It's going to be all write
61 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago -Niklas and Clay want to make scientific and academic writing enjoyable. We're Academic Writing Advisors at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and we're sharing our ideas and experiences about scientific writing. Our goal is to demystify writing processes, share tips to improve writing practices, and explore our own thoughts on challenges and opportunities in the field of academic communication for undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students.
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Episodes
S5 Ep8 - Season Finale
May 13, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 131 MBSpring 2022 is at an end, along with some other things. In this episode, Seth, Niklas, and Clay talk about the future of the podcast, Seth's departure from the Fulbright program, and the end of Covid distancing measure for students and staff. We recap some of the more interesting experiences we have encountered in the last five months, revisit some ideas from the Season 5 podcast, and discuss the return of physical attendance in classrooms and exam halls. Episode 8 is our final podcast for...
S5 Ep7 Exams
April 27, 2022 08:00 - 58 minutes - 53.2 MBIf there is one thing we can agree upon, it's that nobody likes exams. If there is one thing to think about, it is what is the real purpose of an exam? Not all exams are made equal, and not all exams test you on the same knowledge or skills. That's why we have different exam formats: multiple choice, written, oral, formative, summative, ongoing, home, open-book. In this episode, Seth, Niklas, and Clay break down some of these exam types and discuss what the real purpose of some of these exa...
S5 Ep6 Poetic Research
April 13, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 55 MBThere are more ways to conduct and communicate research than merely reporting experimental results. Kerime Opijnen is a recent Ms. Sc. graduate from Lunds University and she shares her experiences using poetry and creative writing as a research format in this episode. Her work focuses on The Power of Poetry to bridge gaps between human rights and environmental devastation in the Niger Delta and oil consumers in the Netherlands. Kerime was kind enough to discuss the role that poetry and crea...
S5 Ep 5 IMRaD and Friends
March 30, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 64.2 MBIMRaD, or Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (and Conclusion) has become something of a Gold Standard for scientific, peer-reviewed writing. Because of this 'standardization' of science writing structure, IMRaD can be taken for granted, meaning that students might not receive enough information on when and why to use IMRaD. So why do we use IMRaD? How much flexibility is there in the IMRaD structure? What if I don't have explicitly research methods? Are there any alternatives to...
S5 Ep4 Literature Reviews
March 16, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 61.8 MBEveryone has heard the term 'literature review' or 'reviewed literature' or perhaps you've been told to 'read the literature on the matter.' Well, not all these things are the same and trying to figure out what a 'literature review' is can be complicated. Niklas and Clay break down the various different types of literature reviews, and the different reasons to review literature. Knowing how to effective use literature you have reviewed and when you are writing a literature review will not o...
S5 Ep3 Didactics
March 02, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 57.3 MBEducational instruction has a lot more under the surface than giving class assignments and final exams. In this episode we try to understand how Didactics informs teaching approaches, and what makes didactics different from pedagogy. Niklas shares his knowledge and experience in didactics, while Seth and Clay talk about pedagogy's relationship to didactics. If you are interested in teaching theories and learning objectives, or you are a student who simply wants to understand why teachers mi...
S5 Ep2 Educational Culture Shock
February 16, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 58 MBCulture shock is an interesting phenomenon, and what often shocks us are at first the BIG difference we see. But, after enough time, we might find there are many small shocks that we may continue facing long after the big shocks have passed. In this episode, we talk about how different cultural expectations about education shape how we think and behave inside and outside the classroom. Clay and Seth share their educational culture shock experiences as foreigners in Norway. Collectively, we ...
S5 Ep1 Pandemic Pedagogy
February 02, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 55.6 MBWe are back in 2022 for another season of It's going to be all write. This season, Clay and Niklas are periodically joined by the Writing Centre's new Fulbright candidate, Seth Travoa. To start the season, the three of us sit down and discuss how education has been for the last two years, how we've coped with university life on Teams, Zoom, and other digital platforms. We talk about the good, the bad, and why we think that there are mixed feelings about how successful digital or hybrid tea...
s4 Ep8 Season Finale
December 15, 2021 08:00 - 48 minutes - 88.3 MBAnother year is winding down and another season of It's Going to be All Write is coming to a close. Niklas and Clay talk about what to expect from Season 5, new topics and ideas we want to address, and summarize what we've been up to for the past five months. We'd really like to hear from out listeners, so let us know what you like, what you want to hear us podcast about, or any questions you have. Send your questions or comments to us at writingcentre(at)nmbu.no A big thank you to all of...
S4 Ep7 Academic English as a Second Language with Seth Trovao
December 01, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 64.2 MBEnglish is the lingua franca of science and academics. Writing in English opens your research to a wider audience of students and researchers, but for many of us, English is not our first language. Instead, academic English may be a second, third, or even fourth language for students and researchers, which presents a unique set of challenges. In this episode, Clayton is joined by his Fulbright colleauge, Seth Trovao, to discuss the value of international educational exchanges, second langua...
S4 Ep6 Unnecessarily Complicated
November 17, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 71.7 MBWhy are some published research articles so difficult to understand? Some authors make their writing unnecessarily complicated, which means that their true meaning is obscured and readers must struggle to figure out what the point of a text is. Following up on our last episode about Critical Thinking, Niklas and Clay critically read and examine a piece of published, peer-reviewed writing. The authors present what seems to be an intelligent piece of writing but unnecessarily complicate the t...
S4 Ep5 Taking a Critical Thinking Test
November 03, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 58.6 MBNiklas has been searching high and low for a Critical Thinking test he can use in his lectures and course curriculum planning. Sure enough, he found a test, and we decided to test ourselves to see how good a critical thinker we both are. In this episode, we examine the Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Test and walk through how we dissect and critically read a text. In the process, we examine how arguments are constructed, how rhetoric can be used to evoke an emotional response, how evidence can...
S4 Ep4 - Rejection with Special Guest James Johnson
October 20, 2021 08:00 - 55 minutes - 102 MBClay sits down with a friend and fellow Ph. D. researcher, James Johnson from the University of Oslo, to chat about publishing and rejection. Rejection as a Ph. D. is difficult. Everyone knows that rejection is going to happen, but we are not always prepared for rejection when it happens. Clay and James discuss their experiences as Ph. D. candidates, the road to publication, and how it feels when research articles are rejected. Rejection might happen for a number of reasons, but there are a...
S4 Ep3 - Research Design vs. Research Methods
October 06, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 117 MBHey! What's your research about? What methods are you using? Probably easy questions to answer, but how about this one: what is your research design? In our experience, we don't see many people with a clearly defined research design. In fact, we think a lot of research writing struggles actually stem from people neglecting to develop their research design. One of the problems is that we focus a lot on research questions and research methods, but we do not always account for what TYPE of res...
S4 Ep2 - Getting 'Unstuck'
September 22, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 128 MBWe've all gotten stuck in our research and writing. Being stuck sucks, and moving forward can be a challenge. In this episode, Clay and Niklas talk about why we get stuck in research and writing and offer practical approaches to getting 'unstuck'. Many of the topics we cover in this episode are discussed in greater detail and length in other episodes in past It's going to be all write seasons. We hope you check those previous episodes out to get even more help if you are feeling stuck in yo...
S4 Ep1 - Critical Thinking
September 08, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 118 MBWelcome to our fourth season! As our semester at NMBU starts in September, we wanted to welcome listeners back, welcome new listeners, and begin the podcast season with a great topic for new students - Critical Thinking. Critical thinking is a core of western university education, but we don't think that critical thinking is always well defined in a classroom setting. Additionally, critical thinking is more than a one-time action, but a process of ways to developing original thoughts on su...
S3 Ep8 - Live Questions and Answers
May 20, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 123 MBAnother season is coming to an end. Niklas and Clay decided to participate in a Digital Study Hall and do a live Question and Answer Period with anyone who joined the Study Group. Since we were not sure how many people might attend, we also solicited questions from our Writing Advisors, and from students via social media. In this season finale, we offer our take on questions from a variety of people. This episode will be more disjointed than previous episodes, but we have a lot of fun makin...
S3 Ep7 - Finalizing the Thesis
May 05, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 119 MBIt's that time of year again. The Master's thesis crunch! We thought it was a good time to provide some ideas and advice on how to finalize your thesis with the remaining time available. Also, we talk about ways to prepare for your defence by collaborating with fellow students. If you are having troubles finding the motivation to work from home, alone, we also introduce a new service to help you connect with other students in the new NMBU Digital Study Hall. Don't forget to visit the resou...
S3 Ep6 - Spotting Bad Science
April 21, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 141 MBIf you listened to our last episode on the Dunning-Kruger Effect, you might have an idea why we wanted to follow up with spotting bad science. As we mentioned in Episode 5, the general trend in science seems to be the more you know, the more you are willing to acknowledge your uncertainty...so as science readers and writers, we should also be critical of scientific publications that make highly confident claims. Luckily for us, Andy Brunning has created A Rough Guide to Spotting Bad Science...
