Whether you're just beginning a master's degree program or you're an advanced doctoral candidate, or maybe you're in your second year of a post-doc position at OU, the Writing Center has services to help you excel in your writing and achieve your writing goals.
The Writing Center offers five main types of services for Graduate Writers and Post-Docs:
Read through the descriptions below to learn more about how the Writing Center can help you.
Our appointments are available to all students at OU as well as to post-docs. One-on-one consultations are a great way to ask questions about and get help with concerns you have about your own individual writing. Consultants can provide feedback as you embark on a new research report or journal article submission, or they can provide feedback on projects you are preparing for graduate coursework. Although consultants may not be experts in your field, they are expert readers who can assess the organization, flow, coherence, and overall message of any piece of writing.
Note: Consultants are not available to help with your comprehensive or qualifying exams. For all disciplines except Human Relations, Writing Center consultants cannot help with comprehensive exams without written permission from the advising professor or committee chair. The advisor or committee chair may email the Writing Center to provide their consent for assistance. They should specify what type of help they approve (e.g., assistance with citations and formatting, feedback on organization and content, feedback on grammar or sentence structure), as well as the name of the student seeking assistance. Academic integrity matters.
Many of our events provide skills and advice on topics that may be helpful to new or returning graduate students. These topics can range from citation style resources, to specific genres of academic writing, to grammar and mechanics.
The Writing Center offers several events each semester specific to the needs of graduate writers and post-docs. Some of these events also run during the summer months of June and July. Events include:
Be sure to check our calendar for updated event dates and times.
The Writing Center offers writing resources for use by everyone. Some resources focus on grammar-related topics while others focus on larger writing issues. Downloadable (PDF) resources include:
Head to our YouTube Channel for captioned video content on writing-related topics as well. We have video tutorials on:
Extended Read Appointments are remote, asynchronous consultations available for projects that require more time than a traditional 25- or 45-minute appointment. These consultations are especially useful when you have specific questions or concerns about the piece of writing that the consultant can answer in writing.
The Writing Center offers various writing groups for graduate students and post-docs each fall and spring. Depending upon availability, groups may also be available in the summer.
Writing groups foster collaboration and conversation around writing and research, supporting students through their major writing projects. Groups provide a space for interdisciplinary conversations to enrich our understanding of academic research and writing. These groups are led by an OU faculty member or a graduate writing consultant.
Different types of groups may be offered each semester. Consult with our website or social media to learn which type of group is currently available.
Interdisciplinary writing groups are designed for graduate students and post-docs in any academic program. These groups provide dedicated writing time and give participants a chance to learn more about their own writing process.
Are you interested in working with your peers to hold each other accountable for your writing goals? Consider creating an accountability writing group!
This guide offers step-by-step instructions that anyone can use to establish their own acountability writing group. These groups can be based on a variety of factors, and can be built to suit your specific needs.
If you create your own accountability writing group, please let us know! You can fill out the form below to provide the Writing Center with your contact information. While we cannot offer to help facilitiate regular meetings for each group, we will check in with you during the semester to see how things are going and to offer assistance.
Are you juggling motherhood and graduate school responsibilities?
This writing group will provide support and dedicated writing time for graduate students balancing their academic work with the demands and responsibilities of motherhood.
Are you juggling fatherhood and graduate school responsibilities?
This writing group will provide support and dedicated writing time for graduate students balancing their academic work with the demands and responsibilities of fatherhood.
Are you in year 6 or beyond of your doctoral work? Are you working on drafting and revising your dissertation? Are you feeling like you could use support and motivation to complete your writing? If you thought "Yes!" to any of these questions, then this writing group is for you!
This writing group will provide support and dedicated writing time for graduate students who are in their sixth (6th) or further year of their graduate program. Topics will include: overcoming writing anxiety, setting SMART writing goals, creating writing timelines and deadlines, overcoming imposter syndrome, and more.
