Publishing skills: Effective Biomedical Reading & Writing

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Effective Medical Reading | Effective Biomedical Writing | Poster | Workshops | Team Research Writer

Reading the research literature is a fundamental activity for all biomedical researchers. Obstacles to a regular, efficient reading habit include lack of time, difficulty with reading English and, especially, inexperience navigating the contents of a research paper. While experienced scientists often read the various sections of a research paper out of order, novice readers are likely to start at the abstract and introduction and read to the end; this does not permit them to "consume" a sufficient number of articles on a regular basis, especially considering the low readability of concise scientific English.

A competent reading habit is also the foundation of proficient scientific writing. This working hypothesis developed from 10 years' experience as scientific-linguistic editor for several small European medical journals, where many manuscripts had flaws and deficiencies suggesting that the authors were unfamiliar with the research literature.

This hypothesis was the basis for developing the first course, Effective Medical Reading, accredited for continuing medical education (CME) in 2002. The appropriateness and effectiveness of this course in training both physicians and basic biomedical researchers have been documented in the research literature [1]. This course spurred a sequel, Effective Biomedical Writing, in which young researchers are taken step-by-step through the process of writing up their own research according to the latest international standards [2].

Read more about the courses:

Effective Medical Reading (12-16 h)
Effective Biomedical Writing (35 h)

In addition, short workshops addressing some of the most salient topics of the courses are also available.

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1. Matarese V (2006) An introductory course on getting to know journals and on "browsing" a research paper: first steps to proficiency in scientific communication. Croat Med J 47:7657-775 (Medline, Full text)

2. Matarese V (2008) Relationship between quality and editorial leadership of biomedical research journals: a comparative study of Italian and UK journals. PLoS ONE 3(7):e2512 (Full text, Press release)

For further information: Dr. V. Matarese, Ph.D. (+39-345-449-5281; info@uptoit.org)