Communication workshops

Your graduate thesis is one of the ways that Concordia fulfills its mission to create and disseminate knowledge. As an official Concordia document, your thesis needs to meet certain requirements.

If you are a masters or doctoral student in the early or middle stages of drafting your thesis, this workshop is for you. This workshop will review the who’s who of thesis submission, the different kinds of theses (research creation, manuscript-based, traditional), and the differing requirements needed to submit. The workshop will also cover the important deadlines and procedures for thesis submission and graduation. Participants will be able to begin planning their own thesis timeline and submission plan during the workshop.
 

Applicable to graduate-level writers of all backgrounds, the Perfecting the Paragraph workshop aims to provide participants with an understanding of the most common mistakes that lead to unconvincing, unclear writing. Taking the paragraph as an “idea” unit, the workshop looks at the formulation and purpose of the topic sentence. It then focuses on paragraph structure, development of the main idea, transition to the next paragraph, punctuation, style, and vocabulary.

This workshop is particularly useful for non-native English speakers. Please note that this workshop focuses on basic elements and tips important for academic paragraph writing.

This workshop is divided in three segments. The first segment will present the basic elements of an academic paragraph. The second segment will overview useful tips and resources to keep in mind while writing. In the third segment, participants will review a writing sample as part of a peer-reviewing exercise. In a supportive environment, the instructor and participants will provide feedback on randomly assigned, anonymous writing samples based on the information presented in the previous two segments. Since writing samples are anonymous, participants are highly encouraged to submit their own writing samples to be peer-reviewed during this segment.
 

This workshop will define the various elements that comprise a literature review and provide practical strategies for students in the process of completing a literature review for coursework. Specific topics that are covered include identifying scholarly literature, creating and following a research plan, and assessing the usefulness of texts for your literature reviews.

Students will also have the opportunity to read and examine samples of literature reviews from completed dissertations and critique them with their peers.
 

Abstracts are a crucial part of the majority of academic writing. Being able to compose a concise, accurate, and attractive abstract is an essential skill for graduate students. Abstracts allow you to promote your work to a broader audience by making it easier for others to understand your work, and by increasing your chances of successful conference and journal submissions.

This workshop presents information to help you understand the contents and purpose of abstracts and essential writing strategies for crafting a summary of your work in the abstract format. The workshop includes activities that allow students to acquire writing strategies in an interactive environment, benefitting from peer feedback on their work.
 

Getting published is one of your goals as a scholar but understanding the process of getting published in not intuitive. How do you pick a journal? How do you collaborate with co-authors? When are you ready to submit? After submission, how do you respond to feedback?

This workshop provides insight into the world of professional, peer-reviewed publications. We start by exploring the considerations you should take when choosing a journal and submitting your paper. We then discuss the peer-review process and responding to feedback in a professional manner. You will have the opportunity to critique real-life examples of journals, reviewer feedback and author responses.
 

How should you respond when offered a position? This clinic will teach you the various elements of a job offer, how to evaluate them, and most importantly, how to negotiate them.
 

Your graduate thesis is one of the ways that Concordia fulfills its mission to create and disseminate knowledge. As an official Concordia document, your thesis needs to meet certain requirements.

If you are a masters or doctoral student in the early or middle stages of drafting your thesis, this workshop is for you. This workshop will review the who’s who of thesis submission, the different kinds of theses (research creation, manuscript-based, traditional), and the differing requirements needed to submit. The workshop will also cover the important deadlines and procedures for thesis submission and graduation. Participants will be able to begin planning their own thesis timeline and submission plan during the workshop.
 

Concerned about the publication process and what it might look like for you and your research? Join members of the Concordia University research and publishing community with peer review experience in various disciplines, to get the inside scoop on what’s expected and what to expect.
 

Effective note-taking is a key part of succeeding as a graduate student. In this workshop, we will discuss how to keep on top of your graduate studies by developing efficient note-taking and organization strategies. It is important to go into every class, reading and research project with a note-taking plan. During this workshop, participants will practice clarifying their learning objectives, be introduced to a number of different note-taking strategies, and have the opportunity to learn from one another’s methods.

This workshop will provide students with opportunites for hands on note-taking practice; participants will apply different methods for notetaking (e.g., Outlining method, Cornell method, Flow method) in the context of interesting video-based exercises.

