A huge and very warm welcome to those new postgrads joining AUT this month! The academic year is well & truly gearing up now, and Orientation Week from 16-20 Feb will be a great opportunity to learn about student life and connect with your new AUT whānau.
Don’t miss the PG Orientation sessions! These will give you an overview of how PG coursework / research works at AUT, and how to access support and services during your studies.
- Mon 16 Feb, 11am, WG126: Supporting Research at AUT – with the Graduate Research School
- Choose this one if you are a research student (e.g. Masters by research; PhD or other doctorate)
- Mon 16 Feb, 11am, WA220: Getting Started with PG Coursework
- Choose this one if you are a coursework student (e.g. PG Cert, PG Dip, taught Masters)
We also have a great selection of PG workshops coming up, including plenty of opportunities for new thesis-writers to get to grips with the writing, reading, analysis, and formatting tasks ahead. Check out the full listings below, and click the hyperlinks to register.
Finally, if you’re not already part of a Research Students’ Peer Group, now’s a great time to join! These supportive groups are student-led, and can be a great way to meet others going through the same PG journey. There are a dozen groups to choose from. Highlights this month include the *new* International Students’ Group (with online and in-person connections), and a meeting of the PhD Book Club on 27 Feb at noon in WF309.
Happy O week everyone!
Postgraduate Research Workshops in February 2026
| What? | Where? | When? |
|---|---|---|
| Thesis writing: Understanding thesis structure Discusses how the different parts of a thesis connect to each other. We will analyse examples and practice using language to clearly show how existing knowledge connects to new research, to what others may do with it in the future, and where that information gets organised across a thesis. We also apply knowledge from the workshop to explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. Bring your device, plus an article you have read recently and a sample of your own writing. | Online | Tue 3 Feb 2026, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm |
| Systematic Review 3 – Writing the introduction and method Builds on content covered in session one and two by providing an overview of the structure of introduction and method sections for a systematic literature review. Identifies common parts and distinctive features of these sections. Participants analyse and discuss text examples and relate these to their own writing or reading. | Online | Tue 3 Feb 2026, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm |
| Thesis writing: Discussions Discusses writing strategies and choices for bringing in past research to support your own arguments. Participants will practice precise language that changes the extent to which you may agree or disagree with the views of others. We also explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. Bring your device, plus an article you have read recently and a sample of your own writing. | Online | Wed 4 Feb 2026, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm |
| Publishing Part 2: Finding and evaluating journals to publish in This Library workshop is designed to guide you through the process of finding relevant and credible publications for your research. Understand elements of a publishing strategy; use databases and online tools to find relevant journals to publish in; and evaluate journals for suitability and quality. | Online | Wed 4 Feb 2026, 5:30 pm-6:30 pm |
| Thesis writing: Connecting sections and chapters Explores how we can organise research writing so that our readers clearly see how paragraphs and sections within a chapter and different chapters connect. Participants will use the principle of ‘writing in layers’ to critically examine their own reading and writing samples. This principle can be applied to writing theses, dissertations, book chapters, and journal articles. We also explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. | Online | Tue 10 Feb 2026, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm |
| Using literature 1: To support your view Discusses writing strategies and choices for bringing in past research to support your own arguments. Participants will practice precise language that changes the extent to which you may agree or disagree with the views of others. We also apply knowledge from the workshop to explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. Bring your device, an article you have read recently, and a sample of your own writing. | Online | Wed 11 Feb 2026, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm |
| Publishing Part 3: Using AUT’s Open Access Publishing Agreements Te Mātāpuna Library & Learning Services has agreements with some publishers that enables AUT authors to publish open access in some journals without paying the Article Processing Charge. Find out the context of Open Access Publishing agreements, what they are for, which publishers and journals are included, how to use the agreements, and what to watch out for! | Online | Wed 11 Feb 2026, 5:30 pm-6:30 pm |
| Copilot writing lab: Using GenAI for Discussion sections Explores how we can use Copilot for aspects of the research writing process. We begin by summarising important knowledge about Discussion sections and then introduce a ‘choice map’ to outline the types of tasks we could ask Copilot to perform. Together we will craft and refine prompts and continuously critique responses. Bring your own reading and writing. | City campus | Thu 12 Feb 2026, 10:00 am – 11:30 am |
| Thesis writing: Connecting results and literature review sections Provides an overview of the structure of literature reviews within a thesis. Identifies typical functions and distinctive features of this section in relation to the whole research project. You will analyse and discuss text examples and relate these to your own writing. We also explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. | Online | Tue 17 Feb 2026, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm |
| Research impact: the importance of visibility and profiles This workshop covers the importance of managing research profiles and IDs. It introduces the Research Health Check form and how to use it to enhance and update profiles, increasing research visibility and impact. | Online | Tue 17 Feb 2026, 12:00 pm-1:00 pm |
| Using literature 2: For clear and persuasive arguments Considers fundamental differences between writing descriptively and persuasively. Participants will look closely at why some arguments are easy to follow. We also consider the way language enables us to control how much we align with other points of view. We also apply knowledge from the workshop to explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. Bring your device, an article you have read recently, and a sample of your own writing (about past literature or discussing your research findings). | Online | Wed 18 Feb 2026, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm |
| Getting started with research writing Focuses on strategies to help researchers digest reading in preparation for writing about what you’ve read. Try freewriting and mapping concepts as strategies to get words on the page and then create more structured writing. We will also explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. Bring your device and an article you have read recently. | Online | Thu 19 Feb 2026, 10:00 am-12:00 pm |
| Copilot writing lab: Using GenAI for research significance of a thesis/dissertation We begin by summarising important knowledge about Discussion sections in a thesis/dissertation and then introduce a ‘choice map’ to outline the types of tasks we could ask Copilot to perform. Together we will craft and refine prompts and continuously critique responses. Bring your own reading and writing as we dynamically use Copilot for research writing. | City campus | Mon 23 Feb 2026, 10:00 am-11:30 am |
| Thesis formatting: Introduction This workshop provides an introduction to Microsoft Word for academic writing. Learn formatting, editing and file management skills so that you are ready to start your thesis writing with confidence. This workshop provides an overview of MS Word for academic purposes, and is designed to answer your questions and clear up your confusion. | City campus | Tue 24 Feb 2026, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm |
| Thesis writing: Literature reviews An overview of the structure of literature reviews within a thesis. Identifies typical functions and distinctive features of this section in relation to the whole research project. Participants analyse, discuss and relate text examples to their own writing, and explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. Systematic reviews are not covered. | Online | Tue 24 Feb 2026, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm |
| Introduction to Qualitative Research This hands-on workshop will give you the practical foundations you need to get started with qualitative research. You’ll learn when and why to use qualitative approaches, explore the most common methods (interviews, focus groups and observations), and discover how to design a solid qualitative study from the ground up. We’ll also touch briefly on qualitative data analysis and discuss issues relating to rigour, ethics and quality. | Online | Wed 25 Feb 2026, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm |
| Using literature 3: for research significance Explores where and how you can make your research findings stand out. Participants will consider ‘what matters’ and ‘who cares’ and where this information goes across a thesis or research output. We also apply knowledge from the workshop to explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. Bring an article you have read recently and a sample of your own writing. You will need a device to participate in reading and writing activities. | Online | Wed 25 Feb 2026, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm |
| Thesis writing: Conclusions An overview of the structure of a Conclusion section of a thesis. Identifies typical functions and distinctive features of this section in relation to the whole research project. Participants analyse and discuss text examples and relate these to their own writing. We also apply knowledge from the workshop to explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. Bring your device! | Online | Thu 26 Feb 2026, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm |
| Developing a systematic search strategy to find literature This Library workshop will take you through a systematic literature searching process: developing a search strategy; using different search techniques; and best practices for recording and managing results. Please have your research question handy so you can use it to develop and practice your search during the workshop. | Online | Thu 26 Feb 2026, 5:30 pm-7:00 pm |
