scholarly journals Writing the Literature Review: Graduate Student Experiences

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lori Walter ◽  
Jordan Stouck
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Research University ◽  
Graduate Program ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Academic Literacies ◽  
Graduate Degrees

Difficulties with academic writing tasks, such as the literature review, impact students’ timely completion of graduate degrees. A better understanding of graduate students’ perceptions of writing the literature review could enable supervisors, administrators, service providers, and graduate students themselves to overcome these difficulties. This paper presents a case study of graduate students at a secondary campus of a Canadian research university. It describes survey data and results from focus groups conducted between 2014 and 2015 by communications faculty, writing centre staff, and librarians. The focus group participants were Master’s and Doctoral students, including students situated within one discipline and those in interdisciplinary programs. The questions focused on the students’ experiences of writing the literature review as well as the supports both accessed and desired. Data analysis revealed four themes: (a) literature review as a new and fundamental genre; (b) literature review for multiple purposes, in multiple forms, and during multiple stages of a graduate program; (c) difficulties with managing large amounts of information; and (d) various approaches and tools are used for research and writing. Using an academic literacies approach, the paper addresses implications for campus program development and writing centre interventions and furthers research into graduate students’ experiences of writing literature reviews.

Reading routines: strategies of recall in graduate education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Alan Fine ◽  
Hannah Wohl ◽  
Simone Ispa-Landa
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Graduate Program ◽  
Graduate Training ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Note Taking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social

Purpose This study aims to explore how graduate students in the social sciences develop reading and note-taking routines. Design/methodology/approach Using a professional socialization framework drawing on grounded theory, this study draws on a snowball sample of 36 graduate students in the social sciences at US universities. Qualitative interviews were conducted to learn about graduate students’ reading and note-taking techniques. Findings This study uncovered how doctoral students experienced the shift from undergraduate to graduate training. Graduate school requires students to adopt new modes of reading and note-taking. However, students lacked explicit mentorship in these skills. Once they realized that the goal was to enter an academic conversation to produce knowledge, they developed new reading and note-taking routines by soliciting and implementing suggestions from advanced doctoral students and faculty mentors. Research limitations/implications The specific requirements of the individual graduate program shape students’ goals for reading and note-taking. Further examination of the relationship between graduate students’ reading and note-taking and institutional requirements is warranted with a larger sample of universities, including non-American institutions. Practical implications Graduate students benefit from explicit mentoring in reading and note-taking skills from doctoral faculty and advanced graduate students. Originality/value This study uncovers the perspectives of graduate students in the social sciences as they transition from undergraduate coursework in a doctoral program of study. This empirical, interview-based research highlights the centrality of reading and note-taking in doctoral studies.

scholarly journals Impact of writing workshops on doctoral student wellness

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Buckley ◽  
Eli Saetnan ◽  
Amelia Gerber ◽  
Joanna Cheetham ◽  
Thomas Price ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Writing Workshops ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
Thesis Writing

Few interventions addressing student wellbeing have been designed or evaluated specifically with doctoral students in mind despite the doctoral experience being distinct from that of other students. We therefore explore the benefits of interventions designed specifically to address a key source of stress or anxiety for doctoral students, namely thesis writing. This research uses a mixed-methods approach to explore the ways in which doctoral thesis writing support sessions, in the form of writing workshops or writing retreats, can reduce the stress and anxiety associated with thesis writing specifically or academic writing more generally. Firstly, we quantified the reduction in writing related stress and anxiety associated with workshop participation using a survey completed before and after workshop attendance. Subsequently, we gathered student experiences of workshop participation through focus group interviews. Survey responses showed a clear reduction in participants’ levels of stress and anxiety related to thesis writing and focus group respondents described many clear benefits of participating in writing support sessions. We conclude that participation in thesis writing workshops and writing retreats is a valuable strategy for reducing stress and anxiety associated with thesis writing. The sense of empowerment and confidence that comes from discussing thesis writing in a supportive environment with others in the same situation, and the opportunity to experiment with new tools and strategies, is very valuable for improving the wellbeing of doctoral students.

Academic writing essentials: A guide for postgraduate students

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azlina Murad Sani
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Review Paper ◽  
First Language ◽  
Case Analysis ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Postgraduate Level ◽  
Organizational Features

Academic Writing Essentials is a writing reference for masters and doctoral students whose first language is not English.This book will assist you in adjusting to the expectations of writing in English for a higher degree.It offers guidance on strategies and conventions that apply in most forms of postgraduate-level writing. Features: Planning writing, Developing ideas, Integrating sources,Documenting sources, Synthesizing literature, Writing analytically Highlights: Research proposal, Article review, Case analysis report, Literature review paper. Academic Writing Essentials is designed to facilitate self-study.Annotated examples from journal articles, writing frames and simple explanations help you to understand language, style and organizational features, and to apply the knowledge directly in your own writing.

