National Workshop on Academic Writing – 2026
This blog reflects my experience at the National Workshop on Academic Writing organised by the Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University (MKBU), in collaboration with the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG), Government of Gujarat. The five-day intensive programme brought together distinguished academicians and experts to discuss various dimensions of academic writing, ethical use of artificial intelligence, research methodology, publication ethics, UGC NET preparation, and academic career pathways.
Through keynote lectures, engaging discussions, and practical demonstrations, the workshop offered meaningful insights into how scholarly knowledge is created, structured, and evaluated. The sessions strengthened my understanding of research practices and academic integrity while sharpening my awareness of current academic trends. Overall, the workshop was intellectually enriching and played a significant role in shaping my academic growth.
🔷 Inaugural Ceremony:
The Department of English at Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University organised the National Workshop on Academic Writing under the guidance of the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat. The inaugural session was graced by university officials, invited experts, faculty members, research scholars, and students. The event was smoothly conducted by Ms. Prakruti Bhatt, Research Scholar and Visiting Faculty in the Department of English.
The programme commenced with a warm welcome, followed by the University Song and prayer. In a symbolic gesture celebrating knowledge and scholarship, the dignitaries were invited to the stage and honoured with the presentation of books.
The distinguished guests included the Honourable Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) B. B. Ramanuj, In-Charge Registrar Dr. Bhavesh Jani, Dean of the Faculty of Arts Dr. Kishor Joshi, and invited resource persons Prof. (Dr.) Paresh Joshi and Dr. Kalyan Chattopaadhyaay.
Prof. (Dr.) Dilip Barad delivered the welcome address, outlining the aims and framework of the workshop. He emphasised the growing need to maintain a balance between human intelligence and artificial intelligence in contemporary academia. He further explained that the workshop would address academic writing techniques, responsible AI practices, research aptitude, NET/JRF preparation, and the development of a digital academic resource platform for English studies.
In his keynote lecture, Prof. (Dr.) Paresh Joshi examined the historical evolution of writing practices and stressed the importance of safeguarding human creativity and analytical thinking in the age of generative AI. He highlighted academic writing as a foundational skill for scholars in language and literature.
Dr. Kalyan Chattopaadhyaay, in his plenary session, explored the tradition of academic writing in India, tracing its roots from ancient knowledge systems to modern policy frameworks such as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023. He underscored the value of multilingualism, indigenous knowledge systems, and inclusive educational approaches.
Dr. Kishor Joshi shared statistical perspectives on research output, publication quality, and funding patterns in India. He emphasised the responsibility of scholars and educators to enhance research standards and strengthen academic writing practices.
The inaugural ceremony concluded with the presentation of mementoes to the invited speakers by the Honourable Vice-Chancellor, followed by a formal vote of thanks expressing gratitude to all dignitaries, organisers, participants, and volunteers.
Day 1 – Session 1
Session Title: Academic Writing and Prompt Engineering
Resource Person: Prof. (Dr.) Paresh Joshi, Professor, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University
The session began with an introduction to the speaker, highlighting his expertise in English Language Teaching, Applied Linguistics, Phonetics, and academic writing.
Prof. Joshi first clarified the nature of academic writing by distinguishing it from creative or literary writing. He explained that academic writing is concerned with knowledge creation and must therefore be objective, evidence-based, structured, and logically organised, unlike literary writing, which is often imaginative and expressive.
He described academic writing as part of an ongoing scholarly dialogue. A researcher engages with existing literature, analyses established viewpoints, and then contributes new insights supported by evidence. The writing process was presented as systematic—beginning with planning and drafting, followed by peer review, revision, proofreading, submission, and feedback.
The session outlined essential principles of effective academic writing, such as maintaining formal language, clarity, precision, conciseness, logical progression of ideas, well-structured arguments, and clearly defined thesis statements.
In the latter half of the session, Prof. Joshi introduced prompt engineering as an important skill in AI-assisted academic work. He explained that prompt engineering involves designing clear and specific instructions to generate accurate responses from AI tools. Different strategies—zero-shot, one-shot, few-shot, role-based, and audience-oriented prompting—were discussed with examples.
He also emphasised ethical considerations in using AI. Participants were cautioned against over-reliance on AI-generated content and advised to critically evaluate outputs, as AI may sometimes produce inaccurate information. AI should function as a supportive tool for editing, idea generation, and structural improvement, but it should never replace human reasoning and originality.
The session ended with interactive feedback, where participants appreciated the practical insights and balanced perspective on responsible AI integration in academic writing.
Day 1 – Session 2 & Day 2 – Session 1
Session Title: Academic Writing in English for Advanced Learners – I & II
Resource Person: Dr. Kalyan Chattopadhyay, ELT Specialist and UGC Master Trainer, Bankim Sardar College
These sessions offered a comprehensive and methodologically grounded understanding of academic writing as both a structured and rhetorical practice. The resource person explained how scholarly knowledge is systematically developed and communicated through disciplined writing.
The defining characteristics of academic writing—formality, objectivity, clarity, and precision—were discussed in depth. Participants learned how these qualities are reflected in tone, vocabulary, sentence structure, and citation practices. Emphasis was placed on developing clear research questions, forming hypotheses, and interpreting evidence rather than presenting unsupported personal opinions.
The structure of research papers was explained carefully, distinguishing between reporting findings and interpreting them. The importance of methodological transparency, evidence-based reasoning, and coherent organisation was strongly emphasised. Participants were guided to present research methods, data, and analysis clearly and logically.
A significant focus was placed on authorial voice. The speaker explained that academic writing is not entirely impersonal; writers must consciously decide how visible they wish to be in their texts. The strategic use of first-person expressions was discussed as a way to establish responsibility and authority while maintaining formality. Participants were encouraged to consider how authorial presence differs across disciplines.
Hedging was presented as an essential feature of academic discourse. Through examples, participants learned how cautious expressions such as “may,” “suggests,” and “appears to” allow scholars to present arguments responsibly, acknowledge limitations, and respect alternative interpretations.
The sessions also highlighted citation as a rhetorical strategy rather than merely a technical requirement. The distinction between integral and non-integral citations, the use of reporting verbs, and the synthesis of multiple sources were explained in detail. Participants were guided to identify research gaps and scholarly debates through structured literature reviews.
Finally, guidance was provided on writing effective conclusions that summarise findings, emphasise significance, and clearly articulate scholarly contributions. Participants were encouraged to adapt their writing to disciplinary conventions while maintaining a consistent academic voice.
Overall, these sessions deepened my understanding of academic writing as a disciplined intellectual practice and strengthened my ability to manage authorial voice, apply hedging appropriately, and use citation strategies effectively in scholarly communication.
Day 2 – Session 2 & Day 3 – Session 2
Session Title: Academic Writing and BAWE Corpus – I & II
Mode: Online
Resource Person: Dr. Clement Ndoricimpa, École Normale Supérieure du Burundi
These online sessions provided practical guidance on preparing research articles for publication in internationally indexed journals. The speaker addressed both technical writing standards and ethical responsibilities in scholarly publishing.
The importance of publishing in Scopus- and Web of Science–indexed journals was highlighted, as these databases enhance research visibility, credibility, and global impact. Publication in such journals contributes to professional recognition, citation growth, funding prospects, and career advancement.
The IMRD structure Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion was explained as a widely accepted framework for research articles. Particular attention was given to writing introductions using a three-step model: establishing the research context, identifying gaps in existing scholarship, and stating the study’s objectives clearly.
Strong emphasis was placed on referencing. Unsupported claims weaken credibility, and researchers must use recent, relevant sources. Academic language formal tone, coherence, clarity, precision, and logical connectors was discussed as essential for effective scholarly communication.
Ethical considerations were central to the sessions. Plagiarism was described as a serious breach of academic integrity that can result in journal rejection. Responsible use of AI tools was also emphasised, ensuring intellectual ownership remains with the researcher.
Participants were introduced to reference management software such as Mendeley and various citation styles including APA, MLA, Chicago, and Vancouver.Overall, the sessions offered comprehensive guidance on producing publishable research, meeting international standards, avoiding plagiarism, and managing references efficiently.
Day 3 – Session 1
Session Title: Detecting AI Hallucination and Using AI with Integrity
Resource Person: Prof. (Dr.) Nigam Dave, School of Liberal Studies, Pandit Deendayal Energy University
This session critically analysed the strengths and limitations of AI in academic contexts. The speaker explained how AI systems operate and why they sometimes produce unreliable information.
The lecture began by stressing that AI cannot replace scholarly judgment. Academic work requires verification, reflection, and critical analysis. AI use was placed within the broader history of knowledge transmission from oral traditions to print and now digital systems.
A major focus was AI hallucination, described as the generation of plausible but incorrect or fabricated information. Since AI predicts patterns statistically rather than verifying facts, it may produce convincing yet inaccurate content. Scholars, especially in qualitative disciplines, must remain cautious.
Warning signs of unreliable AI output include vague claims, fabricated references, and incorrect attributions. Participants were encouraged to cross-check all information independently.
The session also addressed algorithmic bias, explaining that AI reflects patterns within its training data and may reproduce cultural or conceptual biases.
Despite these concerns, the speaker advocated strategic use of AI for proofreading, formatting, brainstorming, and procedural assistance while reserving interpretation and argumentation for human intellect.
The session concluded with the reminder that technology must remain subordinate to critical thinking. Ethical awareness, verification, and intellectual responsibility are essential to ensure that AI enhances rather than compromises academic integrity.
Day 4 & Day 5
Session Title: From Classroom to an Academic Career
Resource Person: Dr. Kalyani Vallath, CEO and Founder, Vallath Education
These sessions offered a holistic perspective on academic writing, UGC NET preparation, literary studies, and career development. Education was described not merely as information transfer but as a process that cultivates curiosity and intellectual engagement.
Practical writing strategies such as free writing, mind mapping, reverse outlining, and goal-based planning were introduced. AI was acknowledged as a supportive resource, but intellectual ownership was emphasised.
UGC NET preparation was explained as an evaluation of analytical reasoning and conceptual clarity rather than rote learning. Participants were trained to analyse question patterns, identify distractors, and approach problems logically.
The sessions also provided a structured overview of English literary history, criticism, and theoretical movements, helping participants develop a conceptual framework of the discipline. Career planning advice included time management, growth mindset development, and building a distinctive academic voice.
Overall, these sessions combined motivation with method, offering clarity, confidence, and direction for long-term academic growth.
✨Acknowledgement:
I sincerely express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who contributed to the successful organisation of this workshop. I am especially thankful to Prof. (Dr.) Dilip Barad, Head of the Department of English and Workshop Convenor at Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University, for his visionary leadership and academic guidance.
I also extend my appreciation to the Co-convenors, Ms. Megha Trivedi and Ms. Prakruti Bhatt, for their dedicated coordination and unwavering support throughout the programme. Finally, I gratefully acknowledge the support of the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat, Government of Gujarat, whose patronage made this enriching academic experience possible.
Thank you.....✨