S3 Ep5 - Imposters and Dunning-Kruger
April 08, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 129 MBDo you ever feel like you don't belong? Like the ideas you have, and the research you do isn't really good enough and you are waiting for someone to find you out? The Imposter Syndrome is a real psychological phenomenon that people face, students, Ph.Ds, and even people in their careers. Feeling like an imposter can cause anxiety, fear, and depressive thoughts, but we want you to know that you are neither an imposter, nor are you alone in feeling this way. This episode we talk about causes...
S.3 Ep.4 - WEC
March 22, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 130 MBLet's face it, not every University program applies written assignments to the same degree...until the final thesis. One challenge students face is that their writing skills remain underdeveloped as they approach their final thesis, and even Ph.Ds can enter their program with limited experience with academic and scientific writing. Some programs do not require much, or any writing, leaving students to 'fend for themselves' by the time their thesis deadline approaches. On the other side, be...
S.3 Ep.3 - Narratives in Science Writing
March 03, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 124 MBPeople love stories, but science writers might not consider their writing as a form of story telling. In this episode, Niklas and Clay explore when narrative structures and techniques are valuable, why they are practical, and how to use narrative techniques in scientific and academic writing. Science writing might seem like you need to stick to the 'facts' or use what is referred to as 'anti-narrative' writing, but we go over some reasons for why narratives can help your research become mor...
S. 3 Ep. 2 - Consultations
February 17, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 115 MBThe NMBU Writing Centre is more than just a place where Niklas and Clay talk writing and research. We have a full staff of Writing Advisors who can help you improve your writing skills. In this episode, we introduce you to how you can access the Writing Centre, the services we can provide, and what you can expect from our consultations. While we do not discuss big topics in this episode, we hoped that by looking inside how the Writing Centre operates, we can encourage some of our listeners...
S.3 Ep.1 Master Thesis Tips
February 03, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 124 MBWriting a thesis is no small task, so Niklas and Clay break down the process and give some suggestions on how to prepare yourself. Our best advice is to be well prepared and organized, and know how your research process is interconnected with your writing process. This means knowing how to build a research design that is suitable to investigate your research topic and research questions, including a suitable research methodology. It also means planning for surprises, and budgeting enough ti...
Season 3 Teaser
January 20, 2021 08:00 - 1 minute - 2.82 MBLooking forward to another season of It's going to be all write? We are. Here is a litte taste of what is to come in the first half of 2021. We want to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected] Want more resources? Visit our homepage: https://www.nmbu.no/en/students/writing Check out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfB2LMgctwc5I3tLGLwPeww Get more resources from SWR100 in Canvas: https://nmbu.instructure.com/enroll/FYM3PK Music Credit Coffee Shop by...
S.2 Ep.9 Season Finale
December 04, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 153 MBIt's been a year, hasn't it? With so much happening as the semester comes to a close, and with many of us facing further Covid-19 restrictions, deadlines, and the holiday bustle, Niklas and Clay wanted to take a bit of an easy episode. We thought we would look back at how the Corona pandemic has affected university and personal environments over the last ten months, and also discuss how our shift towards hybrid or digital working models might continue into the future. With this, we think i...
S2. Ep8. Comparing Science Writing
November 20, 2020 08:00 - 40 seconds - 133 MBWe cover a lot of ground in this episode. While looking for an interesting research article to breakdown and analyze, we realized we had the opportunity to talk briefly about mental health, discuss some interesting findings on a recent clinical trail study of depression treatment, AND compare how scientific research writing differs from scientific journalism. We had a lot of fun with this topic, and hope that you can find something useful, be it learning how to better analyze writing struct...
S.2 Ep.7 - Mentorship
November 06, 2020 08:00 - 55 minutes - 102 MBAs a student or researcher, there are a lot of conversations, idea exchanges, suggestions, and other forms of communication that build towards our final written projects. However, it is not always easy to know what ideas need to be credited in our written reports, theses, or manuscripts for publication. This week, Niklas and Clay try to tackle the roles and responsibilities of mentorship, including what types of acknowledgements or citations are required from personal communications all the...
S.2 Ep.6 - Co-authorship
October 26, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 121 MBGroup work is inevitable in both university classrooms and professional careers. We are all going to need to be part of a working group that will co-author research together. And of course, most people hate group work. Niklas and Clay discuss some ideas to help smoothen out group work and collaborative research writing. As usual, the best points about collaboration have nothing to do with writing, but are relevant to smooth and well produced research reports, essays, theses, articles, and bo...
S.2 Ep.5 Article/Essay Formats
October 12, 2020 08:00 - 57 minutes - 106 MBThe type of format you intend to write in helps define the type of writing that you should do. While article or essay formats are not particularly 'hot topics,' formats guide expectations, much in the same way we expect to be scared when watching a horror film, or expect to laugh at a comedy. In the same way, scientific formats give us guidance on how we can structure ideas and evidence. Niklas and Clay walk through some of the common peer review article formats, and discuss formats for oth...
