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. In this program, we will explore how to engage productively with this conversation to explore key issues in presenting our research, including how to define our audience before engaging their attention and holding it throughout the story, how to build flexibility into the writing process so that we can present our work from different angles, how to make persuasive arguments, and how to focus readers’ attention on relevant details. We will also explore the different considerations associated with writing research articles, reviews and opinion pieces.

This program is suitable for active researchers at all levels. It can also be offered to people who want to develop their skills in mentoring the writing process. This includes research group leaders and professionals such as editors and science writers who support the development of research publications.