Overview

Ready to transform your research into a manuscript suitable for a peer-reviewed publication?

Find out what editors want and gain confidence in your writing at this fall’s Scientific Manuscript Writing Workshop.

This four-session workshop will review the process of constructing scientific papers that are logically organized, concisely written, and attentive to reader and reviewer expectations.

You will prepare and present the main sections of a research paper in the IMRAD (introduction, methods, results, and discussion) format, and will receive constructive critiques and written comments. By the end of the sessions, you will have a more polished draft that can stand up to rigorous peer review.

The workshop will be led by Robert J. Goldberg, PhD, a senior researcher who brings with him a wealth of writing and submission expertise from many years as a mentor, journal editor, and medical school writing course director.

Dates and Location

All sessions will take place at Tufts CTSI, 35 Kneeland Street, 8th Floor, Boston, on Mondays from 10:15AM-11:45AM.
  • Session I (Monday, October 21): Effective Scientific Writing & Review of Examples
  • Session II (Monday, November 4): Group Review: Introduction
  • Session III (Monday, November 18): Group Review: Methods/Results
  • Session IV (Monday, December 2): Group Review: Discussion
  • Optional one-on-one request for feedback

Registration and Requirements

Any post-graduate clinical, health services, or public health investigators who have original research intended for publication and peer feedback for writing support are welcome to apply.

Participants are required to attend all four workshop sessions.

Register here by Wednesday, October 16. Remote participation may be available.

Registration is on a first come, first served, basis and priority is given to members of Tufts CTSI partner institutions. Once the course is full, additional registrants will be put on a waitlist and invited to the next opportunity. We will confirm your enrollment as soon we finalize the registration list.

Enrolled seats will be prioritized to faculty members who commit to attending and completing all assigned prework. You do not have to have actual study results or references ready to get the essential work done, but this course can benefit those who already have some elements of a work in progress on the introduction, methods, or results section of a paper.

To facilitate effective peer review experiences, we prioritize manuscripts addressing original scientific projects in the areas of clinical and public health research. Class attendance is critical to this peer review-based format. You will be expected to provide thoughtful reviews of attendees drafts and actively engage in classroom discussion. We ask participants to come open-minded and show positive responses to constructive feedback.

This course is not intended for basic science researchers. Basic science researchers seeking individualized feedback on their manuscript are encouraged to submit a service request at https://informatics.tuftsctsi.org/pims/request.htm

Details

Learning Objectives

By the end of this workshop series, you will be able to:
  • Discuss the core components of a successful scientific manuscript
  • Identify strategies and next steps for completing a full manuscript for peer review submission
  • Anticipate reviewers’ concerns in discussing and presenting your research in writing and how to best respond to those concerns

Workshop Faculty

  • Main instructor: Robert J. Goldberg, PhD, Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences
  • Guest instructor: Nicholas Moustakas, MA, Research Development Specialist, Tufts CTSI

Course Participation

By enrolling in this course, you are agreeing to complete all pre-work assignments, including submitting your draft of the assigned section by the Wednesday prior to peer reviews, and preparing thoughtful comments on colleagues’ drafts for discussion during the session.

Pre-work Deadlines

  • Monday, October 21, Session 1
    • Readings:
      • Welch HG (1999) Preparing manuscripts for submission to medical journals: the paper trail. Eff Clin Pract 2:131–137
      • Example article for critical review: To be emailed ahead of time
      • Example article for critical review: To be emailed ahead of time
  • Wednesday, October 30
    • Submit your Introduction section (1 or 1 ¼ pages OR three paragraphs; double-spaced)
  • Monday, November 4, Session 2
    • Review/prepare comments for peers’ drafts
  • Wednesday, November 13
    • Submit your Methods and Results sections (3-5 pages + up to 3-5 figures, include subheadings; double-spaced)
  • Monday, November 18, Session 3
    • Review/prepare comments for peers’ drafts
  • Wednesday, November 27
    • Submit your Discussion section (3-4 pages, include subheadings; double-spaced)
  • Monday, December 2, Session 4
    • Review/prepare comments for peers’ drafts

Tufts CTSI Professional Education & Expectations for Course Participants

Tufts CTSI’s Professional Education programs provide non-degree continuing education and training for clinical and translational research professionals from all Tufts CTSI partners and beyond.

Course enrollment priority is given to researchers from Tufts CTSI partner institutions. If your participation needs to be approved by your supervisor or a person responsible for your time release, you may provide their contact information when you register for the program.

This course is provided free of charge and is supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Award Number UL1TR002544.  The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.