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Our Dissertation and Thesis Writing Boot Camp features four workshops, a silent writing room where you can make writing progress, and a variety of individuals ready to meet with you to address your specific questions during the event (Thesis and Dissertation Office, Applied Research Lab, Library, and Writing Center).

Sign up for the boot camp.

Schedule Details for Spring 2024 Boot Camp

You can shift between different activities during the boot camp, and can also attend for all or part of the event.

Silent Writing Room

(Open 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.)

Our Silent Writing room is open throughout our Boot Camp. This is a space where you can write in companionable silence with others. Turn off your video and audio and set aside time to write your thesis or dissertation in the quiet company of other writers. Hosted by Madeleine Rosa, assistant director of the Jones White Writing Center.

Tutoring and Consultations

(Open 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.) in the Boot Camp Lounge

We encourage Boot Camp participants to take advantage of our one-on-one tutorials and consultations available throughout the event.

Consultation Schedule:

  • Noon–2:00 p.m. – Thesis/Dissertation Office. A staff member from the T/D office will be available for consultations.
  • 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. - IUP Library. A librarian is available for questions on library references, source searching, databases, EndNote, and much more.
  • 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. – Writing Center. Advanced graduate tutors from the Jones White Writing Center are available for tutorials, questions, and support.
  • 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. – Applied Research Lab. ARL tutors are available to answer questions about research design, data analysis, Qualtrics, SPSS, or any other aspects of your research.

Tutorials can be requested in advance at w-center@iup.edu. Feel free to stop in our lounge anytime during the boot camp and request a consultation or tutorial.
URL for Boot Camp Lounge: https://iupvideo.zoom.us/my/iupwritingcenter

Interactive Workshops and Presentations

Learn valuable writing and research skills through our advanced writing and research workshops. All workshops take place in the Zoom Room:

  • Join from PC, Mac, iOS, or Android: https://iupvideo.zoom.us/j/9194357080
  • Or join by phone:
    +1 309 205 3325 (US Toll) or +1 312 626 6799 (US Toll)
    Meeting ID: 919 435 7080
  • International numbers available: https://iupvideo.zoom.us/u/ad4Yy1Yo01

Writing Results: Visualizing and Writing About Data

11:15 a.m.–11:50 a.m.
Presented by Dana Driscoll, Writing Center director and professor of English

Presentation of results (chapter 3 or 4 for most dissertations) is often described by graduate students as one of the most challenging to write. This presentation will cover general writing strategies including deciding how to tell the ‘story’ of your data in ways that are clear, attending to the needs of readers through intentional organization, and effectively visualizing and presenting qualitative and quantitative data.

Library Resources for Dissertation Writers: SAGE Research Methods and Keenious

Noon–1:00 p.m.
Presented by Christopher Clouser, associate professor and chair, IUP Libraries

SAGE Research Methods is the ultimate online methods library with more than 1,000 books, reference works, journal articles, case studies, podcasts, and instructional videos designed to help users learn about their method. Workshop participants will learn how to:

  1. use the Methods Map to explore research methods and discover content relevant to their research methods journey;
  2. find lists of key research methods and statistics resources in Reading Lists created by users;
  3. use the Project Planner to plan their research;
  4. choose an appropriate statistical method using the Which Stats Test.

Keenious is a cutting-edge tool that assists in locating articles relevant to your research and writing and expands the scope of your literature reviews and other work. Keenious uses AI techniques to quickly find articles relevant to your work, searching the more than 240 million articles indexed in the OpenAlex scholarly database. In the workshop, you'll learn how Keenious works, how to use Keenious to find additional literature for your theses and dissertations, and how to fine-tune your searches for best results.

Artificial Intelligence and Your Research: A Guide for Graduate Students

1:00 p.m.–1:50 p.m.
Presented by Jacklyn Helsop, Writing Center tutor and PhD candidate, Composition and Applied Linguistics

Artificial intelligence supports a range of writing and research processes, including producing scholarly works such as publications and dissertations. This workshop offers an overview of the ethics, affordances, and challenges in integrating AI, emphasizing using AI in ways that support your existing writing process. We will also discuss ethics as they apply to the IUP Academic Integrity policy and AI ethics in major academic journals. The workshop will cover a range of material to support ethical uses of AI in your writing, including leveraging AI tools for research, paraphrasing, and building your knowledge.

So, you’ve collected your quantitative data. Now what?

2:00 p.m.–2:50 p.m.
Presented by Paul Hawkins, director of the Applied Research Lab

In this workshop, the Applied Research Lab will present an effective strategy for approaching quantitative data analysis. Students can expect to learn more about the steps, procedures, and skills needed and expected to be used to accurately assess, analyze, and report their quantitative results.

Formatting and Submitting Your Thesis Dissertation

3:00 p.m.–3:50 p.m.
Presented by Amiranda Adams, SGSR Thesis and Dissertation Office, GES tutor, and PhD student, Composition and Applied Linguistics

The SGSR Thesis and Dissertation office will offer a complete overview of the process of preparing your dissertation to deposit. Material covered will include formatting submitting your dissertation, preparing your signature pages, timing, addressing revisions, and choices for copyrighting your work.

Why should I attend the boot camp?

Graduate students who attend our boot camps report statistically significant improvements in their writing confidence, focus, time management, knowing how to proceed, progress towards thesis/dissertation completion, and also enjoy a statistically significant reduction of procrastination surrounding writing.

Can I attend while I’m in coursework?

Yes, you are welcome to attend while in coursework—and we encourage it! We recommend students attend several of our boot camps, starting in coursework and continuing into thesis/dissertation writing. Our boot camps offer a number of advanced writing strategies (literature review writing, source synthesis, library resources, source management, etc.) and these benefit all graduate students. Our fall and spring boot camps offer different content.

What if I have specific questions?

We can answer them! We have a number of people who all support your dissertation writing at the boot camp. You can consult with our reference librarians, the Applied Research Lab, Writing Center tutors, and the Thesis and Dissertation Office. You can schedule tutorials and consultations with them throughout the day.

I attended the fall boot camp. Should I also attend the spring boot camp?

Yes! The content of the fall and spring boot camps is entirely different. The fall boot camps focus more on initial writing and research concerns, whereas the spring boot camps focus on later writing and research concerns.

Can I attend part of the day?

Sure, you can attend as much as you would like.

This sounds great! How can I sign up?

Registrations are required in advance for the boot camp. Please sign up online. Once you sign up, we will email you the week before the boot camp with all details.

If you have questions, please write to us at w-center@iup.edu. Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you there!