Denise Cuthbert

Getting a Grip: Examining the Outcomes of a Pilot Program to Support Graduate Research Students in Writing for Publication

This article addresses an under-researched area of graduate studies: the role of writing groups in developing the research and publication potential of university graduates. Drawing on focus group discussions with participants from a pilot program conducted in the Arts Faculty at Monash University in Australia, the authors investigate the outcomes of graduate participation in writing groups through reference to three key themes: demystification, writing for an audience and support versus pressure. In the light of the finding that graduate participation in writing groups has a variety of positive outcomes, the authors suggest the need to develop appropriate ways to expand the current emphasis on research development to include graduates.