Writing Centre
***The Writing Centre will re-open for Semester 1 on Monday October 4th 2021. Appointment slots open for booking from Monday 27th September.***
Our mission is to help all students become confident and competent writers at third level and beyond.
Please note: support with citing and referencing is provided by the DCU Library.
The Writing Centre offers guidance with academic writing to all undergraduate and postgraduate students through the provision of online writing resources, live workshops and individual appointments. The individual sessions provide students with the opportunity to receive expert advice from a peer tutor. Tutors are studying at PhD level and are trained and supervised by the DCU Student Learning team, who also provide sessions on occasion. Students may visit the Centre during any stage of the writing process: planning an assignment, writing a first draft, or revising and editing a document. Sessions are booked online and are free of charge.
Workshops
Live drop-in Writing Centre workshops open to all DCU students take place throughout semester. Dates and details are available to view on our workshops page here.
Writing Resources
Introduction to Academic Writing
Assignment Writing
Analyse the Question
Brainstorm the Question
Plan your essay
Paragraphs
Introductions
Conclusions
English Literature Essay Writing
Writing a Research Report
Writing a literature review
Case studies
Critical Thinking
Critical Writing
Revising and editing
Reflective writing
Log on to Discover Assignment Writing 24/7 to complete a short interactive course on how to write a clear and focused academic paper.
Log on to Discover Critical Thinking and Writing 24/7 to complete a short interactive course to develop your critical thinking and writing skills.
Essentials of Academic Writing
- Introduction To Academic Writing video
- Key Principles of Academic Writing Infographic
- Academic Language Infographic
- The Passive Voice Infographic
- Using Quotations (University of Toronto: Fair use policy.)
- Paraphrasing e-tutorial
- Paraphrasing infographic
Essays
- Assignment Writing Video
- Assignment Steps infographic
- Analyse the Question infographic
- Essay Question Verbs infographic
- Essay Template
- Paragraph Structure
- Introductions and Conclusions infographic
- Revising and Editing (University of Toronto: Fair Use Policy)
- Assignment Planner infographic
Literature Reviews
- Writing a literature review infographic and accessible version here
- Writing a literature review video
Research Report Writing
- Research Report Writing video
- Research Report Writing Infographic and accessible version available here
Writing for the Sciences
- Sciences (by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, available under CCBY-NC-ND 4.0.
Literature Essay Writing
Critical Thinking & Writing
- Critical Thinking Infographic and accessible version available here
- Critical Writing Infographic and accessible version available here
Reflective Writing
- Reflective writing guide (by University of Salford, available under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
Case studies
Book Review or Article Critique
Annotated Bibliography
- Annotated Bibliography (Olin Library Reference, Research & Learning Services, Cornell University Library, Ithaca, NY, USA. Permission received via Fair Use Policy)
Referencing
Writing Feedback
About the Writing Centre
- For guidance on how to structure an assignment at third level.
- For advice on how to research and read effectively for an assignment.
- To discuss difficulties with specific aspects of writing e.g. introductions, conclusions, essay flow or editing.
- For advice on how to improve writing to move up a grade.
The Writing Centre gathers student feedback after every single appointment. In 2020-21, 298 students provided feedback. Of these, 99% stated that there appointment was either 'excellent' or 'very good'.
Students' comments:
- "The best one to one teaching ever received."
- "Brilliant I went in feeling lost and left feeling so positive. Invaluable advice and (the tutor was) so nice."
- "I found the 'virtual' option extremely handy as I am working full time and studying part time and would struggle to get into DCU for a face to face appointment. The advice given was excellent and I left feeling much more positive and enabled to write my assignment."
- "I feel that my approach to writing has improved dramatically. I came out with a new and improved perspective."
Angelos Bollas
Angelos Bollas - specialist in Arts and Humanities.
Angelos is a PhD student at the School of Applied Language & Intercultural Studies.
Aisling Callan
Aisling Callan - specialist in Humanities and Social Sciences.
Aisling is a PhD student at the School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health.
Beatrice Monciunskaite
Beatrice Monciunskaite - specialist in Law, Humanities and Social Sciences.
Beatrice is a PhD student at the School of Law and Government.
Hannah Millington
Hannah Millington - specialist in Arts and Humanities.
Hannah is a PhD student in the School of Theology, Philosophy and Music.
Conor Scully
Conor Scully - specialist in Social Sciences and Education.
Conor is a PhD student at the Centre for Assessment Research, Policy and Practice in Education.
Alicia Menendez Tarrazo
Dr. Alicia Menendez Tarrazo - specialist in Arts and Humanities.
Alicia is a Student Learning Officer at DCU and coordinates the Glasnevin Campus Writing Centre.
Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy - specialist in Education and Psychology.
Cillian is a Student Learning Officer at DCU and coordinates the St Patrick's Campus Writing Centre.
- Please have ready your assignment brief and a draft of your work.
- The Centre is not a proofreading or editing service but rather works with students to strengthen their abilities as writers and encourages them to become editors of their own work.
- All Writing Centre appointments are currently being offered exclusively online (via video call) due to coronavirus restrictions. This video explains how an online appointment works once you have booked it.
- Appointments are made using any of the booking calendar links below. Check the online calendar to get the latest updates on availability. Appointment slots open 7 days in advance.
- Please reschedule or cancel an appointment well in advance if you cannot attend through the links provided in your confirmation email. Students who repeatedly book and cancel appointments at the last minute will lose booking privileges.
- We advise students to make no more than one appointment per week and a maximum of five per semester. This is to keep the limited number of appointments open to as many students as possible.
Make an Appointment
Online booking system DATA PRIVACY NOTICE.
The Writing Centre will re-open on Monday 4th October 2021. Appointments are available to book one week in advance. Please note that support with citing and referencing is provided by the DCU Library.