Writing Resources for Instructors and TAs
The UW Psychology Writing Center, open since 1991, provides tutoring and other services to support the teaching and learning of writing in undergraduate psychology courses. The Writing Center is in Guthrie Hall, Rooms 10B & 10D.
Download a Word file about the Psychology Writing Center to include on your course syllabus or website.
Tutoring
We're open 30 hours a week for 30-minute appointments. Students either schedule appointments online or just drop in if the tutor is available.
Tutors are graduate students in psychology who work one-on-one with students. Tutors help students with thinking well on paper (from getting started to polishing a final draft), critical analysis and synthesis, and using scientific language and style to convey evidence-based arguments clearly and logically.
Writing Guides
We have an extensive series of handouts on scientific writing, which are widely used in psychology courses at UW and elsewhere.
Lectures and Workshops
Faculty director Jacquie Spector offers lectures and workshops tailored to each class's writing needs. Workshops provide guidance on collaborative writing and reviewing or target writing issues that are specific to group projects. Topics include:
- Introduction to scientific writing
- Advanced scientific writing
- Reading and writing a research article
- Writing a lab report
- Writing a literature review)
- Effective peer review
- How and when to cite
Consulting on Writing Assignments
Because we see assignments at all levels of the Psychology curriculum, we have first-hand experience with what assignments work well in different courses. We can help instructors to:
- develop both "low-stakes" and "high-stakes" assignments
- scale the type of writing assignment to the type of course
- specify assignment goals
- establish clear and efficient grading criteria
- anticipate and head off the risk of plagiarism
Writing-intensive (W) Courses
According to UW guidelines, "A W course must require 10-15 pages of graded, out-of-class writing, in the form of a longer paper with a required revision or two or more short papers." Instructors may also designate a course as an optional W course. Click here for more information about W courses.
Contact Us:
- To schedule a tutor for a brief 'commercial' in your class to publicize the writing center
- To schedule a lecture or workshop on writing
- To discuss writing assignments in your course
- With other questions about writing