As faculty, we are professional writers but many of us don’t enjoy the process and find writing one of the most difficult aspects of our jobs. In this two-part workshop, we will explore elements of scientific writing, focusing on manuscripts, and provide structure and guidance to enhance your productivity.

Agenda

The workshop is structured with two sections. You may sign up for either one or both sections.

Morning Session: Write those manuscripts effectively.

8:30 – 10:10                Manuscript structure: Whether you’ve written 1 manuscript or 300, your next manuscript could be better than the last. What are ways that you can make your manuscript more appealing to editors and reviewers?

10:10 – 10:20              BREAK

10:20 – 11:30              Editorial and review process: What journals should I publish in? What happens to my manuscript once I submit it? My paper was rejected despite good reviews: why? What can I do about it? What makes a good review?

11:30 – 12:30              LUNCH (provided to all)

Afternoon Session: Write well. Write efficiently.

12:30 – 1:45                Writing concisely and clearly (1): Reading comprehension depends on prediction and expectations. Does your writing make reading easy? How can you help the reader understand what you’re trying to say?

1:45 – 1:55                  BREAK

2:05 – 3:10                  Writing concisely and clearly (2): Your paragraph doesn’t flow. What do you do?

3:10 – 3:20                  BREAK

3:20 – 5:00                  Writing for your career: We all must write for our jobs! How do we get that writing done?

Pre-work

Do you have a writing sample that needs a little polishing, or have you come across a poorly written paper? Share your writing sample to potentially be featured as an example. Send your piece to Carrie Jackman-Hoyle. Please mention if you prefer the sample to be anonymous.

Speaker

William (Bill) Miller, MD, PhD, MPH is a Research Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Miller is an infectious disease epidemiologist trained as an infectious diseases physician. His research has focused on HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and substance use. He serves as editor-in-chief for the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases and associate editor for Epidemiology. He serves on the boards for ISSTDR and ASTDA and is the president-elect of the Society for Epidemiologic Research. Bill has taught scientific writing for over 20 years, including global writing workshops in Germany, Malawi, China, and Vietnam.