Scientific Writing

This workshop focuses on style, process, and narrative in scientific writing. Style refers to writing techniques that allow readers to understand ideas in an efficient and painless way. Process concerns strategies to make everyday research and writing as productive and enjoyable as possible. And narrative is about drawing readers in and sustaining their interest throughout a text. The workshop has the following three strengths compared to comparable offers: First, participants will learn writing and research skills through methodical, replicable steps. For example, they will not just study samples of clear writing but learn a step-by-step system that guides them in transforming a rough passage into a clear one with minimal effort. Second, the slides and handouts draw heavily on sample texts by well-known scholars in the participants’ fields. Hence, rather than seeing generic examples, participants work with “models” that they can freely emulate in their own writing. Third, the workshop always employs guided peer workshopping, allowing participants to apply the principles learned through giving and receiving feedback on their current writing. The workshop combines brief lectures, group discussions, writing and editing exercises, and text-workshopping sessions—during which the instructor can also give a bit of individual feedback. Participants will also receive handouts, suggested readings, and additional advice on resources to further improve their writing on their own.Registration will be possible from mid-July.