Research writing is more than a technical skill; it's a process of developing your scholarly identity and voice within your discipline. Our Writing Spaces are designed to support that process through structured, collaborative, and reflective practice.
For Research Writers
To support your development, we invite you to join our MS Teams Writing Group (1), which offers weekly research, reading, and writing tips and guides. Taahira hosts a weekly Shut Up & Write (2) and Writers' Circles (3).
What is the Shut Up & Write space? Based on the Pomodoro technique for getting things done, we write in short protective bursts of 30-40 minutes (x2-3) to get some writing done together.
Read The Thesis Whisper's blog post 1 | Shut Up & Write 2
What are Writers' Circles? A collaborative space to share your writing and get constructive feedback - it provides an opportunity to clarify your thinking and writing about your arguments.
Read Chihota & Thesen 2014: Rehearsing the 'Postgraduate Condition' in Writers' Circles
Read Busby & Malone 2023: Writing Circles: developing learner self-efficacy and agency through peer review activities.
These collaborative spaces offer not only protected time but a space to navigate the necessary writing challenges and discomfort in developing confidence as disciplinary writers.
Our Writing Spaces are informed by our ongoing research into postgraduate academic literacies, authorial voice and identity development in the health sciences.
Scholarship & Research
Research Writing Resources
UCT-based:
- CHED Writing Pathways courses - See Events and Opportunities
- Bongani Mayosi Health Sciences Library — literature searching support
- UCT Postgraduate Hub
- Office for Postgraduate Studies and Researcher Development
- Office of Research Integrity
External resources we love!
- The Thesis Whisperer
- Pat Thomson's Patter blog
- Rhodes University - Enhancing Postgraduate Environments
- PhD in a 100 steps blog
- Caroline Dale - the Thesis Coach
- African Doctoral Academy (SU)
- Doctoral Writing - blog
What our writers say....
"[The SUW] keeps you accountable to meet your writing goals."
MSc candidate
"Provides a sense of discipline in developing productive writing habits."
PhD candidate
"Allows you to receive and practice providing constructive feedback to peers who are on a similar journey."
MSc candidate
"Provides protective time to work on your writing goals, especially when you have competing interests at university."
MSc candidate
"Helps with procrastination and intimidation when tackling long pieces of writing such as the thesis or proposal."
PhD candidate
"It is a safe space to explain or clarify ideas and arguments."
PhD candidate