How to Write a Research Paper: From Blank Page to Complete Draft (115)

15 and 16 May 2025

Dr Kaycie Butler

The ability to write effective research papers is one of the keys to a successful academic career, though it is often expected that academics will pick up the necessary skills in real time without any formal teaching – causing writing to be often stressful and inefficient. The goal of this workshop is to equip young researches with the skills necessary to compose compelling research papers as well as provide key information to include and pitfalls to avoid. A good grasp of these basics of paper composition will help academics save time and energy when they sit down to write.

This workshop will teach the basics of composing a scientific research-based paper, meaning those manuscripts that follow an IMRAD (introduction, materials, results and discussion) format and include experimental results. The workshop will cover how to write the introduction, results, discussion, conclusion, and abstract from a blank page and how to self-edit these sections. We will review in depth:

• The most efficient writing order for getting un-stuck when drafting;
• The basic details of each paper section;
• Step-by-step formulas for composing each section;
• Techniques for writing a paper with the reader in mind.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the workshop participants will be able to:

• Effectively organize a research paper with a flow suitable to the study (outlining).
• Compose first drafts of individual sections of a research paper.
• Recognize patterns in the paper sections to provide self-feedback for editing.
• Receive feedback on individual manuscript sections from both trainer and peers, if desired (with pre-drafted sections).

Participants will receive the biggest benefit from this workshop by bringing their own laptops such that they can participate in various exercises and receive immediate feedback.

Intended Audience:

This workshop will be useful for anyone with either minimal academic writing experience or previous stressful experiences, regardless of their completed years in academia, and will be highly applicable to those in the process of drafting a manuscript.

It is designed for writing experimental research papers in the IMRAD format with materials/methods and results sections. It is not recommended for those seeking to write papers of alternative formats, and attendees from humanities and social sciences, etc. should be aware that this workshop will not be entirely adapted to their needs, though many of the presented concepts will still be useful with some modifications should you choose to attend.

ONLINE!

Date : Thursday, 15th and Friday, 16th May 2025

Schedule: From 9 am to 1 pm on both days

Location: Online

Trainer:

Dr Kaycie Butler is a writing consultant for EPFL and her independent company (www.butlerscicomm.com) – providing editing and manuscript consultation services to researchers across Europe and the US. In helping with hundreds of published manuscripts, she has developed simple, step-by-step tips and techniques that she teaches to busy researchers to enhance their writing, reduce their stress, and increase their impact. She has a Ph.D. in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA, USA and did her postdoc in chemical biology at EPFL.

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