Graduate Students of Color

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Brunsma ◽  
David G. Embrick ◽  
Jean H. Shin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Graduate Student ◽  
Students Of Color ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Graduate Students Of Color ◽  
Graduate Student Success ◽  
Great Stress

The graduate student experience, for many, can be a time of great stress, insecurity, and uncertainty. Overwhelmingly, studies verify that good mentoring is one of the best indicators of graduate student success. In this literature review, we outline in detail previous research that attest to these experiences, and pay specific attention to the experiences of students of color. In general, our read of the literature suggests that academia, in general, and sociology, in particular, does not do a good job of mentoring graduate students of color. We begin our essay with an overview of graduate student experiences. Next, we discuss the mentoring side of the equation, addressing reasons that might explain variations in how students are mentored in higher education. Finally, we end with some thoughts on what faculty and departments can do to address the inadequate mentoring of graduate students of color.

scholarly journals Entering a Community of Writers: The Writing Center, Doctoral Students, and Going Public with Scholarly Writing

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Fry ◽  
Melissa Keith ◽  
Jennifer Gardner ◽  
Amanda Bremner Gilbert ◽  
Amanda Carmona ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Writing Center ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Going Public ◽  
Doctoral Level ◽  
Systematic Effort

In addition to taking advanced courses, graduate students navigate a potentially challenging transition of learning to write for publication. We, the authors, explored solutions to this transition with a study designed to explore the research questions: How does a systematic effort to help doctoral students enter a community of writers via writing center collaboration influence doctoral students’: (1) proficiency with academic writing, (2) writing apprehension, (3) self-efficacy as writers, and (4) comfort with “going public” with their writing? We used a collaborative, multi-layered self-study research approach because it allowed us to focus on critical examination of teaching practices that are of interest to the practitioner/researcher and to the greater educational community. Authors/participants include the co-director of a university Writing Center; two professors of a doctoral-level qualitative research methods course; four doctoral students who participated in a series of writing center collaborations; and one master’s student who served as a writing center consultant. These four perspectives provide unique insights into how writing center collaborations supported graduate students in developing their writing proficiency and efficacy, helping to initiate them into a community of writers who “go public” with their scholarship.

scholarly journals Beyond survey measures: exploring international male graduate students’ sense of belonging in electrical engineering

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Lising Antonio ◽  
Chanwoong Baek
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Research University ◽  
Academic Motivation ◽  
Electrical Engineering ◽  
International Graduate Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Graduate

Purpose Although a student’s sense of belonging is a key factor of persistence in higher education, research on international students’ belonging tends to rely on domain-agnostic survey measures and promote interpretations that focus mainly on social integration and adjustment. This paper aims to examine how male international graduate students in engineering understand and describe their sense of belonging and how they perceive its development at their institution. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted in-depth interviews with 12 male electrical engineering doctoral students at a selective research university in the USA. This interpretive approach allowed students to articulate their subjective understanding of belonging within a specific disciplinary context. Findings Contrary to the broad notion that the social domain is the primary locus of students’ sense of belonging, participants emphasized the academic domain when referring to their struggles with, and attempts to develop, a sense of belonging. Results suggest that the meritocratic culture of engineering education may influence students to prioritize the academic domain when conceptualizing and developing their belonging. Moreover, the strong academic motivation endemic to international students pursuing graduate education at a top American research university intensified this mechanism. Originality/value This study argues that universities seeking to enhance international graduate students’ sense of belonging can be more intentional in providing opportunities for students to establish positive academic identities. Furthermore, addressing students’ non-academic identity and marginalization as relevant and essential topics in engineering will expand their understanding of what means to belong.

Impostor Feelings of Music Education Graduate Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-263
Author(s):  
Wendy L. Sims ◽  
Jane W. Cassidy
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Graduate School ◽  
Graduate Program ◽  
Impostor Phenomenon ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Impostor Feelings

Impostor phenomenon (IP) is the psychological construct used to describe potentially debilitating feelings of fraud and fear of being exposed as a phony in individuals who are actually high achieving and successful. The purpose of this study was to investigate the IP feelings of music education graduate students. A total of 130 master’s and doctoral students completed a survey that included the Clance IP Scale, the Graduate Music Student Scale, and demographic items. Results indicated that impostor feelings were present in a substantial percentage of the participants. Full-time student status was associated with stronger IP responses than part-time status, as was working on the degree face-to-face versus hybrid. More frequent and intense impostor feelings were experienced by females versus males, participants ages 26 to 35, students who were not married or in a committed relationship, and those who were the first in their family to attend graduate school. Master’s and doctoral students’ IP responses were not different, but successive year in the graduate program was associated with stronger impostor feelings. Based on the possible detrimental effects of strong impostor feelings, the findings should raise concern for students, their instructors, and their mentors.

