2022 Scientific Writing Resources for Ph.D. (Epi & Biostat) Students

A research-based curriculum

1-31 August 2022

Begin at the destination to start doing things with a clear purpose,
understand the whole process then breaking it into parts to understand interrelationship among them, then you will know what area you want to know insightfully

 

Key of success:

        Work harder to achieve a higher expectation, push yourself to exceed your current limit. One can never possess a higher level of competency without extra efforts. 

Aims: After completion of the course, participants should be able to:  

  • Describe components constituting research processes and connection between them
  • Formulate a research question via writing a publishable mock abstract
  • Prepare a statistical analysis plan (SAP) as a mock manuscript suitable for submision to a journal
  • Perform data analysis based on the mock manuscript using existing dataset
  • Write a manuscript in a format required by a target journal

Course schedule:

Week 1: 

  • Effective Scientific Writing

    • An Overview of the PhD Program
      • Main goals:
        • Complete the PhD Program within 3 years [Example of outputs]
        • Lead the society in health research
      • Prepare for a Qualifying Examination (QE) to be held in the 2nd Semester
      • Prepare for a thesis to be defend for the proposal in the 3rd Semester
  • Assignments for the August (based on the Timeline and Milestone shown below)
  • Effective Scientific Writing: [PPT] 
  • Organizing scientific writing environments
    • Essential computer skills for academic writing
      • Advanced Word
      • EndNote
    • Practice SSS- Search, Summarize, and Synthesize the literature using "EndNote"
  • Writing practice
  • Presentation of the Mock Abstract
  • Discussions, Q&A of the week

Week 2: 

Week 3: 

  • Statistical skills for research and how they fit into the research writing 

    • Implanting statistical concept by practicing with the "Stat Village"
      • Population and sample
      • Sampling frame construction
      • Random sampling 
      • Case Report Form (CRF) and database design
      • Data entry and data management
      • Data analysis using Stata
    • Stata command for each type of the study outcome:
    • Key of success in writing each section of the manuscript
      • INTRODUCTION
      • MATERIALS AND METHODS
      • RESULTS
      • DISCUSSION
      • CONCLUSIONS
    • Discussions, Q&A of the week

Week 4-5: 

  • Practice to gain skills

  • Wrapping-up

    • Presentation of the Mock Manuscript
      • 10 minutes presentation and 5 minutes comments and discussions  
      • Summarize lessons learnt
    • Wrapping-up & What's next

 

 

Milestones:

No.

Minimum outputs (KPI: Key performance index)

 

Due date

Example

1

Gap of knowledge being clearly identified and research question being formulated

Ø5 August

[Guide]

 

2

Mock abstract submitted

19 August

[Example]

 

 

Example of the Abstract with real "key findings" 

 

[Example]

 

3

Draft 1: Mock manuscript with the following format attached below

Page 0: Title page
Page 1: Abstract
Page 2: Introduction (copy from the first part of the abstract and expand it to 2- 3 paragraphs)
Page 3: Methods (3 paragraphs of about half a page containing design of the study, 
              outcome measurements, and statistical analysis sections.)
Page 4-6: Results (layout the mock tables and figures with zero "0" 
              labelling number to be presented, number of 0 represents number of digits
Page 7: Discussion (essential topic to be discussed listed under appropriate subheadings) 
Page 8: Reference (must be automatically organized using either Zotero or EndNote)

 

26 August       

[Example]

 

Draft 2: Manuscript with all relevant materials, e.g., EndNote library or Zotero file, 
Stata do file or R scripts, and data file (if not yet ready, submit a mock data file).

 

[Example]

 

4

Draft 3: The final draft of manuscript submitted followed by oral presentation

31 August

[Example]

 

5

Final Examination (Written exam: Open book, closed room)

8  November

[Example Questions]
 

  Example of Critical Appraisal [ZIP]

 

 

 

 

 

 Key of sucess:

  • Bring the data of your own research or routinely collected data to the class then use it for the writing- the existing data provided at DAMUS is reach enough but might not fit with your area of interest.
  • Talk to your supervisor or preceptor urgently so that a clear research question can be formulated early at the beginning of the class.
  • Learn from other topics done by your classmates during discussion sessions.

 

Summary of the publication process:

1. Mock Abstract

2. Mock Manuscript

3. First draft manuscript

4. Final draft that has been formatted as required by the target journal

    - Based on the instruction for the author

5. Materials for journal submission

    - File 1: Covering letter

    - File 2: Main text (usually not include the Tables or Figure)

    - File 3: The Tables(All tables in one file)

    - File 4-n: Figure (one file for each Figure)

6. Submission process

7. Reviewing process

8. Responding to the reviewers and re-submission

9. Acceptance letter

10. Galley proof

11. Published

12. Reprint