September 2026 is HUUUUUGE for postgrads!
Wiki Rangahau / Research Week 2026 is just kicking off – if you haven’t registered yet, there’s still time to join in. Highlights for postgrads include the Postgraduate Research Symposium (1 September), the African Postgraduate Research Symposium (2 September), and the AUT 3MT Competition Finals (3 September). Head to the Research Week page for the full programme; or if you already know what you want to attend, you can register here.
Beyond Research Week, there are 15 workshops on offer this month for postgraduate research students, covering thesis writing, literature searching, systematic reviews, qualitative interviewing, and confirmation of candidature planning.
If you’re a first-year doctoral student, Planning for the Confirmation of Candidature and Beyond (29 September) is designed with you in mind. It’s a half-day intensive workshop that will guide you on the confirmation of candidature process, give you tips for producing a great written proposal and oral presentation, and prepare you to build a realistic project timeline.
If interviews are part of your data collection plan, Interviewing Skills for Qualitative Researchers (24 September) will help you to hone your interview questions and approach to create a mutually beneficial experience for both you and your participants.
For those knee-deep in thesis-writing, this month’s line-up includes Thesis Writing: Literature Reviews (2 September), Thesis Writing: Connecting Results and Literature Review Sections (3 September), and Thesis Writing: Understanding Thesis Structure (23 September).
And if your thesis document itself needs some attention, Thesis Formatting: Introduction (12 September) is a good place to start. This workshop will help you to set up your thesis document in Word so that it adheres to AUT’s requirements and is easy for you to navigate as you write.
Need some downtime after all that? The Postgraduate Book Club is a great place to meet other postgrads and discuss whatever you happen to be reading (non-academic books encouraged!). The next group meeting is on Friday 25 September, 12–1pm in WF309. Get in touch with Anna McLeish (anna.mcleish@autuni.ac.nz) if you’d like to join.
Read on for the full September workshop listings.
PG Workshops in September 2026
| What? | Where? | When? |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started with research writing Focuses on strategies to help researchers digest reading in preparation for writing about what you’ve read. Try free-writing 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 | Tue 1 Sept, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
| Copilot writing lab: Using GenAI for research significance of a thesis/dissertation Explores how we can use Copilot for aspects of the research writing process. We begin by summarising important knowledge about arguing for the significance of your research 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 | Wed 2 Sept, 12:00 PM – 1:30 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. | Online | Wed 2 Sept, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
| 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 | Thu 3 Sept, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
| Developing a systematic search strategy to find literature – for postgrads and staff researchers 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 | Tue 8 Sept, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM |
| Thesis writing: Introductions An overview of the structure of an Introduction 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 | Wed 9 Sept, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
| Thesis Formatting: Introduction An introduction to MS Word for academic writing. Learn formatting, editing and file management skills, tailored to answer your questions and clear up your confusion. | City campus | Sat 12 Sept, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM |
| Systematic Review 1: An introduction What is a systematic literature review and how is it different from a literature review? Why do people use the same terminology but seem to have different ideas on what a SLR actually is? This workshop outlines key differences between types and involves activities to help you decide which one is right for you. This workshop is one of a series of three SLR workshops. Attend any one or all three. | Online | Tue 15 Sept, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
| Systematic Review 2: The search process Part 2 of a three-part series. Learn advanced literature searching and search strategies; search databases in a systematic way, where to locate existing systematic reviews, how to create alerts and learn best practices for recording and managing results. | Online | Wed 16 Sept, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM |
| Systematic Review 3: Writing the introduction and method Builds on content covered in sessions 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 22 Sept, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
| Thesis writing: Understanding thesis structure Discusses how the different parts of a thesis connect to each other. We will analyse examples and practise 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 | Wed 23 Sept, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
| Interviewing Skills for Qualitative Researchers This workshop aims to help researchers decide when interviews are suitable as a data gathering tool. It will look at the aim of interviews, what research questions they can answer and what they can’t. | City campus | Thu 24 Sept, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Postgraduate Book Club A regular meet-up for postgraduate students who enjoy reading and discussion. There is no set book to read; you can discuss whatever you’re reading. Contact Anna McLeish (anna.mcleish@autuni.ac.nz) for details if you’d like to join. | WF309, City campus | Fri 25 Sept, 12:00 PM – 1:00 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 practise 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 | Tue 29 Sept, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
| Planning for the Confirmation of Candidature (and Beyond) Designed for PhD candidates approximately 3 months into enrolment, this workshop supports your doctoral research planning and prepares you for the Confirmation of Candidature milestone. | City campus | Tue 29 Sept, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
| Copilot writing lab: Using GenAI for Discussion sections of a thesis/dissertation Could AI be useful in your research writing process when writing discussion sections? This workshop helps you to evaluate where Microsoft Copilot could help you in your writing workflow. | City campus | Wed 30 Sept, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM |
