Scientific English practical training

Strategies For Success In Publishing Peer-reviewed Research Articles
and Improving Technical Writing in English

En collaboration avec la U.S. Civilian Research &
Development Foundation (CRDF)

Summary: Writing successful peer-reviewed papers is a critical skill for researchers seeking to establish a career, make an impact in their fields, and contribute to the international reputation of research in their countries. However, active researchers rarely have the opportunity to learn and discuss effective strategies for writing peer-reviewed journal articles beyond the experience gained from trial and error. This workshop will provide a comprehensive review of techniques for successful research article writing from the perspective of the researcher, the journal editor, and the reviewer. In addition, the workshop will follow the real-world example of a research paper through the publication process, and provide examples of how to improve technical writing in English for scientific research articles.

Goals and educational outcomes: By the end of the peer-reviewed publication workshop, participants will be able to 1) identify the type of research article best suited to their research results; 2) identify the best journals in their field and choose an appropriate journal to submit the article to; 3) use English effectively in technical writing and avoid common mistakes in English writing in scientific research articles; 4) identify and author the technical components of the research article; 5) prepare and use effective figures and tables; 6) anticipate and manage relations with co-authors and collaborators; 7) submit the manuscript in proper form; 8) correspond with the managing editor to respond to reviewer comments and navigate the review process; 9) complete the steps needed for the publication of the accepted manuscript; and 9) avoid common errors and pitfalls.

·         Analyzing and Selecting Research Journals

·         Commercial, Professional Society, and Open-Access publishing models

·         Using Thomson-Reuters Web of Knowledge

·         Journal Impact Factors

·         Using the Algeria Virtual Science Library (MVSLAlgeria.dz)

·         Contents and Organization

·         Basic and Advanced Search Techniques

·         Setting Up E-mail Notifications and Personal Collections

·         Understanding the Publication Process

·         Journal Editorial Policy

·         The Peer-review Process

·         The Perspective of the Reviewer

·         Using English in Scientific Writing

·         Choosing the Correct Words

·         Avoiding Common Grammatical Errors

·         Adopting a Clear Technical Writing Style

·         Sentence and Paragraph Structure

·         Further Resources

·         Organization and Content of the Paper

·         Title and Abstract

·         Introduction and Background

·         Methods and Results

·         Discussion and Conclusions

·         References, Acknowledgment, and Appendices

·         Submission and Review

·         The Submission Process

·         Case Study: Reviewer Comments and Response

·         Getting Accepted and Publishing the Paper

·         Getting Rejected and Re-submitting

·         Summary of Strategies for Success

Charles E. Dunlap, Ph.D.—Associate Program Director, CRDF Global (cdunlap@crdf.org)
Dr. Dunlap has taught professional skills workshops at the University of Vermont and Texas Tech University and for international audiences of scientists in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iraq, Turkey, Oman, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan. He has worked for nearly a decade developing scientific institutions and conducting research in environmental geochemistry. He received a B.A. in English and a B.A. in Geology (Summa Cum Laude) from Amherst College in 1989. He received a Ph.D. in Geology/Geochemistry from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1996, where he was a U.C. Regents Scholar and recipient of an IGPP fellowship at Los Alamos National Labs. Following post-doctoral work in the Environmental Toxicology Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz, he worked from 1999 through 2004 as Director and Assistant Professor of the Environmental Conservation and Research Center at the American University of Armenia (an affiliate institution of the University of California). Dr. Dunlap came to the U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation (CRDF Global) in 2004 to oversee four scientific foundations that CRDF Global has established in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova. His responsibilities have expanded to include oversight of CRDF Global’s Virtual Science Library program and Professional Skills Program and the development and implementation of scientific conferences.