Applicable to graduate-level writers of all backgrounds, the Perfecting the Paragraph workshop aims to provide participants with an understanding of the most common mistakes that lead to unconvincing, unclear writing. Taking the paragraph as an “idea” unit, the workshop looks at the formulation and purpose of the topic sentence. It then focuses on paragraph structure, development of the main idea, transition to the next paragraph, punctuation, style, and vocabulary.

This workshop is particularly useful for non-native English speakers. Please note that this workshop focuses on basic elements and tips important for academic paragraph writing.

This workshop is divided in three segments. The first segment will present the basic elements of an academic paragraph. The second segment will overview useful tips and resources to keep in mind while writing. In the third segment, participants will review a writing sample as part of a peer-reviewing exercise. In a supportive environment, the instructor and participants will provide feedback on randomly assigned, anonymous writing samples based on the information presented in the previous two segments. Since writing samples are anonymous, participants are highly encouraged to submit their own writing samples to be peer-reviewed during this segment.
 

This workshop will define the various elements that comprise a literature review and provide practical strategies for students in the process of completing a literature review for coursework. Specific topics that are covered include identifying scholarly literature, creating and following a research plan, and assessing the usefulness of texts for your literature reviews.

Students will also have the opportunity to read and examine samples of literature reviews from completed dissertations and critique them with their peers.
 

Abstracts are a crucial part of the majority of academic writing. Being able to compose a concise, accurate, and attractive abstract is an essential skill for graduate students. Abstracts allow you to promote your work to a broader audience by making it easier for others to understand your work, and by increasing your chances of successful conference and journal submissions.

This workshop presents information to help you understand the contents and purpose of abstracts and essential writing strategies for crafting a summary of your work in the abstract format. The workshop includes activities that allow students to acquire writing strategies in an interactive environment, benefitting from peer feedback on their work.
 

The thesis proposal is an important step in the research process and can help both masters and doctoral students clarify their goals, questions, methods, and timeline. The thesis proposal is a road map to your research, and understanding how to effectively write and structure a thesis proposal can be a critical part of the research process.

In this workshop, participants will be introduced to some of the different kinds of thesis proposals and encouraged to consider how their research fits into these guides. The workshop will provide opportunities to think through research questions, theoretical frameworks, methodologies, and all the important sections that make up a thesis. It will also offer suggestions for how to structure and plan your own thesis proposal.
 

You have 30 seconds to pitch your most brilliant idea to a stranger. How do you introduce yourself? and what do you choose to say?

This workshop will help you tell your story and build an effective elevator pitch that captures the listener's attention and leaves them curious to know more about you and your idea.

You only get one chance to pitch your idea... Make it count!
 

Writing emails is an essential part of everyday communication, and depending on your role, you may receive dozens, or even hundreds, of emails every day. If you want to be understood, it is critical that you learn and practice effective emailing in school, on the job, and in almost every aspect of your life.

In the digital world, we are living in, time is an asset. Acquiring good email writing skills can help ensure your message reaches your audience and that your audience is able to take action. Acquiring good email management skills will also help demonstrate your professionalism and make better use of your time.

This workshop will present best practices in email writing and organization, within the Canadian work culture. Students will have the opportunity to discuss these best practices and participate in several email writing and critiquing activities.
 

What will employers ask? How will you respond to those tough questions? It is important to know how to make the right impression! Learn what you need to know about interviewing and lower your anxiety by preparing well. You will also find out why employers screen candidates over the telephone and get tips on preparing for the telephone interview.
 

Getting published is one of your goals as a scholar but understanding the process of getting published in not intuitive. How do you pick a journal? How do you collaborate with co-authors? When are you ready to submit? After submission, how do you respond to feedback?

This workshop provides insight into the world of professional, peer-reviewed publications. We start by exploring the considerations you should take when choosing a journal and submitting your paper. We then discuss the peer-review process and responding to feedback in a professional manner. You will have the opportunity to critique real-life examples of journals, reviewer feedback and author responses.
 

How should you respond when offered a position? This clinic will teach you the various elements of a job offer, how to evaluate them, and most importantly, how to negotiate them.
 

Great leaders negotiate based on principles. Rather than understanding negotiations as an opportunity to defeat an adversary, they work as a team together with their counterparts, to increase the value of the outcome for every stakeholder. They persuade, but within a framework of truthfulness, respect, and social responsibility, because their goal is not a short-term personal victory, but a long-term fruitful relationship that benefits everyone.