Reading well-written research papers is not only enjoyable — it’s also (passive) learning that helps you write better papers yourself. But in most fields it’s quite rare to encounter a research article that is clear and easy to follow and truly a pleasure to read. So I am curating a list of handpicked papers from different disciplines, for when you want to read something nice as an inspiration for your own writing. This is an ongoing project: your suggestions of great papers are always welcome! Continue reading →

Title is the first thing the reader sees from your research article. Based on the title the reader decides to have a look at the article — or not. So a better title will attract more readers and quite possibly increase the impact of your research. If you wonder what makes a good title, and how you can formulate one for your paper as well, then check out our six tips for writing a great research article title. Continue reading →

Interview with Marly about the slip-box method she’s using for taking notes as a researcher. She explains how the method works, what software to use and why it is her favorite method for note taking. Watch the video and learn how your own research could benefit from the slip-box method. Continue reading →

Lucas and Paul talk about how their research group utilizes peer feedback on all levels of research: from clarifying research ideas to polishing finished manuscripts. They depict how regular peer feedback allows them to publish better papers faster, and in general progress faster with their research. Watch the interview or read the transcript to get useful tips for your own peer-feedback practice. Continue reading →

Group feedback is an especially powerful form of peer feedback. When several peers feedback a single text at the same time, the author gets more comments and the feedbackers learn from each other. But such group rounds can easily turn into chaos and time waste. To avoid this, follow these 8 simple rules for effective group feedback. Continue reading →

Do you struggle with producing clear and compelling texts? Do you feel like your writing is lacking something, but you don’t know what? Do you wonder whether the revisions you just introduced really improved your text? Then stop wasting your time and embrace peer feedback! Because getting & giving peer feedback is one of the most effective methods how you can quickly improve your text — and your writing skills as well. Continue reading →

Above anything else, scientific writing has to be precise and accurate. But it’s not an easy task to write precisely about complex topics. Here, you will find a general strategy how you can achieve precision in your writing, and 12 concrete tips how to avoid ambiguity and increase clarity and accuracy of your scientific texts. Continue reading →

English is not your mother tongue and it makes you feel overwhelmed in grad school? You need to read & write in English, but feel insecure about it? Reading seems to take ages and you are dreading the time when you have to start writing up your results… But don’t despair! Follow these 10 tips and develop your English writing skills “on the side”, as you go about your everyday research work. Continue reading →

Writing up a full research article in a single week? Maybe you think that’s impossible. Yet I have done it repeatedly, and so have students in my courses. This is an exceptionally joyful (even if demanding) experience: being so productive just feels great! You are not wasting any time, and a paper produced in one go is typically coherent and nice to read. Even if you are a slow writer, you can write a whole paper in a single week — if you follow my strategy. Read below about what you need to prepare and how to approach this project. Continue reading →

All scientists need to write — and we need to write a lot. Whether it’s a proposal, research article or a thesis: there is always some kind of writing project waiting to be completed. But scientific writing is pretty hard, so we tend to procrastinate on it — and suffer even more as a result. Though what if I told you that it’s possible to achieve a high level of writing output on a regular basis, avoiding the feelings of failure and guilt? These 11 tips show you how you can skyrocket your writing productivity. Continue reading →

Prof. Matthias Rillig is an outgoing person with a big genuine smile, defeating the stereotype of an uptight always-serious scientist. He is the head of a large and lively research group “Ecology of plants” at the Freie Universität in Berlin. Recently, I’ve given a talk on scientific writing in Matthias’s group, and surprisingly realized that most of the group members — including Matthias — tested as the creative bottom-up writer type. In this interview, Matthias talks about his experience as a writing scientist and his approach to scientific writing. Continue reading →

Our ability to focus is a precious resource. And in this distracted world, it’s becoming increasingly rare. There are too many things pulling at our attention: too many articles to read, too many talks and seminars, too many topics to think about… But as scientists, we need to concentrate deeply to advance our research — and to write up our findings clearly and effectively. So what can you do when your mind refuses to settle in and focus on the work at hand? Below you will find a tried and proven *minimal* approach how you can gain focus — and keep it throughout the day. Continue reading →

Do you feel like scientific writing is a long, draining process? Maybe you are a perfectionist who struggles with each sentence and questions every other word. Or you can write down a draft quickly, only to realize that it is no good and you have to start over again. In any case, learning the principles of effective drafting helps you write better first drafts faster, increasing your writing output and at the same time improving the quality of your texts. Continue reading →

Do you long to write sentences that are easy to understand and flow smoothly like a river? Your scientific texts don’t need to feel choppy and your readers don’t need to struggle. Using the appropriate sentence structure helps you convey your message clearly and effectively, even when you write about a highly complex topic. Continue reading →

Bottom-up writers do it instinctivelly, top-down writers can learn it to combat the writer’s block. Freewriting is a simple tool that will not only improve your scientific writing, but also sharpen your thinking. And even make writing fun (again)! Try out the basic technique as well as its variations and experience the joyful freedom of writing. Continue reading →

Doing a PhD is a long-distance run where you don’t know when (and if) you get to cross the finish line. Moreover, you are running through a misty landscape, unsure for long stretches where you are and whether you are heading in the right direction (and what is the right direction, anyway). Continue reading →

You would like to read and understand scientific papers even though you are not a scientist? That’s surely possible — if you know how to approach the complex and deeply specialized scientific literature. The first part of this mini-series discussed how to find the relevant articles and get access to them. In this second part you’ll learn an effective strategy for reading original research articles. Continue reading →

You are not a scientist, but sometimes you wish you could read and understand scientific papers? Maybe you never dared. Maybe you don’t know how to approach it. And maybe you already tried, but found the papers impenetrable, so you gave up. Certainly, scientific articles are not written for the general public. However, with the right strategy you can use scientific literature to find and extract relevant information whenever you need it. Continue reading →

Wouldn’t it be great to get excellent writing skills without much effort? If you believe that no pain means no gain, I have good news for you! You can develop your scientific writing skills with ease — though not overnight. Here I show you my painless approach to the scientific writing expertise. Start right now and see first results already in few weeks. Continue reading →

Does writing come easy to you or do you struggle with every sentence? Do you plan & outline first, or do you prefer to write away and see where you get? There are two opposite approaches to writing — and to life in general. Learn what type of writer you are, and how you can draw upon your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses. Continue reading →

Writing is a demanding activity that takes a lot of focus. If only we would never get disturbed, if only we could always stay in the flow! Does your productivity suffer when you don’t have the perfect conditions for writing? Then you are a fragile writer. But don’t worry, this can be changed. Continue reading →

The revision phase of scientific writing can feel overwhelming: many things need to be fixed at different levels. But where do you start? And how do you proceed? If your revision process is chaotic and you are jumping from place to place, from issue to issue, there is no wonder you feel frustrated and progress too slowly. Continue reading →

Carefully designed paragraphs are the key to well-structured and easy-to-read texts. If you feel like your manuscripts are hard to understand and lack a flow and logical structure, learning the art of paragraph writing might be just the solution you need. Continue reading →

Writing clearly and efficiently is not easy, yet it can be learned. Here I sketch my writer-based approach that helps you develop your writing skills. It focuses on the writing process and personal writing productivity—in my experience, that’s a first necessary step before considering the form & style of writing. Continue reading →