The writing experiences of social science research students

A questionnaire was sent to 228 full-time, United Kingdom domiciled, social science research (PhD and MPhil) students studying at 10 different British universities. Questions were asked concerning: (1) the nature and quantity of writing produced; (2) the writing strategies adopted; (3) the students' experiences and difficulties with academic writing; and (4) the extent of writing-related support and instruction received by the students. From 110 respondents' answers, it appears that social science research students' writing experiences and habits are distinct from those of novice undergraduate writers, and approximately similar to those of productive academics. However, a significant minority of the research students reported writing difficulties which might hinder their successful completion of their research degree. This finding suggests the need either for more careful selection of entrants to research degrees, or for greater allowance to be made for the development of writing skills during the research degree course.