Developing Research Writing: A Handbook for Supervisors and Advisors

278 Pages·2018·3.63 MB·English

by  Susan Carter (Editor)

Developing Research Writing
Developing Research Writing is designed to encourage, inspire and improve
the advisory practice of providing writing feedback. This book provides
insights and advice that supervisors can use to advance their support of
their research students’ writing, and at the same time, survive increasing
supervisory demands.
Book parts are framed by empirical supervisor and doctoral student
experiences and chapters within each part provide multiple approaches.
The carefully chosen contributors are specialists on research writing and
doctoral pedagogy, who guide the reader through the key stages of providing
feedback. Split into nine key parts, the book covers:
• starting a new supervision with writing in focus;
• making use of other resources along the way;
• encouraging style through control of language;
• writing feedback on English as an Additional Language (EAL) writing;
• Master’s and Honours smaller projects’ writing feedback;
• thesis by publication or performance-based writing;
• maintaining and gathering momentum;
• keeping the examiner happy;
• writing feedback as nudging through identity transition.
The parts cohere into a go-to handbook for developing the supervision
process. Drawing on research, literature and experience, Developing Research
Writing offers well-theorized, yet practical and grounded advice conducive
to good practices.
Susan Carter is Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Learning and Research in
Higher Education (CLeaR), University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Deborah Laurs is Senior Learning Advisor in Student Learning Te Taiako,
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Developing Research Writing
A Handbook for Supervisors
and Advisors
Edited by
Susan Carter and
Deborah Laurs
First published 2018
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2018 selection and editorial matter, Susan Carter and Deborah Laurs;
individual chapters, the contributors.
The right of the editors to be identified as the authors of the editorial material,
and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance
with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying
and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice:Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification
and explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-1-138-68814-8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-68815-5 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-54198-3 (ebk)
Typeset in Palatino
by Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon, UK
Contents
List of illustrations x
Who we are: contributors’ biographical details xi
Editors xi
Chapter authors xi
Acknowledgements xix
Introduction: opening the books on research writing
feedback 1
Susan Carter and Deborah Laurs
PARTI
Starting a new supervision with writing in focus 7
Edited by Susan Carter
1 The relationship between reading, thinking and writing
the literature review component of a doctoral
confirmation proposal 9
John Bitchener
2 Settling students into a community of practice 17
Vijay Kumar and Elke Stracke
3 Framing feedback expectations: a ‘pedagogy of
explicitness’ 23
Barbara M. Grant and Linlin Xu
4 Setting up frameworks 30
Anne Lee
vi Contents
PARTII
Making use of other resources along the way 41
Edited by Deborah Laurs
5 The role of tertiary learning advisors in successful
doctoral completion 43
Deborah Laurs
6 Making the implicit explicit: generic writing workshops 46
E. Marcia Johnson and Andrea Haines
7 Peer writing groups 51
Cally Guerin and Claire Aitchison
8 Online thesis-writing resources 56
Inger Mewburn and Pat Thomson
PARTIII
Encouraging style through control of language 63
Edited by Susan Carter
9 Giving feedback on grammar and style 65
Helen Sword
10 Giving early feedback to doctoral writers 71
Rachael Cayley
11 How to improve your advisees’ writing permanently
—in 30 minutes 77
George D. Gopen
PARTIV
Writing feedback on English as an Additional
Language (EAL) writing 87
Edited by Susan Carter
12 Written feedback typically provided on L2 students’
chapter drafts 89
John Bitchener
Contents vii
13 Five approaches to supporting students writing in
English as an additional language 96
Anne Lee
14 Feeding back on research writing: New Zealand
supervisors’ priorities with an L2 focus 102
Martin East
PARTV
Master’s and Honours smaller projects’ writing
feedback 109
Edited by Susan Carter
15 Supervising master’s/honours: a project management
approach to researcher development 111
Juliet Lum
16 Directive feedback in honours or master’s degree
research 119
Liz Beddoe and Jane Maidment
17 Effective supervision of master’s researchers in
professional contexts 125
Sandra Nicol and Sarah C. Cornelius
PARTVI
Thesis by publication or performance-based writing 133
Edited by Susan Carter
18 Feedback from journal reviewers: writing a thesis
by publication 136
Cally Guerin
19 Supervising a thesis that includes publications 139
Sharon Sharmini
20 Finding my voice(s) in the creative arts thesis 143
Barbara Bolt
viii Contents
PARTVII
Maintaining and gathering momentum 151
Edited by Susan Carter
21 Writing methodically: teaching students by our words
and deeds 153
Paul J. Silvia
22 Writing prolifically 158
Rowena Murray
23 Strategies for helping students through writer’s block 164
Susan Carter
PARTVIII
Keeping the examiner happy 171
Edited by Deborah Laurs
24 Helping students demonstrate mastery of doctoral
Threshold Concepts 173
Gina Wisker and Margaret Kiley
25 Building bulwarks: defence in thesis writing 178
Susan Carter
26 What examiners value in a PhD 184
Sue Starfield
PARTIX
Writing feedback as nudging through identity
transition 191
Edited by Susan Carter
27 Writing an identity into being 193
Claire Aitchison
28 Negotiating agency through authorial voice in thesis
writing 198
Alet P. Olivier
Contents ix
29 Cultural identity/researcher identity: managing multiple
positionings 204
Deborah Laurs, Lisa Chant, Susan Carter and
’Ema Wolfgramm-Foliaki
30 The SISA matrix for feedback fostering doctoral students’
creativity 210
Eva M. Brodin and B. Liezel Frick
31 Managing those haunting voices: a student and supervisor
in dialogue 219
Tai Peseta and Sarah Barradell
32 Thinking rhetorically: A pragmatic approach to texts 224
Anthony Paré
Conclusion 232
Susan Carter and Deborah Laurs
Bibliography 233
Index 255