I sat in Danica’s PhD exit seminar a few weeks ago, I was struck by how frequently she mentioned the role of various writing practices as an important part of her research journey. We often tend to think of ‘research’ as data collection and analysis, but in fact the whole research process is both embedded in and wrapped in writing - from the proposal, to the thesis, to the publications, and everything in between.

Whether you are doing the 3^rd yr MBChB Special Study Module, or an undergraduate thesis in the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, or an honours, masters, or PhD, recognising ‘writing’ as an inextricable aspect of research is a important step forward in your development and maturity as a researcher. I sincerely hope that Danica’s reflections on the role of writing during her PhD will serve to inform, motivate, and encourage you along your own research journeys.

 

In part 1 I spoke about the importance of writing your research proposal as it is the master plan for your research project, and part 2 focused on using a research journal to help you stay organized and on-track throughout the research process. Now, let us talk about ‘the write-up’.

Part 3 – “The end”

If I could give just one piece of advice to all researchers, it would be to read and write every day!

I think that most people stress about their dissertation or thesis because they leave it to the end, or once they are done all their data collection and analysis. I would suggest that you actually start at the very beginning and write as you go!

I began “writing” my doctoral thesis within the first month and probably had close to 40 different drafts before I finished. My thesis was a working document and I saw the writing process as a cyclic and iterative task. Any time I had even a rough “chapter” I would send it off to my supervisor for feedback. While I was waiting for feedback I worked on another “chapter”. Rounds and rounds and rounds of this took place over the three-years.

Here are a few practical tips:

• I did not specifically schedule in a time each day to write. Rather, I simply made it a part of my daily routine (or daily lived reality). My “thesis” was pretty much permanently open on my computer, so, every time I opened my laptop there it was, reminding me that it needed to be written.
• With each new article I read (and added to my research journal – see part 2) I would immediately update my literature review with a new sentence and reference.
• After each meeting with my supervisor I would make adjustments to the current version of my thesis, whether it was changing the flow of the argument or restructuring a chapter.
• With each interview I conducted, I would start transcribing it that very day, code it within the week and add it my growing chapter. Data collection and analysis are not so scary if you treat them as a single interview, or single experiment, at a time.
• Set chapter deadlines – especially towards the end of your research journey. This may mean sending off a chapter each month, or every two-weeks, to your supervisor. Agreeing to a regular time-period also helps you get into a solid rhythm.
• Lastly, track your progress. Going into the working document each day, or every week, and seeing the word count grow, is incredibly encouraging.

Doing these small things consistently over the three-year period meant that I was not left to climb that mountain at the end.

Hello fellow writers!

I recall my first encounter with plagiarism as a student during my final year of undergraduate, where I had ‘paraphrased’ ideas from a journal article for an assignment, but was penalised for plagiarising. I couldn’t understand why and, naturally, felt this was unfair because I had signed the plagiarism declaration earlier in the year, so what did I do wrong? I was also afraid to speak up as I felt I had an inability to write. The fear of being expelled as this was my final year of undergraduate was also daunting which shadowed my opportunity to learn from my mistakes.  All I received was a warning from the course convenor to ‘never do it again’, but it was something that would forever shape and change the way I thought of learning how to paraphrase. I have found that we seem to only learn and take notice of phenomena when we experience them first hand, but it was this transformative encounter with plagiarism that I realised I needed to take ownership of my learning and dig deep to understand what plagiarism is. What is paraphrasing? Although I had received all the documents and knew that it was a ‘bad thing’, I hadn’t really engaged with the concepts before and felt I needed to explore it for my own learning and development. As we know plagiarism is not to be taken lightly, but so it is important to understand what it entails, and, more importantly how to avoid it. As I progressed with my postgraduate studies, my curiosity grew until I proactively visited a Writing Centre to help me make sense of these unfamiliar concepts.

So, what is plagiarism? Yes, it is copying and pasting ideas without any acknowledgement of the owner and/or presenting the idea as my own. If we dive deeper, it is about copying the idea and in the manner in which we have read, that is, copying the exact wording without attempting to write it in our own words or style.

But did you know that just changing a few words is also considered plagiarism? To see what I mean more clearly, let’s use a visual example from a 1958 plagiarism case study where architect Bengt Ruda’s armchair design was essentially plagiarized by another company.

The plagiarism case, shows us that even if you make small changes, it cannot be too similar to the original designer. As you can see below, it appears that the chair design was copied and so the designer had to pay a fine for committing plagiarism. It is much like adding synonyms when you want to paraphrase an idea, but the author's expression of that idea is still being presented in the same way. Whilst this can be seen as unintentional plagiarism, it is a form of learning how to paraphrase called patchwriting.

                                            

 

(a) Original armchair design     (b) The so-called court armchair design

Now, when we observe this chair below, you can see that the original idea has been borrowed, but the designer here has applied this idea in a new context, almost ventriloquising to support their design of a longer chair to allow more seating. This is the same approach you need to take when paraphrasing an idea - start with your idea or argument and use author's ideas to strengthen it.

                                         

                                   (c) Attempt at paraphrasing,

This is what we call true paraphrasing as the designer of this chair built on the original idea by architect, Bengt Ruda. We are also working towards the same goal of true paraphrasing which takes time and much practice with effective academic reading practices. Sounds easy, right? As an educator, I have learnt that the reality is that learning how to paraphrase comes with practice and what influences that process is how you have been taught about plagiarism. How you are exposed to this new academic practice matters, and, according to Moxley & Archer (2019) there are three ways in which educators engage and teach plagiarism.

