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 Spring’s Scientific Manuscript Writing Workshop.

This three-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 online via Zoom (a link will be provided to those who register), on Mondays from 2:30pm-3:30PM.

  • Session I (Monday, May 4): Effective Scientific Writing & Review of Examples & Group Review: Introduction
  • Session II (Monday, May 11): Group Review: Data & Figures
  • Session III (Monday, May 18): Group Review: Data & Figures (Version 2)
  • Optional request for one-on-one feedback, but must submit the best version of your manuscript by June 18th for detailed 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 strongly encouraged to attend all three workshop sessions.

Registration for this course is now full. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, please email training@tuftsctsi.org. 

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 ready to get the essential work done, but this course will directly 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. 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 any concerns raised.

Workshop Faculty

  • Instructor: Robert J. Goldberg, PhD, Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Population and 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

Submit all drafts to training@tuftsctsi.org by the due dates specified below.

  • Thursday April 29
    • Submit your Introduction section by April 29th (1 or 1 ¼ pages OR three paragraphs; double-spaced)
  • Monday, May 4, 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
    • Review/prepare comments for peers’ introductions
  • Thursday, May 7
    • Submit three – five tables or figures, with a brief description of each
  • Monday, May 11, Session 2
    • Review/prepare comments for peers’ drafts
  • Thursday, May 14
    • Submit updated three – five tables or figures, with a brief description of each
  • Monday, May 18, Session 3
    • Review/prepare comments for peers’ drafts
  • Thursday June 18
    • Final Day to submit Manuscripts for feedback

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.