Dr Neil Kenny's workshop 'Researching and Writing a Thesis: Problems, Method' is designed for the Faculty's DPhil students. All are welcome to attend, at any stage of the year, whatever year they are in, and whether or not they attended in previous years. Over the year we discuss a wide range of problems, techniques, and methods that tend to arise in both the researching and the writing of the kinds of doctorates that are done within the Faculty (with the exception of linguistics, to which the workshop is less well geared).

Each week includes a short presentation (maximum 15 minutes) by a student, that describes how their project came about, its current state, and some of the problems and challenges arising. Presentations do not go into specialist detail; they are not like ones given at a research seminar. Dr Kenny does not give feedback of a specialist nature; he makes clear to students that, in the unlikely event that he inadvertently contradicts a supervisor's advice, they should follow the latter. Apart from perhaps giving one presentation during the year, students do no other preparation: they just turn up.

The workshop meets fortnightly throughout the year (Friday 5.00–6.00pm, even weeks). One of its aims is to enable DPhil students to get to know each other and each others' work. Each session is followed at 6.00pm by a social gathering of the Faculty's postgraduates in the Eagle and Child pub, St Giles, organized by OLGA (Oxford Linguists Graduate Association); please contact Sara-Louise Cooper if you want further information about the gathering.