Writing Scientist

Write up a strong paper THIS SUMMER

Registration is open until July 01, 2024.

Do you have a paper project waiting for you?
Are you looking forward to the summer when work gets less busy and you can focus on writing?
You’ll get super productive and finally get that bloody paper done. Right?

Unless you feel unmotivated and waste most of your time with procrastination.

You have surely experienced it on your own: It’s not easy to stay engaged and productive with your writing when you are working alone. Without guidance and support, without inspiration and motivation from peers.

That’s why the popular “Write Up Your Paper” course is opening for a summer edition:

Write Up Your Paper This Summer is an intense practical course that helps you prepare, write and revise a complete research article manuscript this summer and get it ready for publication.

Whether you are an inexperienced PhD student going to write your first research article or a seasoned scientist frustrated with writing, there is no need to suffer and waste weeks and months in disorganized activities.

So stop the excuses and procrastination, join us and get your paper finally written and ready for submission.

The course is ideal for you if your research belongs to

natural & life sciences

other STEM fields

the quantitative branch of social sciences

Write the first draft of your paper in one or two weeks
(as dozens of researchers have done before you)

It’s highly effective to first prepare all materials and then write up your paper in “one go”. Your project is firmly present in your mind, you settle in a routine and can focus better. It’s also very motivating to see the daily progress. And as a bonus, you get a coherent draft that is easy to revise.

The drafting sessions worked really well for me. The act of writing continuously every morning for two weeks allowed me to better enter in a sort of routine.

Since it’s summertime and everyone has different work and holiday plans, the drafting dates are not given. Instead, course participants are encouraged to create their own writing schedule and team up with others based on their preferred dates.

You are also welcome to join the writing group self-organized by WritingScientist students, which is meeting daily from 9 AM to 12:30 PM UTC+2 for virtual co-writing sessions.

What the online course Write Up Your Paper This Summer provides

✅

videos, texts & checklists

✅ guidance in structuring the whole writing process to get organized and achieve optimal writing productivity

✅ opportunity to ask questions and get help with individual issues in three live Q&A sessions

✅ two moderated peer-feedback sessions to get feedback on your text

✅ facilitation of peer support among the participants for additional motivation, support and reciprocal text feedback

I learned so many useful things about writing, reading, drafting. I was blown away by the level of expertise and commitment to the course. The video format and the option to click a “finish” button after every lesson was very satisfying. Overall I am certain that my manuscript is much better now than it would have otherwise turned out. So thank you very much for this great course 🙂

What you get

For the price of 289€ or 3 monthly payments of 98€ you get

⭐ support in three live Q&A sessions (scheduled according to participants preferences)

⭐ peer feedback on your text in two sessions (during the second and third Q&A session)

⭐ possibility to find writing & accountability buddies

⭐ closed FB group for further exchange and support

Partner discount

Team up with one or two friends or colleagues who also need to write their paper and join the Write Up Your Paper This Summer course together, with a special partner discount:

2-person discount

⭐ 3-person discount: 249€ instead of 289€ per person (40€ off)

To receive the partner discount, email the names of all two or three partners to writeup@writingscientist.com.

Meet your trainer

Dr. Martina Michalikova is a biologist and computational neuroscientist who obtained her doctoral title in 2016 from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany.

During her PostDoc period she has acquired further qualification as a writing consultant specializing in scientific writing in English as a second language.

Since 2017, she has been working as a freelance trainer in scientific writing & publishing, giving workshops, leading writing groups, and providing individual writing support as a coach & consultant.

Course structure & contents

I. Preparation (2-4 weeks)

First you will prepare everything for effective and quick write-up.
You will be guided to

select & finalize figures and tables
create a storyline
select a journal
write a preliminary Abstract
learn how to structure each section
learn how to approach the writing efficiently

II. Drafting (2 weeks)

In the second phase, you’ll write the first draft of your manuscript, teaming up with other participants on the same schedule.

III. Revision (2-4 weeks)

In the third phase you’ll revise your manuscript and get it ready to submit.
You will be supported by

detailed step-by-step revision instructions including practical checklists
two moderated text feedback sessions
information on the publication processes (peer review, writing a cover letter, responding to reviewer comments)

IV. Bonus classes

Get further resources to optimize related processes:

Effective reading strategies
How to approach the literature review
How to leverage your message with great figure design
How to effectively use chatGPT and other AI tools

The course was one of the best things that happened to me this year 🙂 I would recommend it to all my colleagues. Right now one of my articles is after a minor revision. I have to make some changes, but actually most of the work is done. In the meanwhile I am starting the next one, so I am really satisfied with the progress I’ve made. Of course it’s not perfect and I’m still learning, but I don’t have this feeling of fear when thinking about it.

Frequently asked questions

Booking & access

Q1: I would like to ask my unversity/Phd program to cover the course fee. Can you provide a summarizing information to show to the administrators?

Sure, we can provide a pdf with course overview upon request. Please, get in touch..

Q2: Can I get an invoice addressed to my university?

Yes: When you are booking the course, you can choose the option “I am ordering as company” and then enter the address of your university (you will need to provide the VAT number of your university as well — this is usually published online on the website of the university). Then you will get an invoice that is addressed to your university. Should anything not look like you need it to be, please let us know and we will fix it: info@writingscientist.com.

Q3: What are the payment options?

You can pay via PayPal, credit card, bank transfer (called “bank wire” here) or, if you are located in EU, via SEPA Direct Debit from your bank account. Google Pay and Apple Pay are available as well.

Q4: What if I don’t like the course? Can I withdraw and get my money back?

Yes, you can cancel your booking within 14 days and your money will be refunded. No questions asked.

Q5: What if I need a bit longer for my manuscript? How long can I access the course contents?

The live Q&A sessions stop after the summer, but the participants retain access to all course materials as well as the course Facebook group for at least the next 2 years.

Q&A sessions

Q6: When do the live Q&A sessions take place?

The Q&A sessions will be scheduled according to participants preferences.

Q7: What is the duration of the Q&A sessions?

The Q&A sessions will last as long as it is needed to answer all participants questions.

Q8: What if I can’t attend the live Q&A sessions?

All Q&A sessions will be recorded. You can submit your questions prior to the live sessions and then watch the answer in the recording. Recorded Q&A sessions will be annotated with timestamps for each question, so that you can quickly find the answer to your question.

Moderated peer-feedback sessions

Q9: When do the moderated peer feedback sessions take place?

The two moderated peer-feedback sessions take place together with the second and third Q&A session.

Q10: What if I can’t attend the moderated peer-feedback sessions?

You can later watch the recorded peer-feedback sessions and practice on your own with peers from the course.

Miscellaneous

Q10: Will I get a certificate so that this course can be acknowledged for my (PhD) studies?

Yes, you can get a course certificate outlining the course contents.

Q11: Will there be a confidentiality agreement regarding the data and manuscript drafts that will be shared and discussed during the course?

Yes, all participants will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement regarding the data, other research results, research article manuscript and its parts that have not been (yet) published in a peer-reviewed research journal.

Q12: Is this course for me if I have problems with the English language?

This course does not provide materials for improving the English language but it does tackle the issue of how to write effectively if English is not your mother tongue.

Q13: Do you offer any discount for participants from developing countries?

Unfortunately, such discounts are not possible at the moment.

Q14: Will there be also a course for writing review papers?

No, such a course is not planned at the moment. However, this course includes a bonus lecture on conducting a literature review.