Writing is a vital part of scientific research, yet many scientists receive no formal training in scientific writing. Instead they are taught to use a variety of instruments and techniques during their university training, many of which they may never use in their subsequent careers. 

Their scientific writing skills often become modelled on the writing styles of their colleagues, so that bad habits or obsolete practices can be perpetuated. Furthermore, scientists for whom English is not their first language may have difficulty in writing at the level of competency required by most international journals.

Globally today the number of scientists is increasing at a much faster rate than the establishment of new journals. Therefore, the competition between scientists to have their papers published is becoming increasingly intense. To maximise the likelihood of a paper being published in a reputable, international journal, it needs to meet three requirements:

1. Scientific content
2. Excellent English
3. The journal’s policies and instructions

The first requirement includes the appropriateness of the research techniques used, the validity of the results achieved and the conclusions reached, the originality of the work and acknowledgement of the work of others. These aspects should be assessed by a colleague or manager who is fully conversant with the field of research and is able to provide professional guidance. This workshop will address the other two requirements, with the focus being on the writing of excellent, scientific English. Most journals specify their requirements in detail on their web site, but the common features of journals’ instructions to authors will be discussed. 

Scientific research demands precision. While scientific writing should reflect this precision in the form of clarity of meaning, this ideal is not often attained. A brilliant project may have been completed, yet, if the results cannot be explained clearly and concisely, and the reader is not convinced of their importance, the work will go unnoticed or undervalued. Therefore, scientific writing should not be an ego trip, where the writer attempts to impress the audience with the use of obscure words and long, convoluted sentences. Instead, the writer must write to attract and engage the audience through the use of straight-forward, technical English.

The workshop will cover the principles and practices of writing for peer-reviewed scientific and engineering journals, including structuring the paper to meet the journal editor’s requirements, integrating illustrations with the text of the paper, and using technical language that is clear, concise and correct.

A bound set of comprehensive course notes will be provided on the day of the course so there will no need for extensive note taking by the participants. Writing and editing exercises are also provided (with model answers). Some of these exercises will be used during the workshop and the remainder may be attempted by participants subsequently to consolidate what has been covered in the workshop.

• Justification for excellence in scientific writing
• Developing the preliminary parts of the paper – title, abstract, keywords
• The main parts of the paper – methods, results, discussion, conclusions
• Correct use of illustrations – tables, graphs, diagrams, photographs
• Applying the widely accepted ‘rules’ of grammar, punctuation and syntax
• Use of language to achieve clarity and conciseness
• Identifying and correcting writing practices that create obstacles for the reader
• Techniques for introducing flow, variety and interest in scientific writing
• Strategies for the writing process, from drafting to submission to a journal
• The typical requirements of journal editors and how to address them

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• explain the importance and value of excellence in scientific writing
• produce a scientific paper which is correctly structured and consistent with the formatting requirements of a journal
• recognise good scientific writing with respect to clarity, precision, correct word usage, grammar, punctuation and the logical flow of ideas, and bring these attributes to your writing
• decide on the most appropriate method of presenting your results, ie as tables, diagrams, graphs, etc
• integrate illustrations with the text in a paper
• introduce variety and readability into writing by using appropriate subdivisions, in the form of headings, subheadings, subsections and paragraphs
• behave ethically by respecting copyright, properly acknowledging the work of others, and avoid plagiarism
• helpfully appraise the written work of colleagues.