Collaborating across differences: Keep writing communication simple with the 5Ps

In the two previous newsletter pieces in this series, we learned how non-binding co-author agreements and reflective conversations can build trust and understanding among collaborators. In this piece, we will consider how developing a shared vocabulary about a writing project can support writing partners or teams.

A campus partner and I are at the end of a three-year study of collaborative writers in which we work with faculty and graduate students who co-author manuscripts for publication or proposals for funding. One of our important, preliminary insights is that many writers share the concern about miscommunicating in ways that interfere with next steps, recommended revisions, and co-author contributions.

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Copyright Claims Board: A new option for authors to protect their copyright

The CCB is a small claims forum housed within the Copyright Office (at the Library of Congress) for a limited number of common copyright claims. The CCB was established through an act of Congress in 2020 (the CASE Act) and began to hear cases in June 2022.

The purpose of the CCB is to make it easier for individuals and organizations to pursue small dollar copyright infringement claims that otherwise are too expensive for those with limited resources.

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Listen to yourself

Authors have some tremendous tools at their disposal. Powerful bibliographic management software as well as programs to create eye-popping bar charts are just a couple examples. Some of these tools get a lot of buzz. But there are some features of old standards that can surprise.

All of the major word processing software programs offer a Read Aloud feature. This feature reads to you the text you have written. I will speak about Microsoft Word, but these points are true for most of the other word processing programs available on computers or online.

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New Fall 2022 TAA Webinars – Learn and Grow

Join us as industry experts share their expertise on academic and textbook writing topics and learn and grow in 2022.

Fall 2022 Webinar Series

The Essential Actions of Academic Writing
When: Monday, September 19, 3 p.m. ET

Presenters: Nigel A. Caplan, PhD, Associate Professor and Manager, Graduate Programs and Online Learning, University of Delaware English Language Institute; and Ann M. Johns, PhD, Professor Emerita, Linguistics and Writing Studies, San Diego State University

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How not to complete your dissertation

From my longtime academic coaching and editing practice guiding doctoral candidates through the peaks and gullies of completing their dissertations, I have seen how women in doctoral programs can easily become diverted by compassion for others in trouble. Well-meaning decisions and actions may result in calamitous consequences to their goal of a completed dissertation.

Although my experience has been primarily with women, if you are a man reading this, you may recognize some of these scenarios. In these stories (names and identifying details changed for their protection), you will see that tender-hearted consideration at the wrong times dangerously waylaid dissertation progress. If you’re a doctoral candidate writing (or not writing) your dissertation, perhaps these tales will confirm decisions to let no major interruptions complete your dreamed-of doctorate.

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