Academic Writing in the Natural and Life Sciences

Writing is an essential part of the successful researcher’s skillset. However, writing at the standard necessary to publish in peer-reviewed journals can be challenging. This two-day writing workshop is for doctoral researchers in the life and natural sciences who wish to improve their academic writing skills in English.

This hands-on workshop will delve into the structure of English papers and abstracts, focusing on how you can improve the style and readability of your academic texts. You are encouraged to bring a sample of your current writing, which will serve as a foundation for peer review activities on the workshop's second day. Additionally, please bring an article from your field that you found engaging or from a journal where you aspire to publish. You will have the opportunity to submit your writing to the instructor for personalised feedback and corrections.

Aims
You will acquire the tools and techniques needed to make your English texts more engaging and readable.
By the end of the course and through follow-up coaching, you should have a well-crafted abstract and/or paper introduction ready for the academic world.

Participants will learn the tools and techniques that make English text more engaging and readable. Ideally everyone should come away from the course and the follow-up coaching with a well-written abstract and/or introduction to a paper.

Contents 
The writing process and techniques to overcome writer’s block and
procrastination
Cultural differences in writing and reader expectations
Introducing a narrative structure into an academic text
Structuring an English paper
Composing well-structured paragraphs and sentences
Finding your scholarly voice and writing with authority
Writing compelling titles and abstracts
Identifying typical mistakes and how to avoid them
Punctuating an English text
Self-editing and concise writing
Resources to support your writing
Peer review feedback and feedback from the instructor

Methods
This workshop is intended to be lively with plenty of discussion, pair work and group exercises. There will be time on the second day for participants to focus on their personal writing projects. Participants will also receive individual feedback and corrections on their writing following the workshop.

Target Group: doctoral researchers