Episodes
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In this episode, we are talking about my very favourite subject: Storytelling – and how to do that in a scientific paper. You have probably had someone say to you at some point: “your paper should tell a convincing story”. But… what does that actually mean?
“Story” stands for so many different things: Re-telling an anecdote, the plot of films, movies, books, or making something up. What “story” means in the context of scientific papers is hardly ever defined, which leads to both an impossible to reach goal post and misunderstandings. One of those misunderstandings is that telling a story in your research paper equals packaging weak or irrelevant data in pretty wrapping paper and putting a ribbon on top – or in other words, overselling a study by hiding behind fancy words, flowery language and a narrative. But that’s not what I’m about to teach you. I’ll show you a framework that uses storytelling in a way that makes your paper easier to read by getting across to your reader why they should care about your research WITHOUT overstating its importance.
Storytelling may also seem childish to you and imply having to oversimplify your research. Shouldn’t the focus of writing a scientific paper be using precise and and accurate language instead of creating a page-turner? Well, the Scientific Storytelling Framework I’m guiding you through in this episode will help you do both: It won’t help you to dumb it down but to spell it out!
Timestamps:(01:50) Defining storytelling in research papers(03:08) Common misconceptions and myths surrounding storytelling in academic papers(08:00) Problems I see in scientific papers(10:10) The Scientific Storytelling FrameworkAssociated image here (or see it in this blog post)(17:48) Free writing training at researcherswritingpodcast.com/free(18:42) Applying the Scientific Storytelling Framework to your paper(24:53) Listener question: How can I avoid self-doubt and procrastination in research and writing?
Podcast host: Anna Clemens, PhDVideo and audio editing: Jason Rivera
If you’re interested to join the Researchers’ Writing Academy and learn how to develop a structured writing process to get published in top-tier journals time-efficiently, then I highly recommend watching my free writing training at: researcherswritingpodcast.com/free as the first step. -
In this episode, I’m talking to Dr Kate McAlpine who is an alumna of the Researchers’ Writing Academy! Kate is a pracademic – which means she’s both an academic and a practitioner – and her work is centered around preventing violence against children.
We talk about what she got out of the Researchers’ Writing Academy, which elements of the program (it’s comprehensive, you know!) made the biggest difference to her and how she made time to take the program. It’s a must listen if you are considering becoming a member!
If you would like to learn more about Kate’s very important work, please check out the links below: https://www.drkatemcalpine.co.uk/ https://www.citizens4change.net/ https://www.connectgo.co.uk/
(01:10) Introducing Dr Kate McAlpine(04:50) Kate’s struggles before joining the Researchers’ Writing Academy (RWA)(07:08) How did you approach starting the program inside the RWA?(08:30) Kate’s concerns before she joined the program(09:45) What has changed for Kate since she joined the RWA(12:30) Changing the feelings Kate had around writing(16:30) Kate’s experience with co-writing sessions(18:00) Getting papers published and Kate’s writing output(20:00) Favourite aspects of the RWA(22:00) Recommendations on who the RWA is for and things to consider if you’re thinking about joining the RWA (27:13) Free training for researchers (go to researcherswritingpodcast.com/free)(28:13) Listener question: Is the process for writing qualitative papers and quantitative papers (or even mixed methods papers) different?
Podcast host: Anna Clemens, PhDVideo and audio editing: Jason Rivera
If you’re interested to join the Researchers’ Writing Academy and learn how to develop a structured writing process to get published in top-tier journals time-efficiently, then I highly recommend watching my free writing training as the first step at: researcherswritingpodcast.com/free -
Missing episodes?
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As most researchers, you are probably either already using ChatGPT and friends to help you with your academic writing or you are wondering if you should! In this episode, I’m sharing my view on using generative AI to write scientific papers – which is (spoiler alert!) probably a bit more critical than what you normally hear.
I’m analysing the 3 central hopes, or goals, that we have for generative AI when it comes to writing scientific papers: 1) saving us time, 2) increasing the quality of our writing, and 3) enhancing our creativity. And I have a bit of a hot take on what I think scientists and researchers should focus their time and energy on. 🔥
But I’m not saying to completely avoid using generative AI! To me, the question is more what to use it for and how to use it. So, at the end of the episode, I’m leaving you with 8 specific recommendations for using generative AI in your writing and research.
In this episode, I cover: (2:00) Definitions of generative AI and LLMs(4:15) The hopes/goals of why we use generative AI for science writing(6:28) My views, warnings, and analysing those hopes/goals of why we use generative AI when writing(21:51) Free training for researchers (go to researcherswritingpodcast.com/free)(22:52) My recommendations on how to use generative AI (29:03) Listener question: Should I send a pre-submission inquiry to the journal editor before submitting my article?