1. Moralism: Portraying plagiarism  “as intentional  dishonesty  and  a  reprehensible  ‘moral  crime’”.
2. Proceduralism: Portraying plagiarism as a regulatory approach and a breach of academic rules and conventions

Whilst these two punitive approaches have their place, educators, unfortunately, reduce current teaching around plagiarism to deliberate intention to plagiarise and are waiting to ‘catch you’. I was exposed to a punitive approach earlier on that made me fearful to speak up and learn. This needs to change from a teaching and learning perspective to both students and educators.

There is hope though, the last third approach, academic literacies, acknowledges the above approaches, but also sees understanding plagiarism as part of learning and development as a writer. Learners need to be socialised with these new practices. As an academic literacies practitioner, we emphasise that in learning these practices, you will make mistakes, but you will also negotiate this new understanding against your own in order to learn and develop as an academic writer. Part of the learning process is to be challenged, to fear the unknown, but this is where guidance and support that helps with this learning becomes imperative so that you can improve and become a confident writer.

I hope that we will shift the way you think about plagiarism by focusing on your own writing practices. 

Until next time, keep on learning and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.

Best wishes,

Taahira Goolam Hoosen

Hello fellow writers! 

In the 1^st instalment, Taahira introduced what plagiarism is and reflected on her first encounter with it, which was punitive. In this 2^nd instalment, I’d like to build on this and share with you some paraphrasing tips. But before I get there, I also want to give you a bit of background on how plagiarism was introduced to me.

I first came across the concept of plagiarism during O-week in first year. It was in one of our compulsory campus sessions, where each sat in front of a computer screen and completed activities on the plagiarism policy. Back in res, we were also allocated academic mentors who gave us strong teachings on the consequences of plagiarism. I recall being told a story, by the mentors, about one of the girls who got academically excluded in the previous year due to her assignment which had “a lot of red markings” and a high report percentage, symbolic of plagiarism. Our seniors also seemed to be familiar with this story and surprisingly they also remembered it from their first year. I did not discern much at that point. I was frightened and all I knew was that I did not ever want to be involved in plagiarism, even though I didn’t know how exactly I’d practically do this.

I also remember taking up a research methodology module in final year, with a research topic that I was not comfortable with. Plagiarism was emphasised again and there was a clear focus on the different types of plagiarism, what not to do and barely anything on what to do right. Terms such as academic theft and dishonesty were familiar. I became apprehensive and unsure of myself whenever I approached academic texts to use in my own writing. I resultantly spent substantial time with the project and submitted it just the day before the due date. Not only did I battle grasping the content of my new topic, I was also working under the uneasy feeling of potentially being penalised in case I plagiarise. I remember re-writing almost every single point down from my readings in an attempt to summarise the main points without missing anything.  I think I called it a mind map summary at that time, but it looked way too busy and I honestly struggled to use it to get an overview. I wanted to write and be safe from plagiarism penalties.

Along my University journey, I’ve had to understand plagiarism more, and also be more open to new ways of doing things. I’ve had to understand that in academia, new ideas are built from already existing ideas. This is similar to customising your own pizza either at home or at a restaurant. The new design is your own idea but uses ingredients from different sources. The flavour that you decide on and the ratio of ingredients may be influenced by your past pizza tastes. So when we read journal articles or textbooks and gain insight, we are basically drawing on other authors’ ideas (ingredients) for knowledge. We then incorporate these ideas in our writing (new pizza) to present as well as support our perspective and reasoning. This practise is allowed.  With such freedom to enjoy, as writers we bear the responsibilities of: 1. Using other authors’  ideas in the correct context, 2. Showing that we understand them by paraphrasing (writing in our own words) and 3. Acknowledging the authors with citations. Here are some paraphrasing tips that I have found useful in my writing:

·         Get a bigger picture first on what exactly the material i.e. prescribed textbook chapter or journal article is about by reading the full-text. Reading the full-text also ensures that you use the extracted ideas in the right context. When reading, pace yourself and don’t rush to making notes on every single detail. Focus on getting a good overall understanding of the content. As you read, you may come across passages that you think will be useful in your writing, note them.  I realise that for my final undergraduate research project, I battled to grasp the content because I would either rush this reading process without gaining a clear understanding of the content or I would right away make notes on every single detail on the article, and therefore struggle to connect the numerous dots for a larger picture.

·         Select the text(s) that you want to incorporate in your writing. Read each passage carefully and highlight the key words to help you identify the main message and also to make connections in other texts. Read the passage multiple times until you feel that you understand it enough to write it in your own words without looking at the original text.

·         Now in your own words (without looking at the original text), paraphrase the text by writing down what you understood on a piece of paper. Think about how you would communicate this idea to someone who is listening to you speak. Rearranging the order of words in a sentence, using synonyms or deleting a few words in the original text does not count as paraphrasing. It is called patchwriting and it’s a form of plagiarism.

·         Trust yourself and be confident about putting your thoughts on paper. I remember being uneasy when I was attempting to write in my own words for the research project. I was unsure whether I had understood the concepts correctly or I was expressing it well enough on paper. Paraphrasing is not an easy task. It requires back and forth attempts until the message is concise. Write for yourself first and give yourself a chance to make mistakes and learn. When you’re ready, ask a peer to read it for meaning.

·         Once you have paraphrased, and incorporated the paraphrased writings in your text, cite the author(s) correctly. A common mistake after paraphrasing is forgetting to include the correct citation. This leads to accidental plagiarism as the author of the original idea is unintentionally not acknowledged.

Thank you for your time fellow writers. I hope you have found valuable information in this piece.

Regards

Silindile Ngcobo