The quality of everything we do is determined by the quality of the thinking behind it. This could hardly be more the case in scientific research. However, it is all too easy to focus more on doing while we trust that we can figure out what things mean further down the line. Research is not about simply collecting data. The quality of the data we generate is determined by the questions we ask of it. It is therefore essential that we invest time and energy in creating the conditions that support clear research thinking and in equipping researchers with the necessary skills to use them.…

Sometimes we just need space to reflect and explore, clarify and plan. I offer individual and small-group coaching sessions in which researchers can explore all aspects of their work. Whether you want to define the direction of your research, focus the narrative of a developing story, or get the best out of your group, we will think deeply together and identify the best way forward for you….

As research group leaders, we face enormous pressure not only to perform ourselves but also to train the next generation of scientists. Unfortunately, this pressure can easily lead us to direct rather than facilitate the scientific process. Facilitating science requires that we create environments and cultures where people can really think. It requires that we create space rather than pressure, that we trust individual and group creativity rather than assuming we are the only ones with the answer. …

Writing effective research articles is all about structuring our thinking. If we can gain clarity for ourselves about exactly why the research we want to present should be of interest to a certain audience, we can see how to engage their attention. Likewise, if we ask ourselves probing questions about how we interpret our data, we can give confidence to readers about the conclusions we draw and explore how they fit into a framework of existing knowledge. Essentially, by engaging in a frank and open conversation with ourselves, we can communicate effectively through writing without needing to be present with our readers. …

Writing proposals is the perfect opportunity to develop our thinking. By its very nature, a proposal demands that we justify why we want to do something and how we can bring the work to a successful conclusion. It requires that we think widely enough to make our work interesting, or even exciting, but at the same time we must be able to make reasoned predictions about the likelihood of success, ensuring a careful balance between interest and feasibility. …

The PhD process, like any period of research, is a journey towards increasing certainty. At the beginning, most of us have still to formulate a meaningful question. We might place our trust in our supervisor to provide a question that we can work on, but if we are to move beyond a mere technical contribution, we will need to figure out why this question is interesting to others and how we can approach it in order to make a scientific contribution worthy of a doctorate…

  • Fantastic mentorship

    “Iain Patten’s writing course has had an enormous impact on the scientific productivity of my laboratory. His concept of not only training students in writing skills but also instructing their scientific mentors how to provide the most useful feedback is extremely helpful. Furthermore, Iain’s recommendation to PhD students and postdoctoral researchers to continuously and regularly use writing as a tool to specify experimental aims while working in the lab rather than “writing up a story” in a paper manuscript after completion of experimental work helps me and my lab members enormously to identify the most relevant experiments answering the most important scientific questions. All new members joining my laboratory now participate in Iain’s writing courses and I am very grateful to his fantastic mentorship.”

    Dr Daniel Gerlich, Senior Scientist, IMBA - Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Vienna

  • A genius for developing stories

    “Iain has a genius for developing scientific stories and teaching this process. He demystifies the process of scientific writing, and this is extremely useful for getting students and postdocs to engage in scientific writing. Working with Iain has fundamentally changed the way my lab approaches science. He has trained us to use writing as a central tool to plan our experiments. As a result, my team thinks deeply about developing the scientific narrative early in a project, leading to a much more efficient and streamlined process of going from experiment to data to manuscript. The enthusiasm and passion he brings to his work make working with Iain an absolute joy. We continue to work with Iain on several stories developing in the lab, and I'm excited to see the manuscripts that come out.”

    Dr Marcus Taylor, Group Leader, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin

  • For thinkers in any discipline

    Iain’s training turned my world upside down. In the 5 years following my first workshop with him, I published 15 papers (6 as first author). What I learnt with Iain also gave me the skill and confidence to lead complex projects both in research and in education. I am convinced that Iain’s emphasis on clarity of thinking and writing, the close relationships between the two, and how these support individual and group development can help thinkers in any discipline and in any walk of life. It is not restricted to the hard sciences. Reflecting on one’s thinking, questioning one-self, and grounding one’s argument in a step-by-step logic is essential for any effective communication, and this is the transformational aspect of Iain's training.

    Dr Yael Benn, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University

  • Significant benefits for my lab

    “Working with Iain has provided significant benefits for my lab. My lab members and I approach publications in a different and more efficient manner. I spend less time editing manuscripts and more time thinking how to best explain the data and the implications. Every time Iain comes to the lab, we have the feeling that we have advanced significantly in our thinking and publication process.”

    Dr Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo, ICREA Research Professor, Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, Barcelona

  • Shaping the design of experiments

    “Iain Patten's training and consultancy has been key to establishing the foundations of paper writing in my lab. Iain has helped us develop stories from the very beginning of the project which not only eased the process of writing the actual paper but also shaped the design of experiments needed to support the story. It has also been extremely helpful to be able to work on papers with Iain at a distance, and we are currently working with him on several stories. Overall, Iain’s services have been extremely beneficial for my lab.”

    Dr Jan Brugues, Group Leader, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden

  • Sorting out what you are really doing

    "A large part of the training is really about acquiring the skills to sort out for yourself what it is that you are really doing. This course gave me something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life."

    Dr Florian Jug, Group Leader, Human Technopole, Milan

  • Demystifying the process

    "Ever since I attended Iain Patten’s week long writing course at the MPI-CBG in Dresden, I have been approaching writing differently. As a scientist, we are writers—whether we like it or not, it is an essential if not existential skill. Iain’s concepts and exercises helped demystify the process. Since the first course, I have kept coming back to Iain with my manuscripts—his insights and perspective are invaluable. Sometimes it takes an external observer with deep expertise and experience to truly understand how to better communicate one’s ideas. I sincerely recommend Iain’s services in any shape or form."

    Dr Loic Royer, Group Leader, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco