Article

Two-day agenda on scientific writing and publishing

Highlights

  • How to get the most out of the writing process
  • Editorial processes and how to work with them
  • What it takes to get published in top-ranked journals


Agenda

Day 1

09:00

Welcome and introductions

09:30

What Makes a Great Paper? – 45 mins
Examples of what top tier journal editors look for in a manuscript

10:15

Practical Exercise 1: You’re the Editor – 15 min

10:30

Figure Presentation – 45 min
An interactive module on designing clear and informative figures and tables

11:15

Break

11:30

Elements of Writing Style – 30 min
The golden rules of writing and structuring the text in your paper

12:30

Practical Exercise 2 : Writing a Title – 15 min

12:45

Lunch

13:45

From Introduction to Conclusion – 45 min
A guide to structuring each part of the paper to facilitate clear writing

14:30

15:45

15:00

Practical Exercise 3: Pitching your Research – 45 min

15:45

Break

16:00

Writing a Review - 30 mins
How to write a Review Article for a top journal

16:30

End of Day and Homework

Homework: Please bring along a printed version of a recent, unpublished paper or conference abstract for the editor to review with you. It needn’t be publishable or in a final form. Try to keep a word limit of 200 words.

Day 2
09:00 Recap and Overview 
09:15
Practical Exercise 1: Reviewing your Abstracts (homework) – 105 min
11:00 Break
11:15 The Editorial Process and Peer Review – 60 min
An overview of editorial processes at top tier journals and of peer-review, tips on writing rebuttal letters when responding to a reviewer’s comments, and how to be a good peer reviewer yourself
12:15 Lunch
13:15 Practical Exercise 2: Assessing Referee Reports – 45 min
14:00 Practical Exercise 3: Assessing the Rebuttal – 30 min
14:30 Break
14:45 Writing a Research Summary – 30 min
Techniques for creating a balanced and engaged summary paragraph
15:15 Plagiarism and Other Ethical Issues – 30 min
Why misconduct happens, what it looks like and what to do about it
15:45 Practical Exercise 4: Best Practice in Scientific Publishing – 30 min
16:15 Discussion and Feedback
16:30 End of day




Two-day workshop on scientific writing and publishing