The impact of an online doctoral writing group: increased confidence, feedback literacy, and wellbeing

Challenges with writing have been identified as a key factor in the timely completion of PhD programs. Doctoral writing groups, where students provide peer feedback on drafts, are increasingly being implemented as a potential solution to support and develop student writing. This paper presents an exploration of the impact of an online doctoral writing group program at a large Australian university. The group supports students in writing a research article for publication in an academic journal and includes both facilitator-led instruction and peer feedback. We explored the group’s impact on the participants’ writing ability, feedback literacy, and general well-being. Data were drawn from two doctoral writing groups and derived from several sources: session transcripts, focus groups, anonymous surveys, student drafts, and published samples of students’ academic journal articles. We found that instruction was key to demystifying the writing process and developing feedback literacy. Furthermore, the online delivery mode provided access to support for cohorts traditionally excluded from these opportunities, as well as a safe space that fostered a sense of well-being. This approach suggests a sustainable and effective model for implementation in graduate programs.