Seminar #9

Seminar #9

Scientific Writing

African Journal of Laboratory Medicine

No invitations necessary; open to all conference registrants

Sunday 4 December
8:00 – 12:00
CTICC room location: 2.41-2.43

TARGET AUDIENCE:
Laboratorians, researchers, medical technicians, scientists, students

SEMINAR DESCRIPTION:

This half-day course will feature three distinguished experts presenting on important topics related to successfully writing and publishing scientific research papers: developing a manuscript, publication ethics, and what editors look for. This workshop is part of an extended training course that will be provided through the ASLM Academy which will culminate in the completion and submission of the manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.

Part 1: Publishing in high impact journals, insider tips!
Speaker: Justine Davies. Editor in Chief, The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology
After a brief discussion of the inner workings of The Lancet, Justine will discuss what editors of top medical journals look for in a submission. She will put the manuscript abstract at the centre of the discussion. From this she will talk about how thinking about what the abstract looks like will not only help you to get current papers published, it should help you think of future impactful research projects.
So that we can ensure a fun and lively discussion, do come prepared with your own ideas on what makes impactful research and thoughts on how to achieve this.

Part 2: Excellence in ethics
Speaker: Zoë Mullan, Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Global Health
Zoë will present an overview of the landscape of academic publishing and the increasing demands on researchers to publish in high-impact journals. With her experience as a Council member of the Committee on Publication Ethics, she will then describe the damaging impact of ethical “corner-cutting” and coach participants in the essentials of good research and publishing practice. Questions and comments are encouraged throughout the talk and there will be plenty of time for debate at the end.

Part 3: How to write a scientific paper and get it published
Speaker: Andrea Kim, Deputy Chief of Science, International Laboratory Branch, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Andrea will will lead writers through the process of manuscript development with the objective of acquiring the skills necessary to develop and write a scientific manuscript for publication. The format of the workshop will be didactic lecture with interactive discussion and will give participants the opportunity to discuss scientific manuscripts in planning or in progress.

SESSION LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the skills required for successful scientific writing, learn about online and other resources to improve their writing, and have an opportunity to ask questions of journal editors.

SESSION SPEAKERS:

Justine Davies, Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology
Justine Davies is the Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology and a professor at King’s Centre for Global Health, KCL. She holds degrees in Forensic Medicine and Medical Law, Medicine, and Zoology, as well as an MD in Clinical Pharmacology, and is a Member of the Royal College of Physicians of London. She has previously practiced as a medical cardiologist and has lectured around the world on the topics of global surgery, diabetes in resource constrained environments, health care data, good research practice and translating research into practice. As well as working as an editor, clinician, and researcher, she has been a freelance journalist and worked as a scientific advisor to the BBC.

Zoe Mullan, Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Global Health
Zoë Mullan trained in Biochemistry at the University of Bath, UK, before joining the publishing world in 1997 as a Scientific Information Officer with CAB International. She moved on to The Lancet in 1999, where she has worked since, variously as a technical editor, section editor, and presently Editor-in-Chief of the open access journal, The Lancet Global Health.

Andrea Kim, Deputy Chief of Science, International Laboratory Branch, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Andrea Kim is the Deputy Chief of Science at the International Laboratory Branch in the Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She has served as a reviewer for numerous publications and conference proceedings, presented over 50 abstracts in international and domestic conferences, and authored over 80 publications in peer-reviewed journals. Andrea holds a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the University of California at Berkeley, a Masters in Public Health in Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases from Yale University, and a Bachelors degree in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from the University of California Los Angeles.

Bethanie Rammer, Managing Editor, African Journal of Laboratory Medicine (Moderator)
Bethanie Rammer is the Managing Editor of the African Journal of Laboratory Medicine. She joined the Division of Epidemiology at Vanderbilt University in 2003 where she served as a scientific editor for molecular, genetic and cancer epidemiologists. She joined the editorial staff at the African Journal of Laboratory Medicine in 2014.