Writing Resources and Retreats
OYF Dissertation Writers' Retreat
Dissertation Writers' Retreats are designed to provide Western PhD candidates with dedicated time for intensive writing. Participating in the Retreat can help you make significant progress in writing your dissertation and help establish good writing habits. The Retreat is an opportunity for participants to remove themselves from daily distractions and time demands to focus exclusively on dissertation writing. As well as dedicated writing time, there will be short check-in mini-seminars and support from expert writing advisors. Dissertation Writers' Retreats are a joint initiative of Western's Own Your Future program and the Writing Support Centre.
The next Dissertation Writers' Retreat will take place October 16/17, 2025. Please check back for registration details.
Contact wsc@uwo.ca if you have questions or need additional information.
One-Day Postdoc Writers' Retreat
Postdoc Writers’ Retreats are designed to provide postdoctoral scholars with dedicated time for intensive writing. The Retreat is an opportunity for participants to remove themselves from daily distractions and time demands to focus exclusively on writing. As well as dedicated writing time, there will be short check-in mini-seminars and support from expert writing advisors.
GradWRITE: Writing Handouts
- Writing Abstracts
- Ten Tips for Writing Your Research Proposal from McGill
- Research Statements
- The Science of Scientific Writing
- Conference Posters
- Writing Strategies: Just Do It, Grahn
- Writing Grant Proposals, Nelson
- Writing a Manuscript, McNeil
- Best Practices for Academic Publishing, Doherty
- Writing (Successful) Grant Proposals, Burkell
- Writing Effective Scholarships, Culham
- How to Read a Journal Article, Culham
- Tell the Story, Besnier and Morales
- Scholars Before Researchers: On the Centrality of the Dissertation Literature Review in Research Preparation
- Writing a [Scientific] Paper, Whiteside
Our general Writing Support Handouts contain explanations and examples of university appropriate English language grammar and style.
Directory of University Writing Centres
Other university writing centres have their own sets of resources. If you have been through our site and are looking for further information or help, check out the following selected list:
- Athabasca University, Write Site
- Dalhousie University, Writing Centre resource Guide
- Emily Carr University of Art and Design, "The Writing Centre Handouts"
- MIT Communication Lab
- Purdue University OWL
- Queens University, Online Writing Resources
- University of Alberta, Workshop Handouts
- University of North Carolina, The Writing Centre "Tips and Tools"
- University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre Resources
- University of Toronto, Writing in the Health Sciences
- University of Toronto, Engineering Communication Program Online Handbook
- University of Victoria, Self-help and Resources
- University of Wisconsin, "The Writer's Handbook"
Style Guides
Western Libraries has created up-to-date Online Style Guides for academic citations and referencing. Several citation management systems are also available for all Western students, staff, and faculty; this web-based software can help you organize and format your citations.
Resources to get you started:
If you are looking for sources, Western Libraries' subject-specific Research Guides are a good place to begin your search.
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies' Electronic Theses & Dissertation Repository site has resources to help you find all the information you might require in order to format and successfully submit your graduate thesis for examination and publication electronically.
Research Grants and Awards:
- Western Research: Find Funding
- Western Strategic Support for NSERC Success
- Western Strategic Support for CIHR Success
- Western Strategic Support for SSHRC Success
- Schulich Medicine and Dentistry Research Office Funding Opportunities
Western Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies: SGPS
Western Society of Graduate Students: SOGS
