Journal Papers

Research is essential. And yet, it is only half the battle.

Years of research amount to nothing if the results are not shared. And while you may wish to brandish your findings in the air and excitedly share them with passing researchers in the hallways of your building, such behavior will only get you a limited audience. The data being shared must be analyzed, peer-reviewed, and edited. In other words, published for a larger audience.

Publishing is so important to establish credibility and authority that a mantra has arisen around the academic field: "Publish or Perish". And while its importance cannot be overstressed, very few resources actually exist to aid new (and existing!) researchers in their arduous writings tasks. We very often learn from our supervisors and predecessors, and adopt their writing styles as the default standard to follow... even if such styles may not be ideal.

​Instead of aspiring to an arbitrary historical model, take the time to master the foundational truths of great scientific paper writing. 

Grant Applications

One good idea, one abstract, and ten pages of writing. The result? Potentially over a million dollars of funding.

Each of these ten pages you write could be worth one hundred thousand dollars. Or, it could be worth nothing. In the act of grant writing, there is no middle ground. You either get an A+, or you fail. Despite this terrifying scenario, thousands of grant applications are written every year, many of which will never even reach the eyes of the review panel. Are these ideas unworthy of funding? Most likely not. Because an idea brightly shines  in the mind of the writer, does not mean that it will shine brightly in the mind of the reader. A grant is not a paper. Expectations are different. The writing style and content must differ to match these expectations, and learning these differences is a science in itself. With such high stakes at play, can you afford to not master the science of grant writing?