1603 edanz keio part ii

Trevor Lane, PhD Kate Harris, PhD

Author Success Workshop:

Effectively Communicating Your Research

Keio University

4 March 2016 (Part II)

Section 5

More tips for preparing well and developing your writing

skills

Professional writing skills

Reference management software

Avoid trying to find an article like this!


Why should you use it?

Keeps your references organized

Simplifies in-text citations

Prepares the reference list in the “correct” format

Allows you change reference style easily if you change journals




EndNote Most established Styles easy to find on journal websites

Which one to use?

RefWorks Web-based Widely used

Mendeley Newer (and free!) Allows collaborations

Papers Easy-to-use interface (iTunes) Great for paper management

Professional writing skills Reading order

Title/Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

Title/Abstract

Intro: Aim

Figures/ Results {Methods}

Discussion: Conclusion

[Intro / IMRaD]

read


Makes readers think others’ words or

ideas are your own

Copying published text (even with a citation)

Stating ideas of someone else without citing the source

Plagiarism


Copying text that you have written and published before into your manuscript

Self-plagiarism

May violate copyright

Makes readers think you are presenting something new

Also called text recycling, redundant/duplicate/salami/multiple publication

Professional writing skills Always cite

• Cite at end of relevant word/phrase/clause/ sentence: Harvard (Name, year) or Vancouver (No.)

• In text: give 1 or 2 Name/s (or …et al if >2) • Try integrating Name into actual sentence, but

avoid sentence “lists”; vary sentence type • Quote “exact words” or sentence; use … to omit

words and [sic] to include wrong/special words • Use indented paragraph in italics for quoting >3

sentences (if >1 para and using “”, use only last ”) • Check guidelines: give page numbers in text

citation or just in reference list? • Prefer paraphrasing, summarizing, synthesizing


Expressing published ideas using different words

Paraphrasing

Tips on paraphrasing:

• Write the text first in another language, and later translate back into English

• Verbally explain ideas to a colleague • Name a published method and cite it • Consider text location

– Introduction vs. Discussion

Check “text overlap” with Turnitin or other program

Professional writing skills Good paraphrasing

24. Li et al. PLoS ONE. 2013; 8: e68372.

“The magnitude of the change in carbon storage depends on how physical, chemical, or biological processes are altered over time under different land uses.”

The size of the carbon storage change depends on how physical, chemical, or biological processes are changed over time under different land uses.24

Differing land uses gradually affect biological, chemical, and physical processes, thereby changing how much carbon can be stored.24

• Nouns Verbs • Prepositional phrases Adverbs • Passive Active voice

• Synonyms, word order

Professional writing skills Good paraphrasing

24. Nasiritousi and Linnér. International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics. 17 Jan 2014; 1-18.

“Historical institutionalism can therefore explain why certain negotiations without particularly high political stakes can be closed to nonstate actor

participation.”

Historical institutionalism may thus explain why certain negotiations without particularly high political stakes may be closed to nonstate actor participation.24

Thus, a historical institutionalist study may reveal the reason that nonstate actors are sometimes not involved in negotiations with low political stakes.24

• Synonyms

• Nouns Adjectives, Verbs • Positive Negative • Passive Active voice

Professional writing skills Paraphrasing tips

Vary sentence structure to avoid patchwriting or listing

Change voice, rhythm, style

Separate/join sentences

Discourse markers Coincidentally; Also in agreement; Indeed

Join 2 sentences (semicolon, colon for a reason/list, or by subordination); alternate short/long sentences

Active to passive, or passive to active; negative to positive, or positive to negative;

invert word or sentence order

Sentence logic Either/or; neither/nor; not only, but also

Introductory phrase According to X’s method,…; In X’s study,…; X

showed/reported…; When X…

Change word class An altered direction -> A directional change Prefer to summarize several sources, find relationships, or integrate

citations into your overall message

Activity 4

Please see Activity 4 in your workbook


Check target journal about: (1) format/style, (2) word counts, (3) referencing, (4) documents to be submitted, such as title page and declarations, (5) cover letter

Check relevant international guidelines in Equator Network

Check use of passive, or I/We or This author, This study, These results

Check logic and consistency

Check all data and display items; check all illustrations are cited

Find a colleague / subject matter expert for presubmission peer review

Check idiomatic language and parallel constructions; remove repetition

Clarify referents of pronouns such as It and This

Check subjects are close to verbs; check verb tense and agreement

Check spelling and grammar; ask a native English speaker to help

Before submission


Alliteration: The decision letter delivered a short sharp shock.

Allusion: The peer review decision was my Waterloo.

Anaphora: The writing was not easy. The waiting was not easy.

Antimetabole: Succeeding to plan is planning to succeed.

Epanalepsis: Publishing is hard, but we depend on publishing.

Litotes: A fast peer review time would not be unwelcome.

Metanoia: Publishing was the best thing in my career – life, even!

Metaphor: The editor and reviewers are the gatekeepers of knowledge.

Metonymy: Maybe Hollywood will accept my manuscript.

Oxymoron: The rejection by the predatory journal was bitter sweet.

Simile: A brain is like a computer.

Writing style: rhetorical devices (arts)


“Professor X received a prize in 2015.”

