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This course is a thorough preparation for writing a scientific paper with impact. Specifically, you learn how to:

1. Compose a title with the required elements and in the required style.
2. Identify the relevant “moves” in an abstract, and compose an abstract that finds a balance between simplicity and depth.
3. Identify the relevant “moves” in an introduction section and write an engaging and effective introduction.
4. Identify the relevant “moves” in a method section and compose a clear and concise method section that highlights the quality of the research.
5. Organize a results section with a selection of data relevant to answer the research question, synthesized into patterns that fit the story.
6. Refer to figures and tables with higher-level summaries and big-picture trends, or highlighting striking results.
7. Identify the relevant “moves” in a discussion section and write a convincing and impactful discussion.
8. Improve general skills in writing readable and cohesive texts, and writing in a concise language with a high information density that is still easily understandable.
9. Apply techniques for academic doubt (hedging; being careful when needed) and academic certainty (boosting; being strong when needed), improve argumentation skills, and avoid pitfalls.

You are trained through weekly e-learning modules on the ULearning platform consisting of theory, examples, short knowledge clips, and interactive exercises. Throughout the course, you will also engage in peer feedback, and receive feedback from your teacher. There will be 4 online meetings (each 1 hour long) in which you can get to know your teachers and peers and engage in discussion.

The course consists of the following topics:

• Designing a storyline
• Publication strategies (brief)
• Writing the individual sections: methods, results, introduction, discussion, conclusion, and abstract & title.
• Composing tables & figures (brief)
• Readability and cohesion
• Conciseness
• Academic doubt & certainty
• Argumentation

This course is specially designed for PhD students in the natural and life sciences, and the provided examples will be from natural and life sciences writing.

A Solis-id is required for this course, you will not be able to participate in the E-module without it! Please visit the FAQ for information on how to apply for a Solis-id. This application process can take up to 3 weeks, so make sure your Solis-id is active before the course starts.

Prerequisites

1. Completion of the GSLS PhD course "Academic Writing 1: Composing an Excellent Academic Text" is required.
2. You should be fully prepared to begin writing your paper at the start of the course, meaning all experimental results must be finalized before the course begins.
3. You should be ready to write a paper using the IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) structure, or a format that closely follows this structure.

If you do not meet these prerequisites but are still interested in taking the course, please visit this page for information on exceptions and additional details.

Studyload

This course is designed to be flexible but expect to spend a significant amount of time on your writing. On average, it involves 64 hours of self-study (about 8 hours per week) plus 6 hours of group meetings.

Your actual time investment will depend on where you are in your writing process. The course is designed to support you whether you are polishing near-final drafts or building a paper from the ground up:

• If you already have drafts ready (at least 500 words per section) and work efficiently, you might spend around 6 hours per week reviewing the course materials, revising your drafts, and giving peer feedback.
• If you are starting from scratch, work more slowly or thoroughly, or need additional data processing or literature search, you may spend up to 2-3 days per week writing and taking part in this course.

Apart from the meetings and occasional mid-week deadlines (usually for peer interactions), you can schedule your work whenever you like. Each week, you’ll receive an email, and you’re expected to complete that week’s content by the end of the week.

Group Size

10 to 12 participants

Number of credits

2.5 EC 

Trainer

This course will be taught by one of the teachers from the Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��’s Communication Skills Academy (a joint GSNS/GSLS initiative). These teachers have a strong linguistic background and substantial experience with academic writing in the natural and life sciences.

Course certificate

You will receive a course certificate after completing all 8 learning units and being an active participant on the online platform.

This course is free for GSLS PhD candidates. However: free of charge does not mean free of responsibility. Once you have signed up for a course, we expect you to attend. For every late cancellation or no-show we have had to disappoint others who would have liked to attend. This is our policy:

• You may cancel free of charge up to 4 weeks before the start of the course. After this date you can only cancel if you have a GSLS PhD candidate to replace you in the course. Send the name and contact information of your replacement to pcc@uu.nl, at least 2 working days before the start of the course;

• We expect that you actively attend the full course. You have to complete the total E-learning.

• Not meeting the above requirements means you will be charged a no-show fee (€200). We will send the invoice after the course has ended. We are unable to make any exceptions, unless you have a valid reason (i.e., illness or death in the family 1^st/2^nd degree or partner). Your supervisor has to send an e-mail to pcc@uu.nl indicating the reason.