“I highly recommend this course. It’s one of the best I’ve ever had.”
IZKF, UniKlinikum Erlangen, May 2023
“Colleagues had said the course was helpful, and this is really the case.”
IZKF, UniKlinikum Erlangen, May 2023
“The trainer created an atmosphere where everyone felt comfortable asking any kind of question. She was amazing.”
IZKF, UniKlinikum Erlangen, May 2023
“The trainer made the course very engaging despite the online format”
IMPRS, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, April 2023
“The specific feedback the trainer gave made it much easier to understand what exactly you struggle with and how to improve.”
IMPRS, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, April 2023
“This was one of the most satisfying courses I’ve taken in the program. I learned skills that are directly applicable during my PhD and for years to come.”
IMPRS, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, April 2023
“The small group size enabled more personal in-class feedback and all the group work made us put into practice what we just learned from the lecture right away--this makes learning more effective.”
IMPRS, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, April 2023
“The trainer was helpful, dedicated and resourceful.”
IMPRS, Max Planck Institute in Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, November 2021
“For the first time, I am happy with my rough draft!”
IMPRS, Max Planck Institute in Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, November 2021
Writing an engaging
research article
Writing a first research article can be a challenging experience for early stage researchers, who may feel they have little idea where to start. BETA offers intensive training to guide them through writing their first draft, providing practical advice on how to convey research clearly and effectively.
- Streamlined approach to writing a first draft
- Constructive advice on structuring section by section
- Extensive individual feedback
This course builds on “The essentials of academic writing” workshop and guides participants through the process of writing the first draft of their manuscript. Morning sessions focus on structuring each article section, with plenty of practical pointers and opportunities to apply the ideas to the researchers’ own work. Afternoons are dedicated to drafting each section and all participants have a one-to-one session with the workshop facilitator at the end of the week to discuss possibilities for improvement.
Post-graduate students, post-doctoral students and faculty members that are either in the process of writing, or about to write, an original research article. Training can be provided for both individuals and small groups (max. 6) from a post-graduate programme, research group or university department. It is recommended that participants share similar disciplinary backgrounds.
This course takes participants through the manuscript section by section. A typical example of course content is shown below.
- Articulating your key message and identifying your story
- Writing an appealing abstract
- The Introduction: Providing a rationale for the research and arousing interest
- Methods and Results: Describing your methods and guiding readers through your findings
- The Discussion: Putting your findings in context and discussing their implications
Workshop materials are based on a corpus analysis approach that reveals critical steps commonly included in each article section. Participants learn to analyse sections from their own field for such steps, to identify the associated key phrases and to critically evaluate the way in which information is presented. This enables them to create a skeleton structure for their own work, which can be used to streamline the writing process. The small group size maximises opportunities for discussion between participants, creating valuable opportunities for peer feedback.
This workshop consists of ten 90-minute units that are delivered during two 90-minute sessions per day over four days (e.g. Monday to Thursday 09:00-12:15). Friday is devoted to 30-minute individual feedback sessions with the workshop facilitator.