Clefts: It was Professor X who received a prize in 2015. It was in 2015 when Professor X received a prize. It was a prize that Professor X received in 2015.

Pseudoclefts: What Professor X received in 2015 was a prize. What Professor X did in 2015 was (to) receive a prize. What happened in 2015 was that Professor X received a prize. Who won a prize in 2015 was Professor X.

Reverse pseudocleft: A prize is what Professor X received in 2015.

Extraposition: It is notable that Professor X received a prize in 2015.

Writing style: emphasis

Professional writing skills Avoid mistakes 1

Use “respectively” for parallel lists

The two values were 143 and 21, respectively.

The values for groups A and B were 143 and 21, respectively.

The two values were 143 and 21.


Use parallel terms

Avoid mistakes 2

The values were higher in group 1 than for group 2.

The values were higher in group 1 than in group 2. The values were higher for group 1 than for group 2.

Writing involves many skills: planning, preparing, drafting, and you need to check carefully.

Writing involves many skills: planning, preparing, drafting, and careful checking.


Fix run-ons (comma splices) and fragments

Inefficiency is related to energy flow, however not all losses are because of energy flow.

Inefficiency is related to energy flow; however, not all losses are because of energy flow. (Or…However,)

Our modified assay rapidly screened many cDNA libraries. Which is why it should be a useful high throughput method.

Our modified assay rapidly screened many cDNA libraries. Hence, it should be a useful high-throughput method. (Or…Because our modified assay rapidly screened many cDNA libraries, it should be…)


Don’t misuse time words

While many people read e-books, some still prefer real books.

Although/Whereas many people read e-books, some still prefer real books.

The patient had no appetite since he had eaten breakfast.

The patient had no appetite because he had eaten breakfast.

The plants were harvested as they flowered.

The plants were harvested because/once they had flowered.


Check the logic of lists

The variables included family size, personal and household incomes.

The variables included family size and personal and household incomes.

The recorded times were 1 hour, 20 minutes and 360 seconds.

The recorded times were 60 minutes, 20 minutes and 6 minutes.

The cities comprised Tokyo, Japan, London, UK, and Chicago, USA.

The cities comprised Tokyo, Japan; London, UK; and Chicago, USA.


Check your use of commas

The GFP tags appeared green and blue, yellow and green and yellow and blue.

The GFP tags appeared green and blue, yellow and green, and yellow

and blue.

The patient said he admired his parents, Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

The patient said he admired his parents, Prince Charles, and Lady Diana.

We therefore conducted a large scale, retrospective, cohort study.

We therefore conducted a large-scale retrospective cohort study.


Don’t use numbers to start a sentence

50 participants were recruited.

We recruited 50 participants. / In this study, 50 participants were recruited.

Fifty participants were recruited.

Avoid mistakes 7


Don’t use new words; use “that” for defining terms

Some of the data from the last 2 years, which we

inputted into the analysis, impacted on the overall calculation.

Some of the data from the past 2 years that we entered into the analysis affected the overall

calculation.

Avoid mistakes 8


Avoid biased or offensive language

The doctor must treat his patient with care.

The doctor must treat the patient with care. The doctor must treat his or her patient with care.

Doctors must treat their patients with care. Doctors must treat patients with care.

Police officer, firefighter, person with epilepsy, person with diabetes, person with asthma

Avoid mistakes 9

Policeman, fireman, epileptic, diabetic, asthmatic


Either I or you is going. Neither the dog or the cats is here. Her mouth was examined and teeth polished. The name of the reviewer(s) are not known. One or more of the category(s) was missed.

Either you or I am going. Neither the dog nor the cats are here. Her mouth was examined and teeth were polished. The name(s) of the reviewer(s) is (are) not known. / The name(s) of the reviewer(s) is not known. / We do not know the name(s) of the reviewer(s). [or keep all terms plural] One or more of the categories were missed. / We missed one or more of the categories.

Make subjects and verbs agree

Avoid mistakes 10


Good writing style: clarity and brevity

To make a determination of the efficaciousness of the program, we conducted an interrogation of all the

participating program students and found that their responses showed it was effective at improving manuscript writing.

To determine the success of the program, we interviewed all the participants. Their responses showed that the program

was effective at improving manuscript writing.

Avoid complexity; split sentences; clarify pronouns


Write logical sentences!

A is 4 times larger than B A is 4-fold larger than B A is 4 times as large as B

B is 4 times smaller than A

B is 75% smaller than A; B is 25% the size of A

A B

Importance of logic


Write logical sentences!

A is 4 times larger than B A is 4-fold larger than B A is 4 times as large as B

B is 4 times smaller than A

B is 75% smaller than A; B is 25% the size of A

A B

Comparing data; Method–Purpose; Condition–Effect; Reason–Result; Cause–Effect; Contrast; Similarity;

Sequence; Addition; Exemplification

Importance of logic

Activity 5

Please see Activity 5 in your workbook

S

Be an effective communicator

Your goal is not only to be published, but also to be widely read and cited

Preparing well and developing your writing skills

Logically communicating your ideas in your manuscript

Making the best first impression

Confidently navigating the peer review process

Thank you!

Any questions?

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Trevor Lane: [email protected] Kate Harris: [email protected]

1603 edanz keio part ii

Education