S.2 Ep.4 - Creative Commons
September 25, 2020 08:00 - 57 minutes - 106 MB*Disclaimer: Niklas and Clay are not Copyright lawyers, nor do we hold a background in law. We are generally discussing issues to be aware of when using digital media in an academic environment. As education increasingly becomes digitalised, students and educators need apply caution when creating digital educational content. Just because the Internet gives seemingly free access to a wealth of information and media, this does not mean we can freely use images, audio, or video content we find...
S.2 Ep.3 - Rhetoric
September 11, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 125 MBScience is commonly seen as a neutral, objective account of research studies, however science and scientific communication is also about convincing an audience. In this episode, Niklas and Clay discuss the subtle and overt ways that rhetoric is applied to scientific and academic writing in order to persuade audiences. Rhetoric is a useful tool in science, because new evidence and perspectives are always being introduced to add to, counter, or replace older ideas, theories and evidence. Inte...
S2. Ep.2 - Sources
August 24, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 138 MBSources are integral to academic and scientific writing. As a student or researcher, sources will be your bread and butter - something you cannot live without. But what makes a good source? What should you be aware of when reading literature to support your research? Niklas and Clay take some time to go through the difference between scholarly sources, non-academic sources, gray literature, primary sources, secondary sources and more. While sources seem so obvious, there is more beneath the...
S2. Ep.3 - Sources
August 24, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 138 MBSources are integral to academic and scientific writing. As a student or researcher, sources will be your bread and butter - something you cannot live without. But what makes a good source? What should you be aware of when reading literature to support your research? Niklas and Clay take some time to go through the difference between scholarly sources, non-academic sources, gray literature, primary sources, secondary sources and more. While sources seem so obvious, there is more beneath the s...
S.2 Ep.1 - Note Taking
August 12, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 112 MBWe are back for our second season, and just in time for the upcoming autumn semester. Since the semester kick off is right in front of us, we thought we should talk about how we take notes. Notes when reading, notes when attending lectures, and different ways to create and collaborate with notes. Note taking seems simple, but it involves a complex array of different academic skills: critical and attentive listening, critical reading, purposefully filtering and selecting important ideas, org...
S.1 Ep.13 - Taking Breaks
June 25, 2020 08:00 - 22 minutes - 41.4 MBWe've reached the end, for now. Niklas and Clay are taking their summer holidays, so It's going to be all write will end its first season. Season two begins in August, when we are back after taking a break. This season one ender does a brief recap of some topics we covered, but also talks about the importance of having breaks. We would enjoy hearing your comments, questions, and suggestions for topics or how we can improve the podcast for season two. Feel free to contact us at writingcentr...
Episode 13 - Taking Breaks
June 25, 2020 07:00 - 22 minutes - 41.4 MBWe've reached the end, for now. Niklas and Clay are taking their summer holidays, so It's going to be all write will end its first season. Season two begins in August, when we are back after taking a break. This season one ender does a brief recap of some topics we covered, but also talks about the importance of having breaks. We would enjoy hearing your comments, questions, and suggestions for topics or how we can improve the podcast for season two. Feel free to contact us at writingcentre...
S1. Ep.12 - Jargon
June 18, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 124 MBMany of us have probably heard the terms ivory tower or intelligentsia, but if you are unfamiliar with these terms, you have just experienced jargon. Jargon refers to specialised language that limits a person's understanding if that person is outside of the specialised field. This week, Niklas and Clay talk about the benefits and downsides of using jargon when writing. We go over how technical language is a form of useful jargon, and explain why complex, wordy, and pompous writing is a form...
Episode 12 - Jargon
June 18, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 124 MBMany of us have probably hear the terms ivory tower or intelligentsia, but if you are unfamiliar with these terms, you have just experienced jargon. Jargon refers to specialised language that limits a person's understanding if that person is outside of the specialised field. This week, Niklas and Clay talk about the benefits and downsides of using jargon when writing. We go over how technical language is a form of useful jargon, and explain why complex, wordy, and pompous writing is a form o...
S1. Ep.11 - Motivation
June 10, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 124 MBClay is back! This week Niklas and Clay look over the last eleven weeks and talk about how we stay motivated to work, study, and podcast from a home office situation. With COVID-19 restrictions slowly being lifted in Norway, and summer holidays just around the corner, it is easy to think life will be back to normal when we return to school and work. But, many companies and universities are expected reduced office hours and capacity, meaning we should expect to have some work-from-home compo...
Episode 11 - Motivation
June 10, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 124 MBClay is back! This week Niklas and Clay look over the last eleven weeks and talk about how we stay motivated to work, study, and podcast from a home office situation. With COVID-19 restrictions slowly being lifted in Norway, and summer holidays just around the corner, it is easy to think life will be back to normal when we return to school and work. But, many companies and universities are expected reduced office hours and capacity, meaning we should expect to have some work-from-home compon...
S1. Ep.10 - Oral Defence
June 03, 2020 08:00 - 27 minutes - 49.6 MBWe've made it to Episode 10. Unfortunately, Niklas needed to celebrate alone because Clay was in course work this week. So, it's story time! Niklas shares his lived experience as both a student and an examiner, giving some helpful advice on what you can expect in an oral defence. His position as an examiner gave him inside information on how examiners think and how they may want to conduct an oral exam or defence. For anyone about to defend their research or take an oral exam, this shorter...
Episode 10 - Oral Defence
June 03, 2020 07:00 - 27 minutes - 49.6 MBWe've made it to Episode 10. Unfortunately, Niklas needed to celebrate alone because Clay was in course work this week. So, it's story time! Niklas shares his lived experience as both a student and an examiner, giving some helpful advice on what you can expect in an oral defence. His position as an examiner gave him inside information on how examiners think and how they may want to conduct an oral exam or defence. For anyone about to defend their research or take an oral exam, this shorter ...
S1. Ep.9 - Creativity
May 27, 2020 08:00 - 57 minutes - 106 MBScience and creativity might not be two words you regularly associate. However, creativity is a large part of the scientific process. Niklas and Clay discuss their perspectives on creativity in science, research, and academic writing. From what creativity is and how to spark it, to the role creativity plays in creating new ideas and how creative writing can improve communication. We're all over the map in this episode, so hopefully there is something for everyone who wants to find some insp...
Episode 9 - Creativity
May 27, 2020 07:00 - 57 minutes - 106 MBScience and creativity might not be two words you regularly associate. However, creativity is a large part of the scientific process. Niklas and Clay discuss their perspectives on creativity in science, research, and academic writing. From what creativity is and how to spark it, to the role creativity plays in creating new ideas and how creative writing can improve communication. We're all over the map in this episode, so hopefully there is something for everyone who wants to find some inspi...
S1. Ep.8 - Your Multiple Intelligences
May 20, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 131 MBMost of us are familiar with IQ tests, and many people still believe that IQ is an indicator of intelligence. But, have you every considered that IQ tests only explore one way of being smart? Niklas and Clay share their experience using Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences test as a way to improve work and study habits. Multiple intelligences can be a helpful way to understand your own learning preferences, and by using your strengths you can design routines and search out information in...
Episode 8 - Your Multiple Intelligences
May 20, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 131 MBMost of us are familiar with IQ tests, and many people still believe that IQ is an indicator of intelligence. But, have you every considered that IQ tests only explore one way of being smart? Niklas and Clay share their experience using Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences test as a way to improve work and study habits. Multiple intelligences can be a helpful way to understand your own learning preferences, and by using your strengths you can design routines and search out information in ...
S1. Ep.7 - Defence Preparation and Public Speaking
May 13, 2020 08:00 - 28 minutes - 52.3 MBClay goes it alone this week, and shares ideas on how writing principles can make you a more confident and more engaging public speaker. Clay used to provide Defence Preparation workshops at NMBU each semester for Master students. The timing seemed right to share ideas, information and techniques for thesis defence. To learn more about thesis defence, NMBU students and employees are encouraged to use the Scientific Writing Resource Portal (SWR100) in Canvas, and look through Module 6. Thesi...
Episode 7 - Defence Preparation and Public Speaking
May 13, 2020 07:00 - 28 minutes - 52.3 MBClay goes it alone this week, and shares ideas on how writing principles can make you a more confident and more engaging public speaker. Clay used to provide Defence Preparation workshops at NMBU each semester for Master students. The timing seemed right to share ideas, information and techniques for thesis defence. To learn more about thesis defence, NMBU students and employees are encouraged to use the Scientific Writing Resource Portal (SWR100) in Canvas, and look through Module 6. Thesis...
S1. Ep.6 - Plagiarism and Information Dumping
May 06, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 124 MBNiklas and Clay give their perspectives on plagiarism, information dumping and the struggles academic writers need to go through. There is a lot of information available to research students and professional researchers, and knowing how to avoid plagiarism, but also boring your reader with information dumping requires a bit of learning and skill development. The conversation touches on how different educational backgrounds and academic institutions may lead to widely different understandings...