‘These kids can't write abstracts’: reflections on a postgraduate writing and publishing workshop

Abstract

There has been a lack of attention given – in both academic literature and in research training – to providing graduate students with the necessary knowledge and skills to write for publication. The aim of this article is to explore our experiences of participating in a three-day residential postgraduate writing and publishing workshop that was designed to address skills provision in these terms. We reflect upon three specific issues in particular: demystifying the writing and publishing process, being mentored in a multidisciplinary context, and the politics and practices of co-authorship. The benefits of our participation in this workshop included increased confidence in writing, gaining the tools for navigating the publishing process, and personal and professional development as writers and scholars. We conclude by proposing that residential writing and publishing workshops might usefully be made available to a broader range of graduate students.