This document discusses implementing writing groups in computer science research labs to help graduate students improve their writing skills. It proposes meeting weekly for 30 minutes, with 10 minutes spent teaching writing concepts and 20 minutes for group editing. Feedback from students found the groups very helpful for boosting confidence and learning that writing is difficult for everyone. Areas for improvement included reliance on a leader and inconsistent attendance. The writing groups aimed to provide frequent practice and peer learning to develop graduate students' academic writing abilities.

1. Writing Groups in Computer
Science Research Labs
Adam Doupé and Janet L. Kayfetz
University of California, Santa Barbara
FIE 2013 – 10/26/13

2. Typical Grad Student Feedback
Doupé - 10/26/13

3. What Other Ways?
• Workshops
– Infrequent
• Academic writing class
– Quarter long focus
– Hard to scale
• A writing group
– Weekly focus on writing
– Grad students teach themselves
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4. Research Lab Writing Group
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5. Implementation
• Meet weekly ~30 minutes
– We’ve had ~35 meetings in the last year
• 10 minutes teaching/discussing a writing
concept
– Introductions, data commentary, word
choice, genre, academic tone, the writing
process
• 20 minutes group editing
– Try to tie the piece being edited to the
previously discussed writing concept
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6. Group Editing
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7. What Went Well
“You see how everybody (even the good
writers) are struggling to write even a single
paragraph: If you are a bad writer and your
writing skills-related self-confidence is near
zero (i.e., me), it’s a huge help to boost your
confidence! Writing is hard. Period. It’s good
to know.”
- First-year PhD Student
Doupé - 10/26/13

8. Improvements
• Reliance on a leader
• Attendance
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9. Special thanks to Giovanni Vigna and
Chris Kruegel for their support
Adam Doupé
Email:
Twitter:
adoupe@cs.ucsb.edu
@adamdoupe
WRITING GROUPS IN
COMPUTER SCIENCE
RESEARCH LABS
Doupé - 10/26/13