Introduction to Effective Biomedical Writing

Up To it! Home > Effective Biomedical Writing — The training program >
Effective Biomedical Writing (full course) | Introduction to EBW | Workshops | Related artwork

iEBW - Introduction to Effective Biomedical Writing ™

This course sets the foundation for writing and publishing research articles in the biomedical sciences. It gives an overview of biomedical research journals, IMRaD article structure, and readers’ expectations of the text, and it presents broad strategies for writing the articles and accompanying cover letters and for revising after peer review. The course aims to demystify these processes, by illustrating the range of techniques and strategies that skilled writers use. During the course, participants will:

Become familiar with the characteristics and qualities of research journals in the biomedical sciences
Learn how to separate content into the main sections of an IMRaD article and ensure cohesion among the sections
Understand the difference between writer-based and reader-friendly writing, and appreciate the need to address readers’ expectations
Learn basic strategies for planning, drafting and revising a research article and revising again after peer review
Review topics of English grammar for research articles: grammatical voice of verbs, verb tenses in different IMRaD sections, use of modal verbs, and common sentence structures
Learn how to structure sentences, paragraphs and sections for optimal readability and a forward flow of information
Develop and apply a technique for writing a paragraph to describe a table or figure
Acquire basic skills of good citation practice

Participants receive a ~40-page handout with lecture notes and exercises to do in class, derived from the main EBW course manual, Effective Biomolecular Reading and Writing, 2nd edition. There is some homework (about 2 hours), including an assignment where participants write about their research and receive feedback and corrections from the instructor.

This course was developed for Parc de Recerca Biomedica de Barcelona (PRBB) and is now a regular course on system skills in the PRBB Intervals Programme. It is also given, in residential format, at the University of Udine (upon request, the course in Udine is titled "The research article: from planning and writing, through peer review to publication".

Duration About 12 hours (e.g. two or three residential days or six online sessions)
Pricing For a residential workshop at your site, the base price is € 2500, but for locations that require me to stay overnight, travel costs will be added. For clients that provide their own e-learning platform, the price of an online synchronous (live) workshop is € 2100. (VAT is not applied.)

The course is organized for preformed groups and is held conveniently at your institute or online on your e-learning platform. A brief bio of the instructor is available here. For further information: Dr. V. Matarese, Ph.D. (+39-345-449-5281; info@uptoit.org)

Feedback from 2024 (Barcelona, ES): "I learned useful tools and understanding of the writing process as well as for my development as a future researcher."
Feedback from 2023: "Before I didn't even know how to start when writing a paper. Now I know what I need to consider, not only to write it but also to make it reader friendly."