News Date : 16 September, 2022
Scientific Writing Workshop for Graduate Students
To ensure that BUAN achieves its mandate of becoming an Innovative and Research-Intensive University in Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Faculty of Research and Graduate Studies together with Graduate Students’ Association conducted a scientific writing workshop which aimed at helping students to formulate and produce research proposals that could catapult the University.
The workshop was held on the 16th September 2022 and the Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, Prof Samodimo Ngwako welcomed the attendants to the workshop. He informed them that the faculty and Association saw it fit to organize the workshop to impart knowledge on research proposal as research formed an integral part of their studies. He urged all to listen attentively, participate and ask questions where needed to understand and be informed.
Amongst the facilitators of the workshop were Prof. Torimiro who gave a guide on writing a concept note. He taught the attendants how to identify a good research topic, characteristics of a good research topic, why there is need to write a concept note.
Ms Clift-Hill gave a lecture on writing an introduction and how to use figures and tables correctly. She emphasized that the introduction should hook the reader in research proposals, thesis, and manuscript. In writing a thesis or a proposal it is very important to conduct research as it helps the author or researcher to know if the research, they are embarking on has been done before. If it has been done before then a literature review will help with identifying the gaps in that field.
Prof Omoloye spoke to the attendants about the different types of literature reviews and ways of organizing information in literature reviews. He also spoke of how to effectively integrate information in a literature review. He closed of his presentations by speaking of using mind maps to formulate discussions and results in a research paper.
During this workshop the library department also gave a presentation on how to retrieve information from the BUAN online database and library. Ms Sechaba demonstrated step by step how to access the information and how to reference. She assured the students that the librarians were always ready to assist them. Ms Gopolang also went on to teach the attendants how to reference their sources.
During this workshop there were group discussion where participants got to interact with each other in regards to the topics that were discussed. “I had a wonderful time I wish we have more of such workshops as It was a very informative." Said one of the participants