Writing Centre

Upcoming online writing workshops open to all (note: subject to change, please check back regularly):

• Essentials of Academic Writing: Wednesday 3rd February, 5-6 pm. Details and registration.
• Literature Review Writing: Monday 8th February, 1-2 pm. Details and registration.
• Assignment Writing: Wednesday 24th February, 5-6 pm. Details and registration.
• Critical Writing: Monday 1st March, 5-6 pm. Details and registration.
• Reflective Writing: Thursday 11th March, 1-2 pm. Details and registration.
• Assignment Writing: Thursday 18th March, 1-2 pm. Details and registration.
• Critical Writing: Thursday 25th March, 1-2 pm. Details and registration.
• Reflective Writing: Tuesday 30th March, 5-6 pm. Details and registration.

Videos are available below for any students who cannot attend these live sessions.

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)
• Paraphrasing e-tutorial
• Paraphrasing infographic

Essays

• Assignment Writing Video
• Assignment Steps infographic
• Analyse the Question infographic
• Essay Question Verbs infographic and accessible version available here
• Essay Template
• Paragraph Structure
• Introductions and Conclusions infographic
• Signposting
• Revising and Editing (University of Toronto)
• Assignment Planner infographic

Literature Reviews

• How To Write a Literature Review video
• Writing a Literature Review infographic and accessible version available here

Research Report Writing

• Research Report Writing video
• Research Report Writing Infographic and accessible version available here
  

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Writing for the Sciences

• Scientific Writing video
• Scientific Writing Infographic and accessible version available here
  

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Writing for Law Students

• A guide to answering problem questions (University of Limerick)
• A guide to answering law essay questions (University of Limerick)

Literature Essay Writing

• Literature Essay Writing video
• Literature Essay Writing Infographic

Critical Thinking & Writing

• Critical Thinking video
• Critical Thinking Infographic and accessible version available here
• Critical Writing video
• Critical Writing Infographic and accessible version available here

Reflective Writing

• Reflective Writing video
• Reflective Writing Infographic

Book Review or Article Critique

• Book Review or Article Critique Infographic

Annotated Bibliography

• Annotated Bibliography (University of Leeds)

Referencing

• DCU Library Citing and Referencing

Writing Feedback

• Writing Feedback video

• 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 2019-20, 92.2% of students rated their appointment as 'excellent'.

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."

• 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.

Appointments are booked using the You Can Book Me and Zoom online platforms. You Can Book Me is an online calendar service which allows you to book an appointment using a self-service option. Zoom is a video conferencing platform. You Can Book me and Zoom integrate to provide an automated booking system that generates online video-call appointment links for users. This service is optional. You can also book an appointment by contacting our service directly at: student.learning@dcu.ie

By using the online booking service, you are consenting to You Can Book Me and Zoom processing your personal data on behalf of DCU Student Support & Development (a unit within Dublin City University, which is the local Data Controller). Personal data that you submit to DCU Student Support & Development using You Can Book Me and Zoom will be used only for the purpose of booking your appointment and, if necessary, contacting you in regards to that appointment. 

The categories of personal data processed by You Can Book Me and Zoom are: name; email address; student number; mobile phone number; summary of your query. Personal data which is processed by You Can Book Me is processed in the United States, subject to binding terms and conditions which comply with EU legal requirements (GDPR). The You Can Book Me data privacy policy is available here. Personal data will be held by You Can Book Me for one year and will then be deleted. Personal data which is processed by Zoom may be processed outside of the EU, subject to binding terms and conditions which comply with EU legal requirements (GDPR). The Zoom privacy policy is available here and the Zoom Data Processing Addendum is available here. SS&D retains access to the record of meeting for six months after the meeting. 

If you have any questions in relation to your personal data, you may contact the DCU Data Protection Officer, Mr Martin Ward, Office of the Chief Operations Officer. Tel: 01-7005118 / 7005217 or email: data.protection@dcu.ie

For further information, please visit:

DCU Data Protection Unit

DCU Privacy Policy

If you wish to lodge a complaint to the Data Protection Commission, please visit dataprotection.ie