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Scientific Writing
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 16:07:34
Abstract
Scientific Writing Seminar for PhD Students
Objective
This course aims to help young scientists become better writers. This course focuses on writing well-organized and clear journal articles that students may be ready to submit papers for publication afterwards in order to advance their careers.
Content
In this course, students will learn how to write an effective journal article for their specific field. Students will learn more about writing all the sections of an IMRAD article (Introduction, Methods and materials, Results, and Discussion). Then students will closely study several key principles for writing clearly in English. By the end, students will know what to do and how to do it when writing a clear and effective journal article. To start the first lesson, as a form of introduction students give a Three Minute Thesis (3MT) presentation to explain their PhD research project.
Resources
Lecture Notes
The course includes short lectures, open discussions, exercises with classmates, peer review in small groups, and assignments for the lecturer so that students get regular feedback on their writing. This is a hands-on course so students can really get the most out of it.
Literature
A script with reading material and exercises will be provided by the lecturer. For the lessons on style, students should have the following book: Writing Science in Plain English by Anne E. Greene ISBN: 9780226026374 Published May 2013 by the University of Chicago Press
Learning Materials (Links)
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- DR
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- ungraded semester performance
Registration & Places
- Max Places
- 16
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture with exercise |
Scientific Writing
Only PhD students from D-BSSE can take this course. The limit is 16 students. The FS 2022 course in Basel is offered on four Fridays on 7, 14, 21, 28 January 2022 in person (8.30-16.00).
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2 h weekly |
Offered In
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Doctorate Biosystems Science and Engineering (More Information at: )
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Subject Specialisation (The courses on offer below are a selection out of a much larger available number of courses. You may look for other courses too. If you are uncertain about the creditability and assessment of the course unit you wish to take, please consult the D-​BSSE Doctoral Administration. This should be done before registering the course unit.)
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