Location:
Interactive online course using Zoom.
Cost:
Students: £249
Professionals: £299
Group discounts are available on request!
Date:
12 & 13 February 2025 (9:30 am- 1pm)
Sign up online here now. (credit & debit cards accepted)
Short course description:
This interactive workshop will boost your confidence and ability to write a great science paper that will be cited again and again. Here is a little taster video introducing you to the course and course leader Prof. Andrew Johnson. All exercises will take place in small groups.
This workshop focuses on getting high citations. The workshop will study the following using group and individual exercises:
- How to write a good title
- How to write a good abstract
- Thinking about your audience
- Maintaining a narrative thread and not submerging your audience in too many messages
- Finding a transparent scientific language
- Marshalling your argument
- Using figures
- Ending in a clean conclusion
- Social media and other forms of promotion
Learning Outcome:
By the end of the course, you will be able to organise and present your paper in a way that increases the chance of you being noticed by the wider scientific community and to become more cited.
Target audience:
MSc & PhD students/researchers, industry, environmental consultancies, public sector
Level:
Suitable for anyone whether you have published none or one hundred papers!
Places:
Max 20 learners per event.
Hardware and software requirements:
Please bring a laptop or tablet, so you can edit your abstract as part of the exercises.
For the interactive online course, a second external screen will be an advantage (but is not essential). Having a webcam is desirable (but not essential). If you plan to participate from an open-plan office or noisy environment, please wear headphones with a built-in microphone.
We will use Zoom to deliver the training course. There are 5 ways to join Zoom (and at least one of them should work for you!). We will provide more information about Zoom with the joining instructions and at the start of the event. You can find more information about Zoom on our FAQ page. We recommend that you install the Zoom program if you are able to do so: https://ukceh-ac-uk.zoom.us/test
Course leader:
Prof. Andrew Johnson, UK Centre for Ecology & HydrologyAndrew has been an active researcher for the past 27 years. As of May 2017 the Web of Science reports 113 papers with over 4,000 citations giving an H-index of 35. 10 papers have now passed over 100 citations each. In 2022, Andrew featured on the inaugural ENDS Power List of the 100 UK environmental professionals who have made the greatest impact in the past two years.
Previous course participants said:
The feedback for the interactive online course in June 2024 was 98% positive.
"I loved all examples and analogies used in the course (e.g. the fairytale concept) because it made the points that were conveyed really clear in a playful and creative way." (Jaqueline Otto, PhD student, Lancaster University, November 2024)
"I particularly liked the interactive nature of the course structured around breakout rooms and sharing the points with the wider group. The course was organised in a very engaging and enjoyable format." (Tom Gale, PhD student, Bangor University, November 2024)
''The course was good. It was inclusive and well-organised. Andrew was knowledgeable and encouraging, happy to be challenged and his critical input was very constructive. The course offered key messages. The exercises were useful and interesting.'' (Daniel Keech, University of Gloucestershire, June 2024)
''I really enjoyed the course.'' (Alice Goodenough, University of Gloucestershire, June 2024)
''Grateful for the time, effort and creativity put in by the trainer to deliver the training well. It was informative, thought provoking, interactive and interesting''. (Judy Mugambi, PhD Student, March 2024)
“The frequent "try it yourself" sections in the break-out rooms were really useful to reinforce the course.” (Romilly Close , PhD student from Envison, Lancaster University, January 2023)
“I liked the interactiveness and the break-out discussions best. It really helped looking at bad examples and thinking about why they were bad and how they could be improved.” (Katie Devenish ,PhD student from Envison, Bangor University, January 2023)
“Reviewing and improving the abstracts and other example text was helpful, it really highlighted the importance of being concise.” (Laura Turner, PhD student from Envison, Nottingham University, January 2023)
"This was an extremely useful and engaging course, thank you." (Sally Derrett, Sheffield University, 2 March 2022)
More background information:
Andrew has now published a book together with John Sumpter: How to be a better Scientist.
There are many ways to gauge the success and effectiveness of our scientific work. Whilst by no means perfect, citations are probably the fairest method we have available. Not only for us as individuals, but also for our Research Centre or University, getting our work more widely known through citations is now important and will become vital for our future. To increase our citations we could double, treble, or quadruple the number of papers we produce each year without changing their quality. Alternatively, we could focus on ensuring the papers we do produce become better cited.
This workshop focus is on getting high citations, this is not necessarily the same thing as getting into top journals. Whilst this workshop is focused on finding ways for you to increase the number of citations to your own work, perhaps an alternative way to look at is to consider what increases the chances of you citing someone else’s work?