Webinar Series: Fundamentals of the Publicase Method for Writing Scientific Papers
Pre-Registration
MIA-Portugal, in partnership with Publicase International, is offering a scientific writing webinar series for early-career researchers.
Effective communication of scientific findings through high-quality publications is essential for any researcher's career. However, writing and publishing scientific manuscripts can be challenging and time-consuming, especially for early-career scientists who may still need to gain the skills to craft a scientific paper efficiently.
In this 8-lecture webinar series designed for graduate students, postdoc fellows, and scientists working in the biological and biomedical fields, participants learn about the Publicase Method, an objective and straightforward technique for writing scientific papers quickly and efficiently.
If we reach capacity, you will be added to a waiting list, and contacted if a place becomes available. There will be a registration form in September for those that pre-register successfully.
The Publicase Method
The Publicase Method relies on three main ideas: Microproductivity, Prompt Questions, and Storytelling. Following the concept of microproductivity, we split the main sections of the scientific paper into microsections, to streamline the writing process. Prompt questions are used to help build the outline of the scientific paper. Finally, the classic storytelling 3-arch structure is applied to build the narrative of the Introduction section. For a sneak peek into the Publicase Method, watch this video.
Aims:
The aims of this Webinar Series are:
▪ Provide powerful techniques to help overcome procrastination when writing a scientific paper
▪ Apply the Publicase Method for writing scientific papers
▪ Discuss fraud in science
▪ Discuss current reproducibility crisis in science
▪ Show techniques aimed at increasing the visibility of scientific papers
▪ Transform participants into efficient writers of scientific papers
When:
This training is divided into 8 classes of approximately 60-90 minutes each, totalling up to 12 hours.
The first class will be done presential while the other seven classes will be done through Zoom.
All classes will be recorded and stored on a dedicated platform so that participants can watch a class later at their convenience if desired. Meetings will take place twice a week, every Tuesday and Thursday, starting on Tuesday October 15th and ending on Thursday, November 7th. Participant numbers will be limited and so pre-registration is required.
Whom:
Our Webinar Series is recommended for graduate students (MSc and PhDs), postdoc fellows, and early-career scientists working in the biological, biomedical fields and life sciences, who need to produce and publish scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals.
Cost:
MIA -Portugal staff – free
Other UC staff - €80 reduced to €65 early-bird pre-registration until 14th August
What:
Class 1: The Scientific Paper and the Publicase Method
Debate: The role of the scientific paper in the researcher’s career
Lesson modules:
▪ Different types of scientific articles
▪ The history of the IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) structure
▪ IMRaD and the Scientific Method
▪ The Publicase Method for writing scientific papers
▪ The roadmap for writing a scientific paper
Class 2: Figures and Tables
Debate: Fraud in science and its consequences
Shared resources: Material on Edward Tufte, Retraction Watch website, Storytelling with Data podcast, Elisabeth Bik @MicrobiomaDigest
Homework: Modifying the presentation of a figure according to the data-ink ratio principle
Lesson modules:
▪ Building figures, tables, graphs, and photos that emphasize the study’s message
▪ Using images to tell the story of the study results
▪ Introduction to the concept of data-ink ratio proposed by Edward Tufte
▪ Ethics in digital scientific photos
Class 3: Paper’s Outline and Journal Selection
Debate: Indexes in science (H-index and Impact Factor)
Shared resources: Journal/Author Name Estimator, Altmetric it!
Homework: Answering 12 questions to build the outline of the scientific paper
Lesson modules:
▪ 12 steps to build the outline of the scientific paper
▪ 12 points to consider when selecting a journal for submission
▪ Identifying predatory journals
Class 4: Materials and Methods
Debate: Reproducibility crisis in science
Shared resources: Manuals (guidelines) shared according to the students' group theme
In class quiz: 1. Find what is missing in this description of the Materials and Methods. 2. How many additional papers you will need to reproduce the same method?
Lesson modules:
▪ Different approaches to writing the Materials and Methods section
▪ Ensuring the study reproducibility
▪ Use of manuals (guidelines)(ARRIVE, EQUATOR Network, ISSCR, and others;
(according to the main field of research of the group)
▪ Proper use of the Supplementary Material section
Class 5: Results
Debate: The Scientific Method
In class quiz: Identifying the microsections of the Results section
Lesson modules:
▪ Presenting the microsections of the Results section
▪ Identifying secondary questions
▪ Applying the Publicase Method to build the Results section of the scientific paper
Class 6: Introduction
Debate: What is Storytelling?
Homework: 1. Identifying the microsections of the Introduction section 2. Identifying the research question
Lesson modules:
▪ Presenting the microsections of the Introduction section
▪ The different forms to present the research question
▪ Applying the Publicase Method to build the Introduction section of the scientific paper
▪ Applying the classic storytelling 3-arch structure to build the narrative of the Introduction
section
Class 7: Discussion
Debate: Giving voice to science
Homework: Identifying the microsections of the Discussion section
Lesson modules:
▪ Presenting the microsections of the Discussion section
▪ Applying the Publicase Method to build the Discussion section
▪ Applying the Publicase technique to build the conclusion of the paper
Class 8: Title and Abstract
Debate: Ethical use of Chat-GPT in writing scientific manuscripts
Lesson modules:
▪ Creating informative titles that increase the visibility of the scientific paper
▪ Applying the Publicase Abstract Extraction Technique to quickly, and efficiently, write the paper’s abstract
About Publicase
Publicase International specializes in training scientists working in the biological and biomedical fields to master the crafting of writing scientific papers by using the Publicase Method, a straightforward methodology developed in-house. Publicase was created in 2008 in Brazil, and since then it has held more than 500 workshops for research groups in Brazil, the United States, Portugal, Spain, Angola, to mention a few. More recently, it has opened an office in Lisbon, Portugal. Visit our website at https://publicaseinternational.com/
Marcia Triunfol is the current CEO of Publicase International. Marcia has a Ph.D. in molecular biology, a 2- year post-doc training at the National Institutes of Health in the United States, and extensive professional experience as a science writer, editor, and translator. She worked at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the publisher of the prestigious journal Science as an associate editor. She is a published author of research papers and news pieces published in The Lancet, The Lancet Infectious Disease, Science, Cell, The Scientist, The Lancet Oncology, among others. By combining her knowledge as a former scientist, her creativity as a news writer, and her experience as a scientific editor, she developed the Publicase Method, a straightforward method that has helped thousands of researchers write their papers efficiently and quickly. Marcia is a member of the National Association of Science Writers (USA) and the European Medical Writers Association. Marcia's resume, along with references, is available upon request.