Transferable skills within research degrees: a collaborative genre-based approach to developing publication skills and its implications for research education

Abstract

Recognition is increasing that Ph.D. graduates require transferable skills for employment within or outside academia, and professional written communication skills form an important subset which contributes to many other skill categories. Writing journal articles for publication is a key task within candidatures and research workplaces, so intrinsic motivation for developing the required skills is high in both contexts. This paper describes a publication skills workshop approach based on research findings from genre analysis and methodologies current within the English for Specific Purposes area of Applied Linguistics. Quantitative evaluation of workshops presented in research workplaces in China and Australia, and in university departments, highlights participants' positive responses to the approach. Qualitative data analysis indicates that the workshop features participants valued most highly related to its genre-based, collaborative and hands-on nature. Implications are drawn for the effective development of desirable graduate attributes within research education programmes.