Doctoral and Academic Writing in Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Profession

Principal Investigators: Dr Marion Waite

Funded by: (OHBRC)

About us

Validating the Doctoral and Academic Writing in Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Profession (DAWNMAHP) survey questionnaire for writing group interventions.

This project addresses a significant gap in doctoral education research by creating a reliable tool to measure the impact of writing group interventions on writers’ development. The Doctoral and Academic Writing in Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Profession (DAWNMAHP) tool has been designed with input from stakeholders, disciplinary writing experts, alumni, and doctoral students. It has been piloted, demonstrating strong reliability across 5 key domains: time management, writing process, identity, social domains, and relational agency.

Research impact

Writing a doctorate is a complex process requiring stamina, resilience, and advanced knowledge. It is emotionally demanding and time-consuming. While writing groups can offer practical and psychological support, robust research instruments are lacking to assess how these groups benefit Nursing, Midwifery, and Allied Health Professionals (NMAHPs).

DAWNMAHP is a reliable and valid tool for measuring writing development within writing group interventions. An additional finding suggests that NMAHP doctoral writers could utilise DAWNMAHP as a learning resource, as it enhances their self-awareness regarding their writing development.

The DAWNMAHP tool will impact writing group intervention facilitators who aim to examine their effectiveness in developing doctoral writing for NMAHPs. Furthermore, the DAWNHAHP tool will benefit doctoral and early career researchers in evaluating their writing processes.

Leadership

Helen Aveyard

Dr Helen Aveyard

Principal Lecturer - Education and Student Experience Programme Lead for the Professional Doctorate in Nursing & Midwifery and MSc in Applied Health Research

View profile for Helen Aveyard

Karen Moya Lascelles

Dr Karen Lascelles Lascelles DNurs, MSc, PGcert, RMN

Senior Lecturer Mental Health Nursing

View profile for Karen Lascelles Lascelles DNurs, MSc, PGcert, RMN

Membership

Staff

Name Role Email
Dr Marion Waite Associate Professor of Nursing Academic Development mwaite@brookes.ac.uk