Tackling The Writing Process

Tackling the Writing Tackling the Writing ProcessProcess

Presented by:Mary Knatterud, PhD, Department of SurgeryMary Knatterud, PhD, Department of SurgeryKatherine Chew, MLS, Bio-Medical LibraryKatherine Chew, MLS, Bio-Medical LibraryAnne Marie Weber-Main, PhD, Dept of Family Medicine & Community Anne Marie Weber-Main, PhD, Dept of Family Medicine & Community HealthHealthBrenda Hudson, MS, Office of Clinical ResearchBrenda Hudson, MS, Office of Clinical Research

April 13, 2007April 13, 2007

Office of Clinical Research

• Prewriting, Writing, RewritingPrewriting, Writing, Rewriting Mary Knatterud, PhD, Department of SurgeryMary Knatterud, PhD, Department of Surgery

• Literature ReviewLiterature Review Katherine Chew, Bio-Medical LibraryKatherine Chew, Bio-Medical Library

• Collaborative WritingCollaborative WritingAnne Marie Weber-Main, PhD, Dept of Family Medicine and Anne Marie Weber-Main, PhD, Dept of Family Medicine and Community HealthCommunity Health

• Rhetorical Elements of WritingRhetorical Elements of WritingBrenda Hudson, MS, Office of Clinical ResearchBrenda Hudson, MS, Office of Clinical Research

• Time ManagementTime Management

• Question-and-answerQuestion-and-answer


AgendaAgenda


Upon completion of this activity, participants should Upon completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:be better able to:

1. Utilize the steps of prewriting, writing and 1. Utilize the steps of prewriting, writing and rewritingrewriting

2. Perform a literature review2. Perform a literature review3. Utilize effective time management in writing3. Utilize effective time management in writing4. Understand aspects of collaborative writing4. Understand aspects of collaborative writing5. Understand and use the rhetorical elements of 5. Understand and use the rhetorical elements of writingwriting

Learning Objectives:Learning Objectives:


• I will not discuss off label use and/or investigational I will not discuss off label use and/or investigational use in my presentation.use in my presentation.

• I have no financial relationships to disclose.I have no financial relationships to disclose.

Mary Knatterud Disclosure InformationApril 13, 2007

Scientific Writing Development Series


Prewriting, Writing, RewritingPrewriting, Writing, Rewriting

““The four rules for the preparation of an The four rules for the preparation of an article for a journal will then be :article for a journal will then be :

I.I. Have something to say ;Have something to say ;

II.II. Say it ;Say it ;

III.III. Stop as soon as you have said it ;Stop as soon as you have said it ;

IV.IV. Give the paper a proper title.”Give the paper a proper title.”

John S. Billings, M.D., Surgeon United States Army, “An AddressJohn S. Billings, M.D., Surgeon United States Army, “An Address

on Our Medical Literature,” The British Medical Journal (August on Our Medical Literature,” The British Medical Journal (August 13,13,

1881, p. 267)1881, p. 267)



““Research is complete only when theResearch is complete only when the

results are shared with the scientificresults are shared with the scientific

community. . . . [T]he preparation of acommunity. . . . [T]he preparation of a

manuscript for journal publication is an manuscript for journal publication is an

integral part of the individual researchintegral part of the individual research

effort.”effort.”Publication Manual of the American Psychological Publication Manual of the American Psychological

Association, 5Association, 5thth ed. (Washington, DC: 2001, pp. 3, 4) ed. (Washington, DC: 2001, pp. 3, 4)



““Plant a tree for posterity in the orchardPlant a tree for posterity in the orchard

of your profession. It will give youof your profession. It will give you

enduring satisfaction . . . ; its growth canenduring satisfaction . . . ; its growth can

project your image and wishes far intoproject your image and wishes far into

time and space.”time and space.”

Dr. Owen H. WangensteenDr. Owen H. Wangensteen




Katherine Chew Disclosure InformationKatherine Chew Disclosure InformationApril 13, 2007April 13, 2007

Scientific Writing Development SeriesScientific Writing Development Series


Literature Review - I Literature Review - I

• Helps clarify or refine the problemHelps clarify or refine the problem• Verifies that this is an important clinical Verifies that this is an important clinical

problem which needs answeringproblem which needs answering• Fills in gaps of existing knowledgeFills in gaps of existing knowledge• Helps select research and identify Helps select research and identify

measurement instrumentsmeasurement instruments• Identifies other researchers with similar Identifies other researchers with similar

interestsinterests• Helps in identifying or refining target journalHelps in identifying or refining target journal• Don’t limit to just what is available Don’t limit to just what is available

electronicallyelectronically


Literature Review – IILiterature Review – IIRefWorksRefWorks

http://www.lib.umn.edu/site/refworks.phtmlhttp://www.lib.umn.edu/site/refworks.phtml

• Check target journals “Instructions to Authors” Check target journals “Instructions to Authors” for required citation style for required citation style http://mulford.meduohio.edu/instr http://mulford.meduohio.edu/instr

• Important to cite your references clearly and Important to cite your references clearly and uniformlyuniformly

• Cite original sourcesCite original sources• Refrain from citing unpublished manuscripts, Refrain from citing unpublished manuscripts,

personal communications and sparingly from personal communications and sparingly from meeting abstracts, theses and technical meeting abstracts, theses and technical bulletinsbulletins


