Group learning initiatives
Macquarie University hosts several Research Writing Groups (RWG) for graduate research students of different interests and levels of experience.
Participating in a RWG is an excellent way to:
- improve your academic literacy
- increase your ability to read critically and peer review
- keep motivated in your research writing.
Each RWG is tailored to the needs of its members in terms of meeting frequency and duration, and group size and composition. RWGs are facilitated initially by a Graduate Research Development Advisor, and later become self-sustaining. Participants of writing groups should be courteous, constructive and respectful in their feedback.
If you’d like to start or join a RWG with other graduate research students in your department, email gr.development@mq.edu.au.
Join an existing RWG
Several research writing groups exist, catering to PhD and MRes candidates at different stages. Candidates can join a Science, Social Science, or Humanities research writing group. Most of the groups are run online via Zoom, and the groups usually meet fortnightly to share feedback on one candidate's draft, circulated beforehand.
To join one of these groups, email gr.development@mq.edu.au with “Request to join a research writing group” as the subject line. Provide your name, degree (PhD, MPhil or MRes), year of candidature, and department in the body of the email.
Create your own RWG
If you’re interested in convening your own RWG and would like to call out for fellow graduate research students, email gr.development@mq.edu.au.
If you wish to create an online RWG, you should access our RWG toolkit to help you set up and maintain your RWG. You might also be interested in PhD accountability groups.