Scientific Writing: From Concept to Publication for International Audiences

English has become the international language of science, business and education. Competency in written language is necessary for anyone wishing to communicate on a global scale, whether writing for academia, journalism or business. A major reason why research/educational papers are rejected or why international employment is not offered to non-native English speakers is the lack of proficiency in written and oral English skills. Scientific Writing: From Concept to Publication is an intensive course developed for international audiences to improve their English writing and oral communication skills. The course was taught at two universities each in the People’s Republic of China and Germany and one institution in Brazil. The course examined 18 facets of writing/presentation skills during a 15 hour course and involved interactive presentations and extensive student participation with their own materials. Participants were surveyed to assess their level of understanding regarding the 18 topics before and after the course –we did not measure competency in these areas. Regardless of location, students believed that they had a significantly better (P =0.05) understanding of the topics because of the workshop. Although there was variation among locations, the top five highest ranked writing areas with improved understanding were the following: 1. dealing with editors; 2. the peer review process; 3. preparing the manuscript for submission; 4. consulting instructions to authors; and 5. authorship and its implications. There is a demonstrated need for this program and/or programs like it because of the increased emphasis on receiving and accepting submissions from non-native English speakers.