scholarly journals Academic literacies twenty years on: a community-sourced literature review

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Hilsdon ◽  
Cathy Malone ◽  
Alicja Syska
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Academic Literacies ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Learning Development ◽  
Professional Fields

In 1998, the paper ‘Student writing in higher education: an academic literacies approach’ by Mary Lea and Brian Street reinvigorated debate concerning ‘what it means to be academically literate’ (1998, p.158). It proposed a new way of examining how students learn at university and introduced the term ‘academic literacies’. Subsequently, a body of literature has emerged reflecting the significant theoretical and practical impact Lea and Street’s paper has had on a range of academic and professional fields. This literature review covers articles selected by colleagues in our professional communities of the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE), the association for lecturers in English for Academic Purposes (BALEAP), and the European Association of Teachers of Academic Writing (EATAW). As a community-sourced literature review, this text brings together reviews of wide range of texts and a diverse range of voices reflecting a multiplicity of perspectives and understandings of academic literacies. We have organised the material according to the themes: Modality, Identity, Focus on text, Implications for research, and Implications for practice. We conclude with observations relevant to these themes, which we hope will stimulate further debate, research and professional collaborations between our members and subscribers.

scholarly journals The Degree of the Graduate Students' usage of the Internet in Scientific Research from their Perspectives at the Jordanian Universities

2021 ◽  
pp. 35-48
Author(s):  
Alqudah, Khalid ◽  
H. Omush, Rana
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Graduate Program ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Team Research ◽  
Training Courses

This study aimed at identifying the degree of graduate students' usage of the internet in scientific research from their perspectives at the Jordanian universities. The researchers used the survey method and developed the instrument of the study, a questionnaire consisted of (40) items. Its validity and reliability were confirmed. The questionnaire was distributed to the sample which consisted of (440) students from Jordanian universities. The findings revealed that students' usage of the internet in scientific research and in identifying statement of the problem was at a medium degree; and their usage of the internet was high in preparing the chapter of the literature review and previous studies and in publishing scientific research papers, too and low in conducting team research. The results indicated that there are statistical significant differences attributed to gender on the four domains in favor of the females. No statistical significant differences were indicated attributed to the type of the college (scientific, literary) on the four domains of the instrument. The results also indicated that there are significant statistical differences attributed to the graduate program level in favor of the doctoral students.. The conclusion emphasized the necessity to hold training courses for the graduate students in the usage of the internet and data bases in scientific research.

scholarly journals Writing Goes Back to School: Exploring the “Institutional Practice of Mystery” in a Graduate Education Program

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosamund K Stooke ◽  
Kathryn Hibbert
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Graduate Education ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Academic Literacies ◽  
Extreme Stress ◽  
Writing Practices ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Writing Pedagogies ◽  
Pedagogical Framework

Drawing on a qualitative case study of writing practices and pedagogies in one Canadian graduate Education program, this article discusses roles and responsibilities of course instructors for teaching and supporting academic writing at the master’s level. Data were collected through individual, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 14 graduate students and eight professors and they were analyzed thematically. The discussion is framed by the academic literacies pedagogical framework (ACLITS). The data suggest that academic writing expectations can be sources of extreme stress for graduate students. The students and instructors lacked a common language to discuss student texts. In the absence of explicit academic writing pedagogies, students and instructors sometimes turned to simplistic advice received at school. The paper also discusses pedagogical challenges associated with the teaching of disciplinary writing genres in multi-perspectival fields such as Curriculum Studies. Dans cet article, basé sur une étude de cas qualitative de pratiques et de pédagogies de rédaction menée dans un programme universitaire d’éducation de cycle supérieur dans une université canadienne, il est question des rôles et des responsabilités des instructeurs concernant l’enseignement et les travaux de rédaction universitaire de soutien au niveau de la maîtrise. Les données ont été recueillies à partir d’entrevues individuelles approfondies, semi structurées, auprès de 14 étudiants de cycle supérieur et de huit professeurs. Les entrevues ont ensuite été analysées de manière thématique. La discussion se place dans le cadre pédagogique des littéracies universitaires (ACLITS - Academic Literacies Pedagogical Framework). Les données suggèrent que les attentes en matière de travaux de rédaction universitaire peuvent être des sources de stress extrême pour les étudiants de cycle supérieur. Les étudiants et les instructeurs n’ont pas de langue commune pour discuter les textes produits par les étudiants. En l’absence de pédagogies explicites en matière de travaux de rédaction universitaire, les étudiants et les instructeurs se tournent parfois vers des avis simplistes obtenus à l’école. Cet article présente également les défis pédagogiques associés à l’enseignement des genres disciplinaires de travaux de rédaction dans des domaines qui présentent des perspectives multiples tels que les études du curriculum.

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