HCS 7372 SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHING AND WRITING AND GRANT WRITING

HCS 7372 SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHING AND WRITING AND GRANT WRITING

Fall 2009
Tuesday 1:00-3:45
Room 1.202 Callier Richardson
August 25, 2009

Instructor: Aage R. Moller Ph.D.

E-mail: AMOLLER@UTDALLAS.EDU

Required book: Robert A. Day: “How to write & publish a scientific paper” 6th ed.
Oryx, 2006 ISBN 1-57356-165-7

Recommended book: William Zinsser: “On writing well” 6th ed HarperPerennial 2006

Grading:
1. Midterm Exam: Covers the first section to
2. Final Exam

SYLLABUS

Scientific publishing is done in journals and books and now also on various kinds
of digital media and the Internet. Articles in most scientific journals are different from
other publications in that they are peer reviewed. That means that only articles that have
been found to meet certain standards are published. Scientific results are also published in
books that may contain contributions from meetings or books that are written on a
specific topic. These are not peer reviewed. Textbooks are usually written by multiple
authors who summarize what they regard to be important in a certain field.
The course will describe the basic principles of scientific publishing and it will
discuss some of the ethical problems regarding writing scientific papers and legal
problems associated with copyrights.
Writing papers for scientific journals, books and book chapters are integral parts
of scientific work. It is a necessity for obtaining grant support, for promotion and for
achieving recognition in science. For a neuroscientist, writing well is therefore equally
important as doing experiments and analyzing results. The likelihood that someone will
read beyond the first paragraph or the first page of an article depends not only on the
content but also on how well the article is written. It is much easier to get a well-written
manuscript accepted for publication.
This course discusses how to improve scientific writing.

Obtaining research grants is important for a scientist. It is necessary for paying for
research equipment, material such as chemicals and animals and for assistance etc.

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HCS 7372 SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHING AND WRITING AND GRANT WRITING

Having had grants are important for promotion, in fact many universities require faculty
to obtain grants.
This course will cover various aspects of the basic technique for writing grant
applications for research funding, including selection of targets for such applications,
how to structure an application to get the best chance for funding etc.. It will also discuss
what to do if an application is not funded.

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Outline
SCIENTIFIC WRITING

Publication of articles in scientific journals

1. Description of what happens to a manuscript that is submitted for publication
in a scientific journal.
2. The function of the publisher, the editor-in-chief and editorial board.
3. How the editorial board establishes a journal’s editorial policy (which kind of
articles to be published and what standards must be met).
4. The peer review process.
5. To which journal should I send my manuscript?
6. How to prepare a manuscript for publication?
7. What is important for getting a manuscript accepted for publication?
8. What happens after that a manuscript is received at the Editorial Office of the
Journal?
9. The reviewing process
10. What happens when the Editorial Office receives all reviewers’ comments and
recommendations?
11. What does the author do when she/he receives the reviewer’s comments?
12. How is the decision about need revision, acceptance or rejection made?
13. What does the authors do when they receive the reviewers’ comments?
14. What happens when the Editorial Office receives the revised manuscript?
15. What happens at the Publisher?
16. What to do when the roof of an article arrives?
17. What about reprint?

Publishing of books and book chapters

1. Publishing of chapters in books that are edited.

2. Publishing of single or multiple author books.
3. Illustrations.
4. How to find a publisher.
5. The copyright question.

Ethical and legal problems associated with writing scientific papers, books and
book chapters
1. Who is qualified to appear as author on a paper?
2. Who owns the copyright to scientific papers?
3. What material can be reproduced in review papers, books and book chapters?
4. Procedures for obtaining permission to reproduce material under copyright.

Scientific writing

1. How to improve your writing skills?

2. What characterizes good writing?

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3. How to write in a clear logically organized way?

4. How to simplify and avoid clutter?

WRITING GRANT APPLICATIONS

Select a target for your grant application

1. You want to apply for a grant to pay for the costs of a research project.
2. Define your project so that its purpose can be understood by an “educated
layman”.
3. Where to apply for a grant?
4. Find one or more suitable agencies or foundations that support the kind of
research you want to pursue
Write the initial grant application
1. Download instructions for how to fill out applications
2. Download application forms
3. Does your project fit into the area that is supported by the granting agency?
4. Fill out the application carefully and follow the instructions to the smallest
detail
5. Describe your project (be a good salesman for your project!)
6. It is best to state hypotheses that you want to test – do nott predict the
outcome
7. Some agencies want preliminary results – not too much, which can give the
impression you have already done the work
8. Describe your budget - be realistic
Submit your application
1. Beware of deadlines, how to submit the application etc.
2. Contact the Office of Sponsored Projects well in advance of the deadline
3. Many applications are returned for clarifications etc.
Revise your applications
1. Similar to revising a manuscript for a journal
2. Read the critic carefully.
3. Be professional in your response
What to do if your application is turned down?
1. Look at the reasons – if you believe you can revise your application –contact
the agency and ask if you can resubmit
2. If not – apply to another source (if you have not already applied to several
sources).

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