Academic Writing in the Natural and Life Sciences

Writing is an essential part of the successful researcher’s skillset. However, writing at the standard necessary to publish in peer-reviewed journals can be challenging. This two-day writing workshop is for doctoral researchers in the life and natural sciences who wish to improve their academic writing skills in English.

This hands-on workshop will delve into the structure of English papers and abstracts, focusing on how you can improve the style and readability of your academic texts. You are encouraged to bring a sample of your current writing, which will serve as a foundation for peer review activities on the workshop's second day. Additionally, please bring an article from your field that you found engaging or from a journal where you aspire to publish. You will have the opportunity to submit your writing to the instructor for personalised feedback and corrections.

Aims
- You will acquire the tools and techniques needed to make your English texts more engaging and readable.
- By the end of the course and through follow-up coaching, you should have a well-crafted abstract and/or paper introduction ready for the academic world.

Contents 
- The writing process and techniques to overcome writer’s block and procrastination
- Cultural differences in writing and reader expectations
- Introducing a narrative structure into an academic text
- Structuring an English paper
- Composing well-structured paragraphs and sentences
- Finding your scholarly voice and writing with authority
- Writing compelling titles and abstracts
- Identifying typical mistakes and how to avoid them
- Punctuating an English text
- Self-editing and concise writing
- Resources to support your writing
- Peer review feedback and feedback from the instructor

Career Stage: Doctoral Phase

The event is open to all users of the Hamburg Research Academy, participation is free of charge, please register here.