UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG

Writing Workshops

Welcome

We look forward to welcoming you on a SPARC-funded Paper Writing Workshop and Retreat at Pullen Nature Reserve near Nelspruit in Mpumalanga. You are welcome to attend a number of workshops, with the understanding that you will work on and complete at least one paper for each workshop. Please fill out a separate application for each of the workshops you would like to attend.

Cost

The workshops are funded by the Strategic Planning and Allocation of Resources Committee Special Fund. They are free of charge to attendees. All food and drinks (aside from alcohol) are provided. There is free wifi internet access at Jackson Field Station.

Dates

Please see the application form.

Booking Procedure

Please help us to make sure the organisation runs smoothly by filling out and submitting the electronic booking form, and by following the guidelines. For more information on the location of Pullen Nature Reserve and the facilities available at the Jackson Field Station, see this page.

There is a limited number of spaces on each workshop, and places are granted on a first-booked, first-served basis. We will advise you promptly that there is a place available on the workshop for which you have applied. If the workshop for which you would like to book is fully subscribed and we will put your name on a waiting list in case there are cancellations. However, we advise you to book on to a workshop on which there is space in the meanwhile. You may apply to attend a workshop up to 3 days before departure, but we will only be able to accommodate you if there is a room available and a space in the vehicles, so do please plan ahead.

Confirmation of Attendance

We will send you an email requesting confirmation of your attendance 2 weeks before the workshop — Please respond as soon as possible. If the workshop is oversubscribed AND you do not respond within one week, then your place will be offered to someone else.
We will send you information on the workshop, the time of departure from Wits (from the parking area outside Old Biology Building) and a suggested packing list about 1 week before.

Transport

Free transport is provided to and from Wits if you travel in our vehicles. Please arrive at the departure place 15 minutes before the departure time, so as not to keep others waiting. If you are delayed and might be a little late for the departure, please inform us immediately. If you are not able to make the workshop at the last minute, please inform us as soon as possible.

What to bring

Laptop

Please make sure you have a laptop. 

Academic Essentials

Please do your utmost to have all the statistical analyses for your results section completed before we leave on the trip. It will also be useful to have drawn graphs or other figures from your data. If you have discussed these with your supervisor and/or co-authors, that will be all the better.

Please make sure you bring:

  • Electronic version of graphs, figures and tables that will be your results. 
  • Electronic version of any writing you have that will be converted into your paper.

It will be very helpful if you have chosen a journal. How to choose a journal:

Look at your reference list and see which journals come up often. Is your paper similar in nature to those papers? If so, those journals might be candidates. Check that the journals are ISI recognised journals (you can get the Dec 2012 list here). Find out their impact factors. Arrange them from highest to lowest. Go and look at the Instructions to Authors and see what they say they will publish. How well does your paper match? - i.e. if they say they publish original experimental work and your paper is a review, it is not a good match. Choose the journal with the highest impact factor where your paper matches the kind of paper the journal says it publishes. Check similar papers in that journal to see that your sample size and so on matches up.Alternately, decide on the general field of your paper, go into Web of Science and get a list of journals in that field and their impact factors. Then proceed from arranging them from highest to lowest as described in the previous paragraph.

Logistic Essentials Checklist

  1. A laptop, if you have one
  2. Instructions to Authors for chosen journal
  3. Electronic and hard copy versions of graphs, tables etc.
  4. Electronic versions of previous versions of the paper or chapter, if they exist
  5. A memory stick
  6. Comfortable/warm clothes
  7. Torch
  8. Binoculars and field guides if you enjoy bird, tree and game watching
  9. Walking shoes
  10. if you're brave enough, bring a swimming costume to swim in the reservoir 
  11. Towel(s)
  12. Toiletries
  13. Bedding - sheet, blanket or sleeping bag and pillow
  14. Tea and coffee will be provided – please bring any other liquid refreshments and snacks you desire.

Please also bring:

  • Lots of good humour and creativity.
  • Willingness to help each other

Cancellations

You can cancel your attendance at a particular workshop using this form. Please do so as soon as you know that you will need to cancel, so that we can offer your place to someone on the waiting list.

For additional queries or information, please contact Dr Vivienne Williams (vivwill@netdial.co.za) or Prof Kevin Balkwill (kevin.balkwill@wits.ac.za)