Health Sciences Writing Consultants

What kind of assignments do you help with?

Who can use this service?

What do I need to bring to my tutoring session?

What happens during a session?

What happens if we don't finish discussing the project before the session is over?

What if I just need proofreading?

What if I'm an international student whose native language is not English?

How often can I use your service?

Do you work on take-home exams?

How can I let the writing coaching program know if I'm happy with the work they're doing?

What kind of assignments do you help with?
We hold one-on-one appointments on research papers, clinical articles, personal statements, theses, doctoral dissertations, conference papers, proposals, posters, abstracts, and other writing-intensive projects.

Who can use this service?
Current graduate students in the School of Dental Medicine, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, School of Medicine, and School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences.
Undergraduate and graduate students in Arts, Sciences, and Engineering at Tufts can receive writing support through the Academic Resource Center (http://uss.tufts.edu/arc/writingtutoring/default.asp).

What do I need to bring to my tutoring session?
Bring your assignment or guidelines for the project, a hard copy of your document if you have begun writing, and your questions. The more specific your questions, the more we can help you.

What happens during a session?
When we meet with you, we'll ask about your assignment and your questions and concerns, and together we'll determine what needs work and make a plan of action. The sessions are collaborative, meaning it's your session and we rely on you to tell us what you want to work on. On our end, we'll use our experience and the information you give us to figure out the best way to assist you.

What happens if we don't finish discussing the project before the session is over?
Sessions are usually no longer than 45 minutes. This means that we may not have time to go through an entire paper. That is why we start the session asking you about overall concerns and usually focus on those first. If we don't finish, we'll sum up the areas covered in the session and make sure you are set to continue the process of writing or revision on your own. If you'd like, you can register for another session in a few days to talk about how your work has progressed.

What if I just need proofreading?
Our goal is to offer you writing advice and guidance in a comfortable setting and to serve as critical readers who offer suggestions to help you improve your writing overall, beyond the scope of a particular assignment. Because of our teaching mission, we need you to participate fully in the session and we cannot offer proofreading services.

What if I'm an international student whose native language is not English?
We are trained to work with international students on improving their writing skills. For example, we can help you understand your readers' expectations when writing for an American audience, offer advice on reading and improving comprehension, work on identifying grammar errors, and help you self-edit and revise your papers.

How often can I use your service?
You may register or drop-in for one 45-minute session per day, and up to two sessions per week, with a cap of 10 sessions per semester.

Do you work on take-home exams?
If your professor writes us a note saying that you can see a writing consultant while working on a take-home exam, we'll be happy to help. Otherwise, in order to avoid plagiarism and inappropriate collaboration charges, we cannot assist you with exams.

How can I let the writing coaching program know if I'm happy with the work they're doing?
At the end of your  session, please complete the Health Sciences Writing Consultants online survey to let us know how we are doing. You can always email your questions and concerns to Katherine Morley Eramo, Library Administrator, at katherine.morley@tufts.edu  We value your input very much, and constantly look to it for ideas on how to assist the Tufts community better.