-
ArticlePublication 2018Corruption of Medical Language
This opinion piece, published in BMC Opinion, presents a former medical journal editor’s view on …
This opinion piece, published in BMC Opinion, presents a former medical journal editor’s view on the importance of clear writing in academia. The author describes a common style of writing in medical journals: “decorated municipal gothic”, which he deems “long, tortuous, opaque, uninteresting”. He suggests that this unreadable style stems from academic writers who are not concerned with readability. Rather, they are focused on extending their list of publications and conforming to established norms of…
Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2015Needless Complexity of Academic Writing
This article, published in The Atlantic, describes the unnecessary complexity of much academic writing. The …
This article, published in The Atlantic, describes the unnecessary complexity of much academic writing. The author explores why this is a problem, why it happens, and what might be done to improve the readability of academic work. She focuses on a small number of readability “champions” who have spearheaded the effort to improve academic writing. The article paints a vision of a future with a clearer academic writing style, allowing academics to better understand each…
Science/Technology -
ArticlePublication 1999Preparing Manuscripts for Submission to Medical Journals: The Paper Trail
This article, published in Effective Clinical Practice, provides a framework for writing academic manuscripts. Themes …
This article, published in Effective Clinical Practice, provides a framework for writing academic manuscripts. Themes from the framework include: 1) start writing before your project is completed; 2) focus your attention on what readers are most likely to look at: the title, abstract, tables, and figures; 3) develop a systematic approach to the introduction, methods, results, and discussion sections; and 4) improve the paper by learning how to get and incorporate useful feedback.
Health/Medicine | Science/Technology -
ArticlePublication 2014On Whimsy, Jokes, and Beauty: Can Scientific Writing Be Enjoyed?
This article, published in Ideas in Ecology and Evolution, argues that we should incorporate touches …
This article, published in Ideas in Ecology and Evolution, argues that we should incorporate touches of humor and beauty into academic writing, and suggests how to do so. While scientists are often exhorted to write better, it is not entirely obvious what “better” means. Largely undiscussed is the question of whether our goal of clarity in academic writing precludes us from making our writing enjoyable – by incorporating touches of whimsy, humanity, humor, and beauty.…
Science/Technology -
BriefPublication 2000A Letter from the Frustrated Author of a Journal Paper
This letter, published in Journal of Systems and Software, is a humorous take on the …
This letter, published in Journal of Systems and Software, is a humorous take on the woes of the manuscript writing and review process.
Science/Technology -
Tutorial/PrimerPublication, Teaching Resource 2016How to Write a Blogpost from Your Journal Article in 11 Easy Steps
This blog post, published by the London School of Economics Impact Blog, advises academic authors …
This blog post, published by the London School of Economics Impact Blog, advises academic authors on writing a blog post. The post dispels some of the myths around writing a blog post to accompany an academic article, including: a) it will take days or weeks, b) it is necessary to learn how to use software, and c) there is no benefit to personal research and career from writing a blog post. It also gives some…
Science/Technology | College | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Policy Translation -
ArticlePublication 2017Tips for Aspiring Op-Ed Writers
This New York Times article is a list of 15 tips for writing opinion pieces …
This New York Times article is a list of 15 tips for writing opinion pieces and editorials by a newspaper editor and columnist, some of which may also be applied to academic writing. The advice includes: 1) focus on a wide audience, 2) think about how you can keep the reader’s attention, 3) be proleptic – that is, raise the strongest objections to your argument and answer them in advance, and 4) keep sentences short…
-
Tools/ModelsMultimedia, Teaching Resource 2018Apps and Online Tools for Writing
This list of apps was curated by CHDS to provide a sampling of writing analysis …
This list of apps was curated by CHDS to provide a sampling of writing analysis tools. There are many apps available to analyze your writing, some of which are free to use or operate as a “freemium”- a free basic version with paid add-ons. We have included three apps below along with a Microsoft Word feature. Resources include: Hemingway ($20) Analyzes writing segments to identify complex sentences, long words, adverbs, passive voice, grade…
Middle School | High School | College | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Policy Translation
8 Shown
General Resources
Teaching Resources
Collections
Format
Learner Level
Teaching Topic
General Resources
Teaching Resources
Collections