Scientific writing and communication

Participants will learn the particularities of writing and presenting scientific studies. Main emphasis will be placed on writing the most common form of publication, i.e. the primary scientific paper.

The course will explain the current structure of scientific literature, the main features of the scientific information ‘industry’, and the particular rules and customs followed by the international scientific community when publishing. Particular attention will be given to little taught aspects of the publication process, such as choosing a suitable forum for a scientific paper, practicalities of preparing and submitting a manuscript, dealing with editors and the printing process. Less emphasis will be placed on grammar and use of English, except for certain details of language use and style.

The correct preparation of figures and tables for publication will be extensively discussed, as well as the different aspects of participating in international conferences (posters, talks, personal interactions).

Following main topics will be covered:
– The scientific literature: structure, purpose, prestige, types of publications
– How to write scientific papers: before you begin
– Basic decisions: what, how, when. Gathering intelligence about the unknown
– Parts of an article: IMRAD
– How to write the main parts of a scientific paper
– Supporting parts and their importance
– Figures and tables
– Submitting a manuscript
– Stages to publication: what happens when and where?
– How to handle the stages of the publication process
– Other types of papers: posters
– Talks and scientific conferences: how to perform and participate?.