Course content

This is a course on how to write academic texts within different academic genres, spanning from popular science to academic journal articles based on quantitative and/or qualitative data. It is preferred that participants use their own data sets for course assignments.

Learning outcome

The candidate has the following knowledge:

• Extensive knowledge on different academic genres with the main goal of writing a doctoral thesis (both monography- and article-based).
• High level and up to date relevant knowledge on academic writing.

The candidate has the following skills:

• Academic writing in both Norwegian and English.
• Research question formulation.
• Writing analytic texts.

The candidate has a general competency in:

• Identifying different types of academic texts.
• Knowing which writing style to use when composing different academic texts.
• Readable and focused writing.

Learning methods and activities

The course is integrated in the teaching program of The Norwegian National Research School in Teacher Education (NAFOL) and course activities will take place at seminars, both domestic and abroad, over a four-year period. Course activities includes lectures, group-discussions, individual and study group work, and student presentations. A seminar attendance of minimum 80 % is required to pass the course. Students are to present written assignments to fellow students and teachers at the seminars. The teacher acts as critic and provides written or oral guidance after their presentations. 

Compulsory assignments

• Presentation
• 80% compulsary attendance

Required previous knowledge

Admission to PhD Program.

Admission requirements: The course requires admission to NAFOL - The National Research School in Teacher Education. The last admission to NAFOL was made in the spring of 2019.

NAFOL students must be affiliated with one of NAFOL's network institutions through institutional funding and / or through admission to one of the network institutions' PhD programs.

Course materials

Core curriculum: Björk & Räisänen (2009): Academic writing; Dysthe, Hertzberg & Hoel (2010). Skriving i høyere utdanning; Hart (1998). Doing a Literature Review: One monography- and one article-based Ph.D. dissertation, and recommended supplement literature.