The Research Medical Library has courses and lectures designed and delivered by scientific editors to help MD Anderson faculty and trainees improve their skills in writing research articles and navigating the scientific publishing process. Lectures and workshops may also be presented upon request for individual departments, laboratories, working groups, etc. Please contact John McCool for more information.

Register for a Class

Writing and Publishing Scientific Articles

Writing and Publishing Scientific Articles (WAPSA) is an in-depth writing-education program designed primarily for postdoctoral fellows, clinical trainees, and novice authors. Now offered online, this series of six modules offers practical advice on writing the sections of a biomedical research manuscript.

Registration is required and is limited to 75 participants per module. Each module requires separate registration. The series will be repeated every few months.

What You Will Learn

• How to streamline the writing process and get around "writer's block"
• How to structure each section of your article for maximum impact
• How to build your article around effective hypothesis or purpose statements
• How to use the "funnel" technique to introduce your study
• What to include and what not to include in each section
• Writing an effective title
• How to highlight the significance of your work and place it in the context of scientific knowledge
• How to make your article stand out with an effective abstract

Modules

• Getting Started
• Introduction
• Methods and Results
• Discussion
• Abstract and Title
• Cohesion and Clarity