Interlude: Choices, Errors, and Word Origins
I had to make a difficult choice this week.
After spending several months revamping my Scientific Writing Simplified course, I was excited and geared up to open the course for enrollment this week.
And then chaos struck the scientific community.
I was torn. Was now the right time to open enrollment?
I didn't want to be disrespectful. I didn't want to add to the stress of the chaos. And I didn't want to cause upset by seeming inconsiderate during challenging times. I started to think that I needed to wait until the dust settled.
But as I considered all aspects of the situation, I reminded myself of one of my core values: to be of service.
I want to help.
And in the unknowns that lie ahead, I anticipate that funding opportunities will change, competition for grants will increase, and the pressure for publications will rise. And I know that one of the best ways that I can help during these times is to continue to arm you with the principles, resources, and support you need to write well.
So I chose to open enrollment.
The choice was not easy. And I felt anxiety after opening the doors. But under those feelings is a deeper knowing that it was the best thing I can do to support you.
So during these unpredictable times, know that I'm here cheering you on and offering you support as we forge ahead on this journey together.
Now onto this week's round-up...
💌 Round-up
📆 Upcoming in The Grove
Using PowerPoint to Create Graphical Abstracts and Infographics – Kelly Schrank, MA, ELS
Many journals are requesting graphical or visual abstracts to pair with manuscripts, and other agencies may request summary infographics to complement your publications. Join us on February 4 to move past providing words in a Word document to presenting the content in a more graphical format using PowerPoint. You must be enrolled in Scientific Writing Simplified to join.
👓 Reading
Casual inference and pubic health – What a rise in common spelling errors says about the state of research culture
"...some academics may be cutting corners to produce papers quickly and remain competitive. Checks of robustness, such as running sensitivity analyses to verify results or waiting for a colleague’s feedback on a draft paper, may be perceived as too time-consuming to warrant delaying publication. This kind of corner cutting also means that quantity is being prioritised over quality, and the literature is becoming clogged with poor quality papers. . .The rise in spelling errors highlights the tension between working slowly and carefully versus publishing quickly.”
Uncovering scientific ERRORs: can financial rewards work?
“…the Estimating the Reliability & Robustness of Research (ERROR) project offers cash rewards for reviewers identifying incorrect or misinterpreted data, code, statistical analyses, or citations in scientific papers. . .The ERROR team hopes to convince research funders to allocate money for error detection – ultimately saving them from investing in flawed research.“🎧 Listening
🖥️ Watching
Linguist Answers Word Origin Questions
"Linguist Gareth Roberts joins WIRED to answer the internet's burning questions about the etymologies of English words. How did the first languages first form? Was there once a single common language that all the others evolved from? When were swear words invented? Have words like "dude" and "bro" become gender neutral? Who came up with the word poop? Is "unalived" a real word now?"
🎓 Training
AI bootcamp for medical writers – Starts February 17, 2025
Are you feeling overwhelmed by AI tools or worried about privacy? In this bootcamp, AI whisperer Núria Negrão will teach you actionable strategies to use AI safely and effectively to cut your research time in half and produce higher-quality work. I have learned a lot from attending several of Núria's talks and highly recommend joining this bootcamp. Register
...Oh, and if you're not a medical writer, Núria will be a guest speaker for The Grove community in March. You must be enrolled in Scientific Writing Simplified to join.
💬 Quote
”Writing long sentences is like adding water to tea; the more words, the weaker the message.” – Dianna Booher
Thank you so much for reading.
Warmly,
Crystal
