Article

One-day agenda on scientific writing

Highlights

How to write and structure a manuscript
Figure presentation
A ‘live edit’ where, as a group, editors examine selected abstracts submitted by the participants

09:00	Welcome and introductions
09:30	What Makes a Great Paper? – 30 mins Example of what top tier journal editors look for in a manuscript
10:00	Practical Exercise 1: You’re the Editor! – 15 mins
10:15	Elements of Writing Style – 30 mins The golden rules of writing and structuring the text in your paper
10:45	Break
11:00	Titles and Abstracts – 45 mins How to create an engaging and brief Title and Abstract
11:45	Practical Exercise 2: Writing a Title – 15 mins
12:00	Live Edit of Participants’ Abstracts – 30 mins The editors will talk through their edits to a participant’s unpublished abstract (must be provided 4 weeks in advance of the masterclass)
12:30	Lunch
13:30	From Introduction to Conclusion – 30 mins A guide to structuring each part of the paper to facilitate clear writing
14:00	Figure Presentation – 20 mins An interactive module on designing clear and informative figures and tables
14:20	Practical Exercise 3: Improving Figures – 10 mins
14:30	Authorship and Authors’ Responsibilities – 15 mins The contributing criteria for authorship and the responsibilities of an author
14:45	Practical Exercise 4: Who Should Be an Author? – 15 mins
15:00	Break
15:15	Plagiarism and Other Ethical Issues – 30 mins Why misconduct happens, what it looks like and what to do about it
15:45	Practical Exercise 5: Best Practice in Scientific Publishing – 15 mins
16:00	Q&A and feedback
16:30	End of day