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Writing in the Sciences

Instructor: Dr. Kristin Sainani

603,766 already enrolled

8 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

9,806 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

3 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

8 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

9,806 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

3 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

9 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

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There are 8 modules in this course

This course teaches scientists to become more effective writers, using practical examples and exercises. Topics include: principles of good writing, tricks for writing faster and with less anxiety, the format of a scientific manuscript, peer review, grant writing, ethical issues in scientific publication, and writing for general audiences.

Unit 1 introduces the course and reviews key principles of effective writing. In particular, you will practice cutting clutter from writing.

What's included

7 videos2 assignments

7 videosTotal 79 minutes

1.1: Introduction; principles of effective writing11 minutes
1.2: Examples of what not to do7 minutes
1.3: Overview, principles of effective writing6 minutes
1.4: Cut the clutter17 minutes
1.5: Cut the clutter, more tricks4 minutes
1.6: Practicing cutting clutter10 minutes
Demo Edit 1 (Optional)23 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 75 minutes

Unit 1 Homework60 minutes
Unit 1 Practice15 minutes

Unit 2 focuses on writing with strong, active verbs. Lessons include how to: write in the active voice; avoid turning verbs into nouns; choose strong verbs; and get to the main verb of a sentence quickly.

What's included

7 videos1 assignment

Unit 3 reviews how to vary sentence structure and write strong paragraphs. You will practice using the dash, colon, semi-colon, and parentheses, as well as writing well-organized and concise paragraphs.

What's included

8 videos1 assignment1 peer review

8 videosTotal 105 minutes

3.1: Experiment with punctuation28 minutes
3.2: Practice, colon and dash7 minutes
3.3: Parallelism6 minutes
3.4: Paragraphs9 minutes
3.5: Paragraph Editing I14 minutes
3.6: Paragraph Editing II11 minutes
Module 3.7: A few more tips7 minutes
Demo Edit 3 (Optional)23 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 60 minutes

Unit 3 Homework60 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Paragraph editing exercise60 minutes

Unit 4 reviews the writing process. I will give you tips for making the writing process easier, more efficient, and more organized.

What's included

7 videos1 assignment

Unit 5 reviews the sections of a scientific manuscript. You will learn how to format tables and figures, and how to write results, methods, introduction, and discussion sections.

What's included

9 videos1 assignment

Unit 6 discusses the peer review process, as well as ethical issues in scientific publishing. You will learn how to avoid plagiarism, determine authorship, submit a paper, write a peer review, and avoid predatory journals.

What's included

9 videos1 assignment1 peer review

9 videosTotal 143 minutes

6.1: Plagiarism18 minutes
6.2: Authorship10 minutes
6.3: The Submission Process12 minutes
6.4: Interview with Dr. Bradley Efron15 minutes
6.5: Interview with Dr. George Lundberg27 minutes
6.6: Interview with Dr. Gary Friedman23 minutes
6.7: Doing a peer review14 minutes
6.8: Predatory journals8 minutes
Demo Edit 6 (Optional)18 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 20 minutes

Unit 6 Homework20 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 300 minutes

Essay300 minutes

Unit 7 reviews types of writing beyond original research manuscripts. You will learn how to write review papers, grants, letters of recommendation, and personal essays.

What's included

7 videos1 assignment

Unit 8 reviews communication with broader audiences. You will learn how work with the media, be interviewed, conduct an interview, and write about science for general audiences.

What's included

8 videos1 assignment1 peer review

8 videosTotal 125 minutes

8.1: Talking with the media13 minutes
8.2: Panel Interview23 minutes
8.3: Writing for general audiences21 minutes
8.4: Writing a science news story11 minutes
8.5: Interviewing a scientist16 minutes
8.6: Social media21 minutes
8.7: Concluding Remarks1 minute
Demo Edit 8 (Optional)19 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 60 minutes

Unit 8 Homework60 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Lay summary exercise60 minutes

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(4,021 ratings)

Dr. Kristin Sainani

Stanford University

1 Course603,766 learners

Offered by

Stanford University

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Learner reviews

5 stars
89.37%
4 stars
9.58%
3 stars
0.60%
2 stars
0.20%
1 star
0.23%

Showing 3 of 9806

Reviewed on Oct 23, 2020

A good course in general. The first few weeks are really hard for people who are not native English speakers. You should consider the assignments based that not everyone is a native English speaker.

Reviewed on Jun 29, 2023

This course is really helpful. I am a postdoc and I feel that I should have taken this course earlier. Thank you very much for offering this course. I keep telling myself "Better late than never".

Reviewed on Jan 31, 2019

The course is so informative that I think everyone should take a try. It provides us a fundamental elements to write in a professional way that is not only for our study but also for our profession.

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Frequently asked questions

Yes. There is a Stanford Lagunita offering, and a Continuing Medical Education (CME) offering. The different offerings are described below:

The Stanford Lagunita offering is self-paced, unmoderated, includes self assessment assignments, and offers you the ability to earn a free Statement of Accomplishment.

The Coursera offering is provided on a monthly basis, is more moderated, includes peer assessment assignments, and offers you the ability to earn a certificate of completion for a fee.

The CME offering can be used to earn Continuing Medical Education credits.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.