Spring 2015 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 other campus offices that provide assistance to graduate students. 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
Writing the Personal Statement
Rebecca Hill, English
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.
Thursday, April 16th, 5:30-7:00pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
Introduction to Grant Writing in the Nonprofit Sector
Will Clark, English, Former Nonprofit Grant Writer for foundation and state of California grants
Timothy Williamson, Psychology, Former Grant Writer for 501(C)3 nonprofit organizations in public health
The grant writing workshop will cover best practices and strategies for securing funds in the nonprofit sector. Topics of discussion will include methods by which to determine funding opportunities, strategies for building long-term relationships with funders, practices for reporting on successes and opportunities during a funding period, budgeting, and more. The goals of this workshop are to introduce graduate students to the nonprofit funding environment and to translate skills learned in graduate school into non-academic contexts.
Thursday, April 23rd, 5:10-6:45pm
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 15th, 12:00-1:45pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
Workshops on Writing Grants and Fellowships
Writing the Fulbright-Hays Fellowship Application
Marilyn Gray, Graduate Writing Center Director
Estevan Hernandez, 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):
Thursday, April 2nd, 5:10-6:50pm
Tuesday, April 14th, 5:10-6:50pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
Introduction to Grant Writing in the Nonprofit Sector
Will Clark, English, Former Nonprofit Grant Writer for foundation and state of California grants
Timothy Williamson, Psychology, Former Grant Writer for 501(C)3 nonprofit organizations in public health
The grant writing workshop will cover best practices and strategies for securing funds in the nonprofit sector. Topics of discussion will include methods by which to determine funding opportunities, strategies for building long-term relationships with funders, practices for reporting on successes and opportunities during a funding period, budgeting, and more. The goals of this workshop are to introduce graduate students to the nonprofit funding environment and to translate skills learned in graduate school into non-academic contexts.
Thursday, April 23rd, 5:10-6:45pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
Writing the Fulbright U.S. Fellowship Application
Pauline Lewis, History, Fulbright Recipient
Mikelle Nickens, 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.
Tuesday, May 12th, 5:10-6:50pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
Writing Successful Grant and Fellowship Applications (Humanities and Social Sciences Focus)
Pauline Lewis, Fulbright Recipient, Graduate Writing Center Consultant
Cherie Francis, Graduate Division Fellowships and Financial Services
This workshop will first briefly review funding opportunities for graduate students in humanities, social sciences, and related fields. The workshop will then focus 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 will also cover tips for organizing the application process.
Thursday, May 28th, 5:10-7:00pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
Writing Successful Grant and Fellowship Applications (Sciences and Engineering Focus)
Lauren Krogh Slone, NSF GRF Recipient, Graduate Writing Center Consultant
Cherie Francis, Graduate Division Fellowships and Financial Services
This workshop will first briefly review funding opportunities for graduate students in sciences and engineering. The workshop will then focus 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 will also cover tips for organizing the application process.
Friday, May 29th, 12:00-1:50pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
Dissertation and Proposal/Prospectus Workshops
Getting Started on the Dissertation: How to Get Going and Keep Going
Marilyn Gray, Graduate Writing Center Director
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 19th, 5:10-6:50pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
Humanities Writing Workshops
Conference Proposals and Presentations in the Humanities
Rebecca Hill, English
The purpose of this workshop is to present strategies for writing a conference paper, from A to Z, from deciphering a call for papers to writing a proposal to transforming an already existing document or starting your presentation from scratch. We will discuss different methods for preparing an engaging and substantive oral presentation, including various technological aids you may want to use, as well as methods to prepare for round-table and Q&A formats.
Thursday, May 7th, 5:10-7:00pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
An Introduction to Publishing Journal Articles (Humanities)
Renee Hudson, English
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.
Thursday, June 4th, 5:10-6:50pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
Social Sciences Writing Workshops
Preparing a Conference Poster in the Social Sciences
Anne Blackstock-Bernstein, Education
This workshop will cover strategies for designing and presenting conference posters. We will examine various template styles, discuss expected content, and review tips for orally presenting your poster. We will also identify various campus resources for printing posters.
Thursday, April 9th, 5:10-6:15pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
Conference Proposals and Presentations in the Social Sciences
Anne Blackstock-Bernstein, Education
This workshop will cover strategies for preparing conference proposals/abstracts and for presenting papers orally at conferences. We will address the expected content of a submission as well as the structure and aesthetics of typical 10-20 minute presentations. We will specifically focus on using PowerPoint as a platform.
Rescheduled: Thursday, May 14th, 5:10-7:00pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
An Introduction to Publishing Journal Articles (Sciences and Social Sciences)
Lauren Slone, 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 also discuss strategies for revising articles for a target journal.
Tuesday, June 2nd, 5:10-6:50pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
Science and Engineering Writing Workshops
Preparing a Conference Poster in the Sciences
Katelyn Caslavka, Biochemistry
This workshop will cover strategies for preparing and presenting a poster at conferences. We will address how to write an abstract for a poster presentation and general content and structure of presented posters. We will also discuss how to use PowerPoint to format a poster.
Tuesday, April 21st, 5:10-6:15pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
Conference Proposals and Presentations in the Sciences
Katelyn Caslavka, Biochemistry
This workshop will cover strategies for presenting at conferences. We will address how to effectively prepare the abstract, figures, and PowerPoint slides as well as appropriate structure, content, and format for a conference presentation. We will specifically discuss the 10-minute talk format and how that structure can also be adapted for longer talks.
Tuesday, May 5th, 5:10-7:00pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
An Introduction to Publishing Journal Articles (Sciences and Social Sciences)
Lauren Slone, 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 also discuss strategies for revising articles for a target journal.
Tuesday, June 2nd, 5:10-6:50pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
ESL Workshops
Email Etiquette for the Job-Seeker
Alexandra Verini, English
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 10th, 12:00-1:45pm
Location: Conference Room 4, Student Activities Center (basement level)
Self-Editing Strategies for Non-Native Speakers of English
Alexandra Verini, English
This workshop will provide concrete strategies and online tools to enable non-native speakers of English to make appropriate vocabulary choices and approach issues like article and preposition usage in their own writing projects.
Friday, May 1st, 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
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
Click the link below for more information about the research and teaching support offered by the UCLA Library: http://www.library.ucla.edu/support
DISSERTATION WRITE NIGHT
Do you ever wish writing a dissertation weren’t quite so solitary a process? Do you sometimes think you could get more accomplished if you could just get out of your apartment? If so, then Dissertation Write Night might be just what you’re looking for!
During the winter quarter of 2015 the UCLA Library will hold a weekly writing night for graduate students. This is a place to bring whatever you’re working on (dissertation, master’s thesis, article, class paper, etc.) and write in a quiet, relaxed setting in the company of others who are engaged in similar projects.
You don't have to come to every session; there are no expectations for what you’ll produce. Just bring yourself and your laptop. You'll be surprised to discover how invigorating writing in a communal setting can be. And you'll be amazed at how much you get done.
When: Thursday nights, 7-9:30 PM / January 8 through March 12, 2015
Where: Presentation Room, room 11348, Young Research Library
(down the hall to the left of the circulation desk)
Refreshments will be provided.
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.