Writing Workshops

With the generous support of the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health, the OITE offers three activities intended to help trainees in the NIH Intramural Research Program develop their scientific writing skills. Basic Science Writing addresses a wide array of topics ranging from basic grammar and sentence structure to scientific correspondence. Writing & Publishing a Scientific Paper is a writing-intensive course designed for NIH trainees who, by the start of the course, have sufficient data for a manuscript and are ready to write.  In addition to participating in these writing courses, NIH Fellows can view recordings of the OITE-sponsored 2-day advanced workshop "Scientific Writing from the Reader's Perspective" presented by George Gopen, JD, PhD.

 Please see below for a detailed description of each opportunity. Eligibility for registration is limited to NIH Intramural trainees and selected NIH staff. Registration opens approximately 3-4 weeks before the start of each course.  If your registration is accepted, you will receive an e-mail confirming your registration and then an email prior to the start date which will provide the room locations for each of the sessions in the 4-week series.

Basic Science Writing
Marguerite Meitzler

All scientists know the importance of developing great writing skills. This 4-week course is for any NIH Intramural trainee (postbac, graduate student, or postdoc fellow) interested in improving his/her writing skills. Designed to be helpful to both native and non-native English speakers, this course will address English grammar basics. The examples-based workshop will feature:

• Identifying and solving writing problems;
• Reviewing grammar problems and sentence structure;
• Punctuating for clarity of meaning;
• Building coherent sentences and paragraphs;
• Organizing ideas into a clear and concise document;
• Developing a strategy for writing scientifically related documents (e.g., introductions, posters, proposals, abstracts, e-mails, cover letters for resumes or manuscript submissions, and more);
• Avoiding writer's block;
• Scheduling the writing process; and
• Reworking for clarity, readability, and brevity.

Each session of the class is limited to 35 participants. In addition to in-class writing practice using short exercises, students will be members of in-class review groups giving feedback to their colleagues. The instructor will provide individual in-class writing guidance and review and analyze weekly writing assignments, providing written feedback. Students interested in taking this class must commit to 8-10 hours per week to writing/editing outside of the classroom. Attendance and active participation at all 4 course sessions is required.

 View future Basic Science Writing offerings and register.

Writing & Publishing a Scientific Paper
Marguerite Meitzler

This 4-week course is for NIH Intramural postdocs, graduate students, and postbacs who, by the start of the class, will have sufficient data to publish a scientific paper. It will be presented by Maggie Meitzler, a professional writer and teacher who also has extensive experience as a scientific editor. It offers students the opportunity to:

• Write a rough draft of a scientific paper, focusing on the two hardest sections to write - the introduction and the discussion;
• Learn how to construct figures and tables;
• Discuss the all-important abstract and the submission cover letter;
• Understand the publishing process;
• Learn why manuscripts get accepted/rejected;
• Decide how to choose a journal; and
• Discuss the future of printed journals in a paperless age.

Each session of the class is limited to 35 participants. Students will be members of in-class review groups giving feedback to their colleagues. The instructor will provide individual in-class writing guidance. She will also review weekly writing assignments and provide written feedback. Students interested in taking this class must commit to 8-10 hours per week to writing/editing outside of the classroom. Attendance and active participation at all 4 course sessions is required.

View future Writing & Publishing a Scientific Paper offerings and register.

Scientific Writing from the Reader's Perspective
George Gopen, JD, PhD

The approach used by Gopen is based on a single idea: to improve your writing, learn how readers go about their reading. Readers know where to look for what. Learning what readers do allows a writer to control what readers learn. Dr. Gopen's workshops have changed participants' writing habits permanently, often resulting in improved grant writing success. This workshop is appropriate for anyone in the NIH community who has an interest in writing effectively. Note that the second session builds upon the first.

Here is what Dr. Gopen has to say about his presentations:

In the working world, the writer is usually the expert (however momentarily), writing for an audience that has a need to know something. We call that rhetorical act "communication." No one cares how hard the writer tried or how much progress has been made since the last effort. In the professional world, the important person, where prose is concerned, is not the writer, but rather the reader. The bottom line question where writing quality is concerned is simple: Did the reader actually get delivery of that which the writer intended to send? If the answer is yes, the writing was adequate; if the answer is no, the writing was inadequate.

View the Videocast of Day 1 (HHS Only) [RAM, Total running time, 6:34:05]
View the Videocast of Day 2 (HHS Only) [RAM, Total running time, 5:57:34]

You can read about Dr. Gopen's approach to writing in

Gopen, G.D., and Swan, J.A. (1990) The Science of Scientific Writing, American Scientist 78: 550-558.

Grammar and Punctuation Resources

Eggenschwiler, J., Biggs, E.D., and Reinhardt, C.L.W. (2011) CliffsNotes Writing: Grammar, Usage, and Style Quick Review, 3rd Edition

Strunk, W., Jr. and White, E.B. (1999) The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition [or the 2008 50th Anniversary Edition]

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
        Exercises
        Resources

University of Maryland Grammar Hotline.  An actual person will answer your grammar questions.  Call 301-405-3785 during business hours; at other times leave a message.  This service is available to students at the University of Maryland and to community members.