Spring 2014 Writing and Research Workshops

The Graduate Writing Center offers a wide variety of writing workshops, ranging from general to more specialized topics, such as academic genres, writing in certain disciplinary areas, or writing English as a Second Language. We also provide information on workshops and services from selected campus offices that provide assistance with research, data management, and data analysis. Special thanks to our campus programming partners: the UCLA Library, Writing Programs, the Institute for Digital Research and Education, Counseling and Psychological Services, and the Career Center.

General Writing Workshops

Strategies for Writing Time-Limited Exams
Erin Brown, History
This workshop will cover strategies for preparing and writing comprehensive master's and PhD exams. Strategies for both on-campus and take-home exams will be discussed. People who have trouble with timed writing exams for classes may also benefit from this workshop.
Thursday, April 3rd, 5:10-6:45pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)

Writing the Fulbright Hays Fellowship Application
Marilyn Gray, Graduate Writing Center Coordinator
Isamara Ramirez, Graduate Division Fellowship Services
This workshop will cover strategies for writing the Fulbright Hays fellowship application. We will discuss the structure and content of key documents using examples. We will cover writing tips for fellowship applications as well as specific advice for the Fulbright Hays.
Two times (same workshop):
Friday, April 11th, 12:00-1:40pm
Thursday, April 17th, 5:10-6:50pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)

An Introduction to Publishing Journal Articles
Lauren Krogh, Psychology
Carole Yue, Psychology
Thinking about preparing an article manuscript for submission? Based on Wendy Belcher's workbook, Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks, this workshop will focus on the aspects of the process of getting an article published that most differ from other graduate writing projects, such as selecting appropriate journals and interacting with editors. We will discuss how to structure an article as well as the writing and revision process.
Tuesday, April 22nd, 5:10-6:50pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)

UCLA IRB Review: Policy and Procedures
Paul Lillig, UCLA Office of the Human Research Protections Program (OHRPP)
This workshop will provide an overview of the UCLA IRB application process and related policies and procedures.
Wednesday, April 30th, 12:00-12:45pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)

Writing Successful Grant and Fellowship Applications
Sarah Al-Hiyari, Oral Biology, NIH fellowship recipient
Lauren Krogh, Psychology, NSF GRF recipient
Pauline Lewis, History, Fulbright fellowship recipient
This workshop focuses on strategies for writing effective applications for grants and fellowships to support graduate study and research, especially for students seeking doctorates and research MAs. The workshop also covers tips for organizing the process. Finally, the workshop addresses briefly a few major funding opportunities for graduate students, including the NSF and NIH fellowships.
Thursday, May 1st, 5:10-6:45pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)

How to Write an Abstract: Concrete Recommendations
Matt Knauff, Philosophy
This session will help any graduate student write the abstracts required for journal articles, conference papers, and fellowship applications. We will consider the elements of convincing abstracts in various disciplines. Then, you will assemble your own abstract, piece by piece. For speakers of other languages, strategies for English-language abstracts will be analyzed. If possible, please bring a draft of your article or paper for this hands-on workshop.
Tuesday, May 6th, 5:10-6:50pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)

Editing for Style: How to Improve Your Writing
Stacey Meeker, Information Studies; GSA Director of Publications
I've been told that my writing is "dense" and "passive" and that my sentences don't "flow." How can I fix these problems? This hands-on workshop will cover strategies for improving writing at the sentence level. We will look at common problems like the overuse of weak verbs, passive voice, and nominalizations as well as offer specific tips to strengthen clarity and cohesion. Please bring a hard copy of your own work, at least 5-10 double-spaced pages (more is fine).
Friday, May 9th, 12:00-1:45pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)

Writing the Personal Statement
Rebecca Hill, English
Matthew Knauff, Philosophy
This workshop will cover strategies for writing personal statements for fellowship applications, internships, and Ph.D. programs. Among other topics, we will discuss organization, introductions and conclusions, and use of examples. Students from all schools and departments are welcome to attend. If you are currently working on a personal statement, we encourage you to bring your draft to the workshop.
Friday, May 16th, 1:30-3:00pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)

Writing the Fulbright U.S. Fellowship Application
Marilyn Gray, Graduate Writing Center Coordinator
Rocio Flores, Graduate Division Fellowship Services
This workshop will cover strategies for writing the Fulbright U.S. fellowship application. We will discuss the structure and content of key documents using examples. We will address writing tips for fellowship applications as well as specific advice for this Fulbright fellowship.
Thursday, June 5th, 5:10-6:45pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)

Dissertation and Proposal/Prospectus Workshops

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Filing Workshop
Graduate Division
Come and learn about the electronic filing process and requirements as well as the formatting guide. We will cover the filing steps, common mistakes and tips for making the process go smoothly. Bring your questions.
Monday, May 12th, 5:00-5:45pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
Click here for webinar version

Getting Started on the Dissertation: How to Get Going and Keep Going
Marilyn Gray, Graduate Writing Center Coordinator
This workshop gives an overview of organization, time management, writing process issues and writing strategies. Recommended for people in the early stages of the dissertation, but useful for all stages.
Tuesday, May 20th, 5:10-7:00pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)

Humanities Writing Workshops

Social Sciences Writing Workshops

Preparing a Conference Paper: PowerPoint Presentations in the Social Sciences
Daniel Lim, Political Science
This workshop will focus on techniques for outlining, building, and presenting an effective 10-20 minute oral/video (e.g., PowerPoint) presentation as typically presented in the social sciences. We will discuss strategies including converting a written paper into an oral presentation, effectively using limited time, and incorporating multimedia elements into a presentation.
Thursday, April 10th, 5:10-6:45pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)

Science and Engineering Writing Workshops

ESL Workshops

Email Etiquette for the Job-Seeker
Adrienne Lynett, Applied Linguistics
Precious Robinson, UCLA Career Center
As a graduate student, you will write many emails in the service of finding a job--emails that request informational interviews, set up interviews, and follow up on interviews. This workshop, which is designed for graduate students who speak English as a second or foreign language, will break down the language necessary to make polite requests over email. It will also cover basic email etiquette and include opportunities to edit real example emails written by graduate students
Friday, April 25th, 12:00-1:45pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)

Statistical Software Workshops and Consultation

Current and former workshops : http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/seminars/default.htm

Upcoming 2014 R User conference at UCLA: http://user2014.stat.ucla.edu/

For walk-in consulting information, Stat books for loan, and the most up-to-date listing of seminars, please see the Statistical Consulting Services web page of the Institute for Digital Research and Education. The Statistical Consulting Services also keep an extensive archive of past workshops.

Research Workshops

Research Workshops
Click the link below for a current listing of research workshops offered by the UCLA Library:
http://www.library.ucla.edu/service/research-workshops

Research Guides
Online research guides link to key resources and reference books for certain courses and disciplines. Subject guides, course guides, and general research guides are available.

Research Appointments
Graduate students are encouraged to contact the Library's subject specialists for more specialized and personalized assistance with research, library resources, and subject databases; find a complete list of all subject specialists here.

Copyright Questions
Contact the Library's copyright experts for assistance with copyright, publishing, intellectual property, and other related issues at copyright@library.ucla.edu.

To see the most current schedule of UCLA Library workshops, consult the UCLA Library seminar page.