Podcast host: Anna Clemens, PhDVideo and audio editing: Jason Rivera
And if you’re ready to invest your time and energy into acquiring the skill of writing papers for top-tier journals time-efficiently, then I highly recommend checking out my free writing training: researcherswritingpodcast.com/free -
This episode is for all you non-native English speakers (those who have English as their second, third, fourth… language) who struggle with writing papers in English. You may have massive imposter syndrome (that maybe has been fueled by feedback you’ve gotten from reviewers) and you don’t feel confident writing at all.
This episode is also for you native English speakers (who have English as their first language). You too might be struggling with writing papers even though you speak English in your daily life, have gone through school, college, university in English. You feel like writing papers should be fast for you but instead it takes you a long time to organise your thoughts and your data into something coherent. In the end, you might not be happy with what you produce and you may end up getting rejected more often than not.
Whether English is your first or second language, in this episode, I want to invite you to shift your writing mindset. The writing struggles you are experiencing may not have all that much to do with your English language proficiency. Which means: You might be trying to solve the entirely wrong writing problem.
(01:20) Are you a non-native English speaker? (05:10) My hot take about writing papers as a non-native English speaker (or native English speaker!)(07:25) 3 writing skills I find more important than being a native English speaker(08:20) Free video training for researchers (go to researcherswritingpodcast.com/free)(09:16) Learning how to efficiently and effectively structure your paper (12:35) Listener question: How can I write during times of teaching and admin load?
Podcast host: Anna Clemens, PhDVideo and audio editing: Jason Rivera
Whether English is your first or second language, this free writing training was created for you: researcherswritingpodcast.com/free -
If you’re struggling with the writing process to produce a scientific paper, you are not alone! The most common issues I see researchers have with the process of writing papers are that:
a) they don’t know where to start (and then start with the wrong thing), b) they procrastinate because they aren’t sure what the exact steps of the writing process are (so that writing becomes an emotionally draining task because we keep second-guessing ourselves), c) the writing process is highly inefficient because of a lot of back and forth with co-authors (and editing nightmares like that don’t only waste time but also drain your energy and morale)
Luckily, there actually is a much better, more efficient and more enjoyable way to write papers and I’ll walk you through the process step by step in this episode. It’s the exact same process I’m teaching inside the Researchers’ Writing Academy, our online academic writing program. And our members confirm: This 4-step streamlined writing process is a game changer!
We are also introducing a new segment: the listener question! Today, I answer the question of what you can do when you just don’t feel motivated to write. Happy listening!
In this episode, I’ll go through: (01:25) Struggles Researchers have while writing(10:35) Step 1: Develop the story (14:18) Step 2: Outline for flow (19:05) Free video training for researchers (go to researcherswritingpodcast.com/free)(19:52) Step 3: Write clearly and concisely(28:06) Step 4: Package for publication (32:34) Listener question: What do you do when you’re not motivated to write?
Podcast host: Anna Clemens, PhDVideo and audio editing: Jason Rivera
Join our free training to learn more about the Journal Publication Formula at researcherswritingpodcast.com/free. Get tips on how to work with co-authors, manage your writing process, and increase your chances of getting published in top-tier journals. -
Welcome to the very first episode of the Researchers’ Writing Podcast!
Researchers are expected to write scientific articles fit for top-tier journals with little or no training. Whether you’re struggling with desk-rejection, aren’t reaching wide audiences or would like to write papers that actually get read, then this episode is for you!
I outline the five most common and severe mistakes researchers make when writing scientific research articles. By avoiding these pitfalls, you will make your writing clearer, more concise and more compelling! In other words, you’ll create an article that is logical to read, well structured and that presents a clear and coherent story around your data.
In this episode, I cover: (05:55) Mistake #1: Neglecting the element of tension (08:21) Mistake #2: Ignoring the broader impact of your findings(11:20) Free training for researchers (go to researcherswritingpodcast.com/free)(12:30) Mistake #3: A too brief discussion(15:40) Mistake #4: Lacking flow (19:05) Mistake #5: Using unnecessarily complicated language
Podcast host: Anna Clemens, PhDVideo and audio editing: Jason Rivera
Want to dive deeper? We have a free training on how to write clear, concise, and compelling papers from start to finish using a structured and time-efficient writing process. Head over to researcherswritingpodcast.com/free to save your spot now! -
Introducing, the Researchers' Writing Podcast. Hosted by Anna Clemens, PhD, this podcast is for all researchers in the sciences who want to write clear, concise and compelling papers time-efficiently so you can publish your research in a calm and steady way. In this podcast, we talk both about how we can write higher quality papers and how to make the process of writing less hard. Stay tuned for our first release of episodes coming in the next couple weeks!
