Introduction
This
course is designed primarily for UTMB faculty. However, fellows, residents, and
students may attend, as group size permits. The course will help participants to
develop an effective writing style for all kinds of scholarly documents, with
special emphasis on research articles and grant proposals.
Design and Objectives
The
seminars will be taught interactively with constructive critique of writing
samples contributed by previous participants.
Handouts summarizing principles and techniques will be provided.
Upon
completion of this course, participants will be able to:
·
Demonstrate
improved skill in writing clear, concise and effective prose
·
Describe
the form, content and modes of argument conventionally used in scientific
articles and grant proposals
·
Use
strategies that drive the persuasive presentation of ideas in scientific
articles
and
grant proposals
Setting
The course will consist of four, two-hour seminars,
presented on alternating Mondays from noon to 2:00 p.m. Sessions
will be held in the Research Services conference room, located in the Gail Borden
building, Room 2.214. Lunch is provided.
Method
Part I. Developing an
Effective Writing Style
a.
Controlling word choice and sentence structure
Using extracts from the
previous participants’ writings as examples for discussion, the group will learn
how to choose words with precision, avoid overused and ill-used phrases, and
compose clear and concise sentences. Participants will be given practice
exercises to sharpen their self-editing skills.
b.
Writing paragraphs and extended arguments
Building on skills practiced
in the previous session, the participants will learn how to construct clear
and readable paragraphs and develop sound arguments that persuade the reader.
Practice exercises will include unscrambling poorly ordered paragraphs and
reorganizing longer passages to heighten their clarity and persuasive impact.
Part II.
Writing Research Articles and Grant Proposals
a.
Writing successful research
articles
First, participants will
discuss the obstacles to writing productivity and strategies for overcoming
these barriers. Tips, tricks and technological solutions will be shared.
Then, turning to the
research article itself, the class will discuss the importance of choosing a
focused, significant subject and developing it in keeping with the conventions
of a scientific report. The group will evaluate selections from a sample
article and discuss the content and strategy of the
introduction, methods, results and discussion. Finding an appropriate balance
between “big picture” issues and scientific details will also be
considered.
b.
Writing successful research grant
proposals
The
session will address the basic principles of successful proposal writing:
selling the “big picture,” providing essential details efficiently, and
making proposals as easy to read and navigate as possible. Pre-planning steps
to enhance writing efficiency will also be discussed.
The
group will then focus on appropriate content and winning strategies for each
section of the NIH application: Specific Aims, Background/Significance,
Preliminary Studies, and Experimental Design and Methods, plus supporting
documentation. This information will be useful for preparation of
research grants targeting any foundation or agency.
Schedule:
Registered
participants only.
Controlling
word choice and sentence structure
Monday,
Feb. 10, 2003, 12 – 2 p.m. (Gail Borden 2.214)
Developing
paragraphs and extended arguments
Monday,
Feb. 24, 2003, 12 – 2 p.m.
(Gail Borden 2.214)
Writing
successful research articles
Monday,
March 10, 2003, 12 – 2 p.m.
(Gail Borden 2.214)
Writing
successful research grant proposals
Monday,
March 24, 2003, 12 – 2 p.m.
(Gail Borden 2.214)
Registration:
(Select for form)
Acknowledgement
This course is part of the
Clinical Research Education Program at UTMB, which is supported by an NIH
Clinical Research Curriculum Award (K30HL04126). This course is
also partially supported by the UTMB General Clinical Research Center
(M01RR000073)
The
General Clinical Research Center and Clinical Research Education Office also
present an annual research methods course, Clinical
Research: Tools & Techniques.
Look for this and other clinical
research educational programs at www.utmb.edu/gcrc/
Please
send questions or comments to: creo.utmb@utmb.edu
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