Sometimes there are little gems that are impossible to overlook and not include on the blog. This time it’s Dr Liz Tynan’s slides from James Cook University in Queensland, Australia about writing a journal for publication during or after a PhD warning that for most researchers “publish or perish” is a stark reality. But it helps the PhD candidate in the examination process. It also hones your skills as a writer. Practise, practise, practise your writing skills. Nougats of advice include the direct simplicity of conveying complex ideas with the ‘scientific method’ where “smooth transfer of information from researcher to audience” succeeds or “bad writing can slow down or prevent the publication of good research”. Even Charles Darwin who changed the course of evolutionary theory with the publication of Origin of Species struggled with the writing process: “a naturalist’s life would be a happy one if he only had to observe and never to write”. The author must engage not distract the reader with writing errors. I also like the presentation itself, clear, precise and uncluttered.
