Academic Writing Workshop 2026

This blog reflects of  the National Workshop on Academic Writing – 2026 organised by the Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University in collaboration with the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG),  Government of Gujarat. Conducted over five intellectually intensive days, The workshop brought together well-known scholars to discuss important topics such as academic writing, the ethical use of artificial intelligence, research methods, publication practices , UGC NET preparation, and career planning in academia. Overall , the session significantly enhanced my critical thinking, methodological awareness, and self-assurance as a developing researcher.

Inaugural Ceremony

The workshop commenced with a formal inaugural ceremony attended by university dignitaries, faculty members, research scholars, and students. The welcome address by Prof. (Dr.) Dilip Barad outlined the vision of the workshop—balancing natural intelligence with artificial intelligence while reinforcing the ethical foundations of academic practice. The plenary talks by Prof. (Dr.) Paresh Joshi and Dr. Kalyan Chattopadhyay contextualised academic writing within broader historical and educational traditions, emphasising human creativity, multilingual knowledge systems, and the evolving demands of contemporary scholarship.

The inaugural ceremony was graced by several distinguished dignitaries, including 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 the invited resource persons, Prof. (Dr.) Paresh Joshi and Dr. Kalyan Chattopadhyay.

The welcome address was delivered by Prof. (Dr.) Dilip Barad, who clearly outlined the vision and objectives of the workshop. He spoke about the contemporary academic need to maintain a balance between natural intelligence and artificial intelligence. He also explained the structure of the programme, which was designed to develop academic writing skills, promote the ethical use of AI, strengthen research aptitude, provide guidance for NET/JRF preparation, and contribute to the creation of a digital resource hub for English studies.

In the first plenary lecture, Prof. (Dr.) Paresh Joshi discussed the historical development of writing and highlighted the importance of safeguarding human creativity and critical thinking in the era of artificial and generative intelligence. He emphasised that academic writing plays a central role in shaping professionals in the fields of language and literature.

The second plenary lecture was delivered by Dr. Kalyan Chattopadhyay, who traced the tradition of academic writing in India from ancient knowledge systems to modern educational frameworks such as NEP 2020 and NCF 2023. He stressed the value of multilingualism, indigenous knowledge traditions, and inclusive academic practices in contemporary education.

Dr. Kishor Joshi, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, presented important statistical observations regarding research productivity, publication standards, and research funding in India. He underlined the responsibility of teachers and researchers in improving academic writing standards and raising the overall quality of research.

The inaugural ceremony concluded with the presentation of tokens of appreciation to the invited speakers by the Honourable Vice-Chancellor, followed by a formal vote of thanks expressing gratitude to all dignitaries, organisers, participants, and student volunteers.

DAY 1:  First Session

Session Title: Academic Writing and Prompt Engineering

Date: 27 January 2026

Resource Person: Prof. (Dr.) Paresh Joshi, Professor, Department of English, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat

The session focsed on the  Academic Writing and Prompt Engineering. It commenced with a formal introduction of the resource person, Prof. Joshi, who possesses over twenty years of experience in teaching and research. His significant contributions to English Language Teaching, Applied Linguistics, Phonetics, and Academic Writing were briefly acknowledged before he began his lecture.

In the initial segment of the session, Prof. Joshi elaborated on the fundamental characteristics of academic writing. He distinguished it clearly from creative or literary writing by comparing an encyclopaedia entry on London with a poem by William Wordsworth. Through this comparison, he explained that academic writing belongs to the domain of knowledge production and must therefore remain objective, logical, factual, and supported by evidence, whereas literary writing is primarily imaginative and expressive.

He further described academic writing as a scholarly dialogue. According to him, a researcher begins by engaging with existing scholarship through a review of literature, then presents established viewpoints, analyses them critically, and ultimately contributes original insights grounded in evidence. He also outlined the stages involved in academic writing, including planning, drafting, peer review, revision, proofreading, submission, and responding to feedback.

Using clear and accessible examples, he highlighted essential principles of effective academic writing: maintaining a formal tone, ensuring clarity, avoiding unnecessary wordiness, achieving precision, organising ideas logically, presenting balanced claims, and developing a clear and focused thesis statement.

In the latter part of the session, Prof. Joshi introduced Prompt Engineering as a significant skill in the context of Artificial Intelligence. He defined it as the practice of framing clear and specific instructions to AI tools in order to generate accurate and relevant responses. Various prompting strategies—such as zero-shot, one-shot, few-shot, chain-of-thought, role-based, and audience-specific prompting—were explained with practical illustrations.

Importantly, he stressed the ethical and responsible use of AI in academic contexts. He cautioned against excessive reliance on AI-generated content and emphasised the necessity of verifying information, as AI systems may produce inaccurate or misleading responses. Students were encouraged to use AI tools for supportive functions such as proofreading, editing, and brainstorming, while ensuring that critical thinking and originality remain central to their work.

The session concluded with interactive feedback from participants, who appreciated the clarity of explanation, practical demonstrations, and balanced perspective on AI. Overall, the lecture provided a comprehensive understanding of academic writing practices and reinforced the importance of using AI tools responsibly and ethically in scholarly research.

DAY 1: SECOND SESSION 

Session Title: Academic Writing in English for Advanced Learners – I & II

Dates: 27 January 2026 – 28 January 2026

Resource Person: Dr. Kalyan Chattopadhyay, Author, ELT Specialist, and UGC Master Trainer from Bankim Sardar College, University of Calcutta, Kolkata.

2. Video : Dr. Kalyan Chattopadhyay | Session 3 & 4 | National Workshop on Academic Writing | English - MKBU

The two sessions delivered by Dr. Kalyan Chattopadhyay were intellectually substantial and methodologically rigorous, focusing on the processes through which academic knowledge is constructed, articulated, and substantiated in research writing. Collectively, the sessions offered a comprehensive understanding of academic writing as both a formal discipline and a rhetorical practice.

At the outset, Dr. Chattopadhyay identified four fundamental characteristics of academic writing—formality, objectivity, clarity, and precision—and demonstrated how these qualities are reflected in tone, lexical choice, syntactic structure, citation practices, and impersonal style. He emphasised the importance of clearly defining research problems, hypotheses, and research questions, and of interpreting data through analytical reasoning rather than personal opinion. Participants were advised to avoid assertive or absolute expressions and instead adopt appropriate hedging strategies where claims require caution.

The sessions further provided a detailed examination of the structure of research articles, highlighting the essential distinction between presenting findings and offering interpretation. Dr. Chattopadhyay underscored the necessity of evidence-based argumentation, methodological rigour, and triangulation, along with transparent reporting of participants, instruments, and procedures. Through examples drawn from participants’ research proposals and sample articles, he illustrated the importance of coherent organisation, systematic signposting, and disciplined citation practices.

A significant segment of the sessions addressed the concept of authorial representation in academic discourse. Drawing upon Ken Hyland’s theory of authorial identity, Dr. Chattopadhyay explained that academic writing is not entirely impersonal; rather, scholars must make conscious decisions regarding the degree of visibility they assume in their texts. He demonstrated how researchers articulate their objectives, describe methodological approaches, and interpret results, encouraging participants to reflect critically on the use of first-person pronouns. The strategic deployment of authorial voice was presented as a means of strengthening clarity, accountability, and scholarly authority without undermining formal conventions.

Participants were also guided to revise their own work to clarify authorial roles, particularly within abstracts, results, and conclusion sections. Passive constructions were contrasted with more direct formulations in order to evaluate the implications of writer visibility. Variations in disciplinary conventions were acknowledged, recognising that standards of authorial presence differ across academic fields.

Considerable attention was devoted to the practice of hedging, which was described as indispensable in scholarly writing, given that research claims are rarely absolute. Through examples from published studies, Dr. Chattopadhyay illustrated how modal expressions and cautious phrasing enable writers to present arguments responsibly, acknowledge limitations, and maintain intellectual balance. Participants examined how hedging varies across sections of a research paper and how both excessive and insufficient hedging may weaken argumentative force.

Another central theme was academic attribution and citation. Citation was presented not merely as a formal requirement but as a rhetorical strategy for positioning one’s research within existing scholarly conversations. The distinction between integral and non-integral citation was clarified, along with the effective use of reporting verbs and the importance of synthesising sources rather than listing them sequentially. Particular emphasis was placed on mapping the literature review to identify research gaps, theoretical debates, and scholarly alignments.

In the concluding segment, participants were instructed on composing effective conclusions that synthesise findings, articulate the significance of the research, and responsibly assert interpretative claims. They were also encouraged to adapt their authorial stance in accordance with journal expectations while maintaining a coherent scholarly identity.

Overall, the sessions deepened participants’ understanding of academic writing as a disciplined, analytical, and rhetorically informed practice. They enhanced participants’ ability to articulate a research voice, employ hedging judiciously, and apply systematic attribution strategies, thereby strengthening both the clarity and credibility of their scholarly work.

Day 2 – Second Session | Day Three – Second Session

Session Title: Academic Writing and BAWE Corpus – I & II

Dates: 28 January 2026 – 29 January 2026

Mode: Online

Resource Person: Dr. Clement Ndoricimpa , eacher-Researcher and Lecturer at École Normale Supérieure du Burundi (Burundi Higher Institute of Education), East Africa.

1. Video: Dr. Clement Ndoricimpa | Academic Writing Workshop | English - MKBU

2.Video: Dr. Clement Ndoricimpa - 2 | National Workshop on Academic Writing | English - MKBU

The session conducted by Dr. Clement Ndoricimpa centred on equipping research scholars with the knowledge and skills required to prepare manuscripts suitable for publication in journals indexed in Scopus and the Web of Science. The discussions were detailed, practice-oriented, and addressed both the procedural and ethical aspects of academic publishing. Major themes included understanding indexed journals, organising research articles effectively, maintaining appropriate academic language, ensuring ethical use of artificial intelligence, avoiding plagiarism, and managing references systematically.

Dr. Ndoricimpa commenced by explaining the significance of Scopus and Web of Science as leading abstracting and citation databases that index peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings across diverse disciplines. He noted that publication in indexed journals enhances academic visibility, citation impact, professional credibility, funding prospects, and career progression. Emphasis was placed on the rigorous quality standards maintained by such journals and the necessity for researchers to align their work with these expectations.

The session subsequently examined the structural framework of a strong research article. Although acknowledging disciplinary differences, Dr. Ndoricimpa explained that most high-quality papers follow the IMRD model—Introduction, Methodology, Results, and Discussion. Particular attention was given to the Introduction, described as the most decisive section because it shapes the reviewer’s and reader’s initial evaluation of the study.

He elaborated on the widely recognised three-move model of writing an effective introduction. The first move establishes the research domain by presenting the topic as significant and situating it within prior scholarship. The second move identifies a research gap by highlighting limitations, unresolved issues, or areas requiring further investigation. The third move addresses this gap by clearly stating the objective and scope of the current study. He provided standard academic expressions associated with each stage and underscored the importance of maintaining logical coherence throughout.

Throughout the lecture, Dr. Ndoricimpa repeatedly addressed a recurring weakness in participant drafts: insufficient citation. He stressed that general claims must always be supported by credible references, as unsupported assertions undermine academic reliability. Participants were advised to engage with current and relevant literature, since reliance on outdated sources diminishes scholarly value.

Attention was also given to the linguistic features of academic writing. The speaker emphasised the use of formal, precise, and coherent language, demonstrating how logical connectors contribute to argumentative clarity. Participants were cautioned against vague statements and unsupported generalisations, and were encouraged to employ discipline-specific terminology appropriately.

A distinct segment was devoted to the responsible use of artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, and Perplexity. Dr. Ndoricimpa acknowledged the ongoing debate surrounding AI in academia, recognising both its potential benefits and associated risks. He clarified that AI may assist with editing, grammar correction, and structural refinement, but should not replace independent scholarly thinking or generate original research content. The responsibility for intellectual ownership, he affirmed, must remain entirely with the researcher.

The issue of plagiarism was addressed with particular seriousness. Defined as the misappropriation of another’s ideas or language without proper acknowledgment, plagiarism was described as a grave breach of academic ethics. Dr. Ndoricimpa explained that indexed journals routinely conduct similarity checks prior to peer review and that manuscripts with high similarity indices are rejected immediately.

The session concluded with guidance on citation practices and reference management. Mendeley was introduced as a practical tool for organising references and ensuring consistency across citation styles, including APA, MLA, Chicago, and Vancouver. Participants were shown how to install the software, register independently, import references, and verify bibliographic details to prevent technical inaccuracies.

Beyond its instructional value, the session held personal academic resonance. The speaker reflected on earlier academic engagements with Dr. Ndoricimpa, tracing a progression from foundational training in objectivity and coherence during undergraduate studies to more advanced instruction in argumentation and theoretical positioning at the postgraduate level. Re-engaging with his guidance during AWW 2026 reinforced both the technical standards required for indexed publication and the ethical responsibility intrinsic to serious scholarship.

The lecture concluded with constructive feedback on participant writing and appreciation for their active involvement. Overall, the session offered thorough and practical insight into preparing research papers for indexed journals, understanding editorial expectations, maintaining academic integrity, employing AI responsibly, and managing references accurately, thereby substantially enhancing participants’ preparedness for scholarly publication.

Day 3 First Session 

Session Title: Detecting AI Hallucination and Using AI with Integrity 

Date: 29 January 2026

Resource Person: Prof. (Dr.) Nigam Dave , Professor,

School of Liberal Studies (SLS), Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

The Session Focused on the risks, limitations, and ethical responsibilities associated with the use of Artificial Intelligence in academic research and writing. Prof. Nigam Dave provided a critical overview of how AI systems function, why they may generate misleading content in scholarly contexts, and how they may nevertheless be employed responsibly under careful human supervision.

At the outset, Prof. Dave established a personal rapport with the department, referring to it as his academic home. He emphasised that although Artificial Intelligence is a powerful and transformative tool, its limitations must be clearly understood. Invoking a classical scholarly principle, he reminded participants that information must be verified rather than accepted uncritically, cautioning against the contemporary tendency to prioritise speed and convenience over reflection and accuracy.

Tracing the historical development of knowledge transmission, Prof. Dave moved from the oral traditions of Shruti and Smriti to the era of print culture, libraries, cinema, television, and finally the digital age. He observed that earlier generations were shaped by sustained reading practices and deep engagement with physical texts, whereas contemporary learners operate within an environment of rapid information exchange and reduced attention spans. The rise of algorithm-driven platforms and instant digital access, he noted, has fostered habits of immediacy that may undermine critical depth and intellectual patience.

The discussion then shifted to the broader academic and industrial landscape, referencing concepts such as University 4.0 and Industry 5.0, where artificial, cyber, and physical systems intersect. Prof. Dave described the present context as one of Human–Cyber–Physical Systems, insisting that human beings must remain central in decision-making processes. Technology, he argued, should enhance intellectual work rather than replace it, and the ethical use of AI is therefore indispensable.

A central theme of the lecture was the phenomenon of AI hallucination, defined as the production of fabricated or inaccurate information presented in a confident and convincing manner. Prof. Dave explained that AI systems operate on probabilistic language models that predict likely word sequences rather than verify factual accuracy. Consequently, AI-generated responses may appear authoritative while lacking reliability, posing significant risks in academic writing where precision and credibility are essential.

He observed that disciplines such as English studies may be particularly susceptible to such distortions, as literary scholarship often involves interpretative argumentation and abstract reasoning. AI systems can easily imitate this discursive style, producing fluent and persuasive prose that may conceal factual inaccuracies. Such outputs, he suggested, may appear meaningful yet lack substantive grounding.

Prof. Dave identified indicators of potential AI hallucination, including unsupported generalisations and vague references to unnamed studies or scholars. He addressed the problem of fabricated citations, wherein AI may invent journal articles, misattribute ideas, or generate incorrect bibliographic details. Drawing upon personal research experiences, he demonstrated instances of fabricated textual references and historical inaccuracies, illustrating the necessity of independent verification.

The issue of bias in AI systems was also examined. Prof. Dave explained that AI reflects the biases embedded in its training data and may therefore reproduce gendered, cultural, or historical distortions. This reality underscores that AI systems are not neutral instruments but require critical evaluation by informed users.

Despite these concerns, Prof. Dave maintained that AI should not be rejected outright. Rather, it must be integrated into academic practice with caution and discernment. He outlined appropriate applications of AI, including language editing, formatting references, assessing the coherence of research ideas, preparing for academic presentations, verifying journal credentials, and identifying predatory publications. In such contexts, AI functions as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for scholarly reasoning.

He cautioned that AI should never be employed to construct core research arguments, generate interpretations, or fabricate citations. Intellectual responsibility must remain with the researcher, and human oversight is essential to ensure academic integrity. Without such vigilance, AI may produce persuasive yet unreliable narratives.

The session concluded with a reflection on the enduring principle that knowledge requires sound judgment and verification. Participants engaged actively in discussion and acknowledged the depth and relevance of the lecture. Overall, the session presented a balanced and critical perspective on Artificial Intelligence, encouraging scholars to combine technological competence with ethical awareness, intellectual responsibility, and sustained critical inquiry.

DAY 4 & 5

Session Title: From Classroom to an Academic Career

Dates: 30 January 2026 – 31 January 2026

Resource Person: Dr. Kalyani Vallath , CEO and Founder, Vallath Education, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

Video 1: : Dr Kalyani Vallath - Part 1/4 | National Workshop on Academic Writing | English - MKBU 

Video 2:  Dr Kalyani Vallath - Part 2/4 | English - MKBU 

Video : Dr Kalyani Vallath - Part 3/4 | English - MKBU

Video : Dr Kalyani Vallath - Part 4/4 | English - MKBU

The two-day sessions conducted by Dr. Kalyani Vallath constituted one of the most rigorous and comprehensive segments of the workshop. Integrating academic writing, UGC NET preparation, literary studies, and long-term academic planning, the sessions reflected a systematic pedagogical approach aimed at cultivating both scholarly competence and a disciplined academic outlook.

For the participant, these sessions held particular intellectual significance. Having previously attended Dr. Vallath’s lecture during postgraduate study and subsequently engaging with her online courses and academic resources, this renewed interaction represented a continuation of sustained academic mentorship. Such continuity strengthened not only technical proficiency but also a consistent and reflective approach to learning.

Dr. Vallath commenced by asserting that education should inspire intellectual curiosity rather than merely transmit information. Learning, she suggested, must stimulate inquiry, confidence, and self-motivation. This foundational principle shaped the tone of the sessions and encouraged participants to assume responsibility for their own academic development.

A substantial portion of the discussion was devoted to academic writing and the cultivation of an appropriate scholarly mindset. Dr. Vallath dispelled the misconception that effective writing is an innate talent, emphasising instead that it is a skill developed through persistent practice, structured thinking, and strategic organisation. She presented writing as a process that originates in inquiry, evolves through analysis and illustration, and is refined through systematic revision. Participants were encouraged to adopt a growth-oriented perspective, recognising that clarity emerges through sustained engagement with the writing process itself.

Practical methodologies such as free writing, reverse planning, mind mapping, and structured goal-setting were introduced as tangible strategies to enhance productivity. Reverse planning, in particular, involved identifying a final academic objective and then tracing backward to determine relevant theoretical frameworks, authors, and critical arguments. Artificial Intelligence was acknowledged as a supportive instrument for outlining and identifying alternative perspectives; however, it was clearly positioned as an auxiliary tool rather than a substitute for independent reasoning.

The sessions also provided focused guidance on UGC NET preparation. Dr. Vallath clarified that the examination primarily assesses reasoning ability and conceptual understanding rather than rote memorisation. She explained that a significant portion of the test evaluates analytical thinking, inference, and clarity of judgment. Through systematic analysis of question patterns and distractor mechanisms, she demonstrated how candidates can approach complex questions with logical precision and composure. Participants were advised to adopt a reflective and pedagogically informed perspective while selecting responses.

An additional dimension of the sessions involved a structured overview of English literary history and critical theory. Dr. Vallath outlined the progression of English literature from its early epic traditions to later historical phases, including the Renaissance and subsequent global developments. She also introduced foundational concepts in literary criticism, tracing theoretical developments from classical thinkers to modern and contemporary frameworks. Structuralism, Poststructuralism, Feminism, and Postcolonialism were discussed in a concise yet conceptually coherent manner, enabling participants to perceive the interconnections among literary movements and theoretical paradigms.

Career planning and professional development were also addressed. Dr. Vallath emphasised the importance of time management, academic organisation, and the cultivation of an authentic scholarly voice. Participants were encouraged to construct a coherent academic portfolio and to avoid unnecessarily complex stylistic imitation. The concept of the Zone of Proximal Development was discussed as a framework for sustained intellectual growth through incremental challenges beyond one’s comfort zone.

The sessions concluded with the reflection that genuine education transforms both intellectual capacity and personal outlook. Dr. Vallath’s guidance equipped participants with practical strategies for writing, examination preparation, and theoretical comprehension, while also fostering clarity of purpose and academic self-belief. Overall, the sessions were intellectually stimulating, practically valuable, and deeply formative, leaving a lasting impact on participants’ scholarly trajectories.

DAY 6 

Session Title: Multimodal E-Content for a Digital Resource Hub

Dates: 1 February 2026

Resource Person: Dr. Dilip Barad Professor & Head Department of English Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India

The session examined the transformation of academic pedagogy within the framework of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, with particular attention to adult learning, digital content development, and the ethical incorporation of Artificial Intelligence. The speaker outlined the three principal stages of the week-long workshop: strengthening academic writing skills, facilitating career-oriented learning and NET preparation, and engaging participants in practical content creation for undergraduate learners.

A central premise of the lecture was that pedagogy must remain the guiding force behind technological integration. The speaker distinguished among pedagogy, andragogy, and heutagogy, emphasising the evolving needs of adult and self-directed learners. Learner autonomy, intellectual maturity, and discovery-oriented education were presented as essential principles in contemporary higher education. The proposal for establishing a Digital Resource Hub was justified in light of shifting learner expectations, irregular classroom attendance, skill-based curricular demands, and the growing influence of AI-driven knowledge environments.

The session also demonstrated the responsible application of AI tools, particularly NotebookLM, in the creation of structured and source-based academic materials. The tool was presented as pedagogically dependable because it operates strictly within uploaded documents, thereby enabling verification and reducing the risk of fabricated information. Participants were shown how AI can assist in generating multimodal educational resources, including textual modules, audio content, video materials, infographics, conceptual maps, assessment tasks, and guided discussion questions.

An innovative proposal discussed during the session was the introduction of a “Fifth Quadrant” to complement the existing four-quadrant SWAYAM model. This additional component integrates AI-supported activities designed to promote analytical reasoning, dialogue, reflective learning, and self-evaluation. Rather than encouraging passive consumption of content, the model positions students as active contributors who generate blogs, visual materials, and digital resources, thereby cultivating practical academic and technological competencies.

The session concluded with the affirmation that Artificial Intelligence does not diminish the value of education nor replace human intellect. Instead, when employed with ethical awareness and pedagogical clarity, AI can enhance personalised learning experiences, sustain critical inquiry, and equip learners to meet emerging academic and professional demands responsibly.

Thank You......!!