ACADEMIC WRITING
Tutor: Dr. Kali Tal (kali.tal@unibe.ch)
Registration for UniBE affiliates: via ILIAS link in course description
Registration for externals: registration form
Policy Academic Writing Service (PDF) | Fees (PDF)
Overview
- Jan 31, 13:00-16:00
Writing the Methods & Results Sections of a Scientific Paper
- Feb 21, 13:00-16:00
Speed Up the Writing Process: Outlining the Scientific Paper
- Mar 7, 13:00-16:00
Improve Your Scientific Writing in English: Focus on the Paragraph
- Mar 21, 13:00-16:00
Writing the Discussion Section of a Scientific Paper
- Mar 28, 13:00-16:00
Writing the Introduction to a Scientific Paper
- Apr 4, 08:30-12:00
Organizing and Writing Your Master’s Thesis in Medicine: Streamlining the process (2.1)
- Apr 11, 13:00-16:00
Reporting Qualitative Research in Scientific Papers
- Apr 19, 08:30-12:00
Organizing and Writing Your Master’s Thesis in Medicine: Streamlining the process (2.1)
- Apr 25, 13:00-16:00
Introduction to Grant Writing
- May 2, 08:30-12:00
Master’s / Doctor‘s Thesis Writing Workshop (2.2)
- May 9, 13:00-15:00
Managing Co-Authors and the Ethics of Authorship
- May 23, 13:-16:00
Effective Tables, Figures & Slides: Basic Graphic Design for Scientist
- May 30, 13:00-15:00
Submitting Your Scientific article and Responding to reviewers
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January 31, 13:00-16:00 - Writing the Methods & Results Sections of a Scientific Paper
This course offers a set of evidence-based rules for writing clear and consistent Methods and Results sections, creating structure and relieving anxiety about the scientific writing process. You will learn skills and become acquainted with tools that enable you to start writing your Methods section early in your research process, and to incrementally build Results sections that match your methods. You will benefit most from this course if you a medical researcher or clinician who must write articles, reports, or grant applications, whether your are currently working on or planning a research project.
Course information | Direct registration link
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February 21, 13:00-16:00: Speed Up the Writing Process: Outlining the Scientific Paper
Learn to effectively use MS Word and other outliners to organize your writing process and smooth your collaboration with co-authors. Integrate guidelines, notes, and citations into your outline to cut your writing your time in half. Outlining is a useful skill for writing scientific papers in English and makes the writing process more efficient. It's commonly taught in North America, but rarely taught in Europe. The outlining process begins long before the article is written, and helps scientists keep track of completed and pending writing tasks. This course demonstrates the use of the outline function of your word processor to structure and continuously revise the format of your paper (or other scientific documents) from first steps to final revisions. It will also be useful when you respond to reviewers.
Course information | Direct registration
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March 7, 13:00-16:00: Improve Your Scientific Writing in English: Focus on the Paragraph.
Designed for researchers or clinicians who want to improve their English-language writing skills. This course focuses on writing proper paragraphs, which are the building blocks of English argumentation. Many other languages, like German, can express complex ideas and multiple relationships within a single sentence, but good English writing requires thinking and writing in shorter sentences within a disciplined paragraph structure. This is not a simple grammar course---you will learn advanced techniques for writing excellent paragraphs and organizing them into a strong and persuasive argument.
Course information | Direct registration
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March 21, 13:00-16:00: Writing the Discussion Section of a Scientific Paper
Many researchers and clinicians find writing the Discussion the most complicated and challenging part of writing a scientific paper. This course offers you clear, evidence-based rules for writing your Discussion, so you are always sure what belongs in this section… and what does not. You will learn the function of each paragraph in a Discussion section. The course is designed for medical researchers or clinicians who must write articles, reports, or who wish to submit grant applications. (Students who have already completed their data analysis will get the most out of this course.)
Course information | Direct registration
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March 28, 13:00-16:00: Writing the Introduction to a Scientific Paper
This course guides you through the process of writing an Introduction for a scientific paper, paragraph by paragraph. You’ll learn what goes into an Introduction and what does not, when to start writing it, and how to trim it to meet your word count. You’ll also learn what literature to cite in your Introduction and why, and how to craft a proper narrative arc.
Course information | Direct registration
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April 04, 08:30-12:00 - Organizing and Writing Your Master’s Thesis in Medicine: Streamlining the process (2.1)
This course will guide you through the process of writing your Master’s thesis, whether it is a stand-alone thesis or a scientific article for a scholarly journal. The course is example- based, so you do not need to have started your thesis or paper (more info see flyer)
Place: Universität Mittelstrasse | Course information and registration: KSL 456772
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April 11, 13:00-16:00: Reporting Qualitative Research in Scientific Papers
This course covers guidelines and best practices for reporting qualitative research in scientific papers, with a focus on medicine and health science research. Whether you are writing qualitative papers or papers that report on both qualitative and quantitative findings, this course will help you organize the process of reporting methods and results and interpreting your findings.
Course information | Direct registration
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April 19, 08:30-12:00 - Organizing and Writing Your Master’s Thesis in Medicine: Streamlining the process (2.1)
This course will guide you through the process of writing your Master’s thesis, whether it is a stand-alone thesis or a scientific article for a scholarly journal. The course is example- based, so you do not need to have started your thesis or paper (more info see flyer)
Place: Universität Mittelstrasse | Course information and registration: KSL 456772
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April 25, 13:00-16:00: Introduction to Grant Writing
What do funders want to see in your grant application? This course will help you figure that out and tell your scientific story so that the importance and urgency of your project is vividly clear to funders. It will introduce all aspects of grant writing, from choosing the right grant, writing short and long proposals, and presenting your work to a review board. This is essential information for any medical or health science researcher or clinician who will need to write a grant application and applies to most grants and funding proposals. This is a good introductory workshop for researchers who will also take more advanced workshops targeted to specific grants.
Course information | Direct registration
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May 05, 08:30-12:00 - Master’s / Doctor‘s Thesis Writing Workshop (2.2)
This course is open to students who are already working on their Master’s thesis or dissertation and who have partial manuscript drafts. Drafts must be submitted to the tutor two weeks prior to the course date. The tutor will work with students individually and in small groups to improve the manuscript and plan its completion. Students who complete the course will leave with a more complete manuscript and clear strategy for finishing the work that remains. Flyer
Place: Universität Mittelstrasse | Course information and registration: KSL 475330
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May 9, 13:00-15:00 - Managing Co-Authors and the Ethics of Authorship
Writers often have questions about the nature of authorship, the requirements for inclusion as an author, and the ordering of authors. Collaborating with other authors is also sometimes a challenge. This course is designed to help you with both practical and ethical aspects of authoring. It introduces checklists and organizational tools to help you communicate with co-authors, set and keep deadlines, document contributions, resolve conflicts, and ensure authors and their institutions receive proper credit for their work. This course is especially useful for first and last authors, but authors in any position (and future authors) can benefit from it.
Course information | Direct registration
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May 23, 13:00-16:00 - Effective Tables, Figures & Slides: Basic Graphic Design for Scientist
Researchers present visual data to make concepts and information easier for their audiences to grasp, but few researchers are taught basic principles of graphic design. This course will quickly familiarize you with best practices in the aesthetics of data presentation, including the use of color, images, animations, and other tips and tricks for making sure that your images get your message across without distracting or confusing your reader. Participants will analyze images of tables, figures and slides, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and learn techniques to improve them. The course is designed for researchers or clinicians who want to more effectively use images and tables to support their text.
Course information | Direct registration
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May 30, 13:00-15:00: Submitting Your Scientific article and Responding to reviewers
Preparing your scientific article for submission and responding effectively to reviewer comments are key to getting your article accepted for publication. The course covers the process of minor and major revisions, resolving conflicting recommendations, and how to politely say no to reviewer suggestions. The course will also help you organize the reformatting process for submission to an alternative journal.
Course information | Direct registration
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