Interlude: Because, Reproducibility, and History

I've heard many people say that there is an element of sales in scientific and medical writing. That you need to sell your data and ideas.

I think there is some truth to that notion. Salesmanship involves persuading people to behave in a certain way. Similarly, in scientific and medical writing, you want to persuade your readers to think or behave in a certain way, whether that's to fund your proposal, publish your manuscript, or cite your work.

An important aspect of this persuasion is credibility. Credibility is foundational in science, and a key part of maintaining integrity in your work and in your field. And this combination—persuasion and credibility—is a powerful way to build trust and sell your data and ideas.

Do you notice an element of salesmanship in your work? Feel free to reply to this email. I'd love to know what you think.

Now onto my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

💻 From My Desk

The Persuasive Power of the Word Because
One of the most powerful ways to persuade your readers is to use one simple word: because.

12 Powerful Ways to Persuade Your Reviewers
These techniques will help you master the art of persuasive writing to influence and motivate your readers.
 

📆 Upcoming

Writing Journal Club – July 20, 2022, 11 am Pacific Time
Join me for discussions with fellow scientists, clinicians, and trainees as we explore the strengths and weaknesses of scientific and medical manuscripts.

The Backbone of Manuscripts: Supporting Your Writing With Storytelling – November 5, 2022, 9 am Mountain Time
Mark your calendars for the 2022 AMWA Medical Writing & Communications Conference in Denver, CO! I will be speaking about how storytelling is a foundational aspect of manuscripts.

👓 Reading

Funding: end ‘publish or perish’ for postdocs
"EMBO, which publishes and funds life-sciences research, is changing its criteria for postdoctoral fellowships to help early-career applicants to focus more on scientific progress than on accumulating publications."

Peer reviewers equally critique theory, method, and writing, with limited effect on the final content of accepted manuscripts
"The finding here that reviewers focused nearly equally on critiquing the methodological detail, theoretical basis, and communication style of manuscripts indicates that reviewers are aiming to achieve the principal function of peer review to detect flaws and deficiencies in the design and interpretation of studies and ensure the clarity and quality of their presentation."

NIH bid to tackle reproducibility crisis – is data sharing the answer?
"NIH policy requiring all grant applications to include a data management and sharing plan comes into effect in January 2023. The policy sets to improve reproducibility in biomedical research, reduce wasted resources, and help regain public trust in science, but some researchers worry about the associated logistical challenges."

Introducing the EMPIRE Index: A novel, value-based metric framework to measure the impact of medical publications
"The EMPIRE Index provides a richer assessment of publication value than standalone traditional and alternative metrics and may enable medical researchers to assess the impact of publications easily and to understand what characterizes impactful research."

🎧 Listening

The History of English Podcast
This podcast explores the roots of the English language. If you want to know about the history and development of English, this podcast is for you!
 

🖥️ Watching

How Five Simple Words Can Get You Want You Want - TEDx talk by Janine Driver
This video inspired my blog post on the persuasive power of "because." I think that Janine does an amazing job of describing why we need to pay attention to the words we use.

💬 Quote

“A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do.” ― Robert B. Cialdini
 

💭 Thoughts

Don’t choose the sophisticated message to try to sound smart. Choose the straightforward message that can be easily understood.

Strive to enlighten readers, not to impress them.

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal