Looking for a place to write your dissertation?
Do you want to be surrounded by others working on the same task? Whether you are an archaeologist, an (art) historian, a musicologist, or a philologist, – whether you are at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of your doctoral project – writing is one of the most challenging tasks. To make it more enjoyable, structured, and supportive, we would like to invite you to our Writing Wednesdays! 

We meet every Wednesday from 10:00 to 17:00  and from 18:00 to 22:00 in the DSHCS meeting room to write together. The day session is structured into two focused writing blocks (2–2.5 hours each) with a social coffee/tea break in between. Coffee and tea will, of course, be provided.

Monthly Input Sessions on Academic Writing: AI in Academia

Once a month, Writing Wednesdays begins with a 2-hour input session on a key aspect of academic writing by coach Dr. Claudia Macho.  Participants are warmly encouraged to stay afterwards and continue writing in the group for the rest of the day. The focus of this semester's monthly input sessions is on AI in Academia

• 18 March 2026: Legal and ethical issues surrounding the use of AI in academic research
  
  
• 15 April 2026: What kinds of data do AI models such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini retain in the background, and how can we ensure the protection of sensitive research information when using these tools? 
  
  
• 13 May 2026: How do AI systems like ChatGPT actually generate their responses? What sources or types of information can generative AI draw on when producing an answer? (This is a crucial question for researchers.)
  
  
• 17 June 2026: What elements make up an effective prompt, and how can we use prompt design to directly influence the quality of the output?

Writing Wednesdays is a peer-initiative by Lonneke Delpeut, Erika Meneghini, Manlu Wang, and Doralice Klainscek the PhD Lounge Vienna @dshcs. If you have questions or ideas regarding Writing Wednesdays or want to support them in organizing the format, you are most welcome to contact them via phdlounge.hkw@univie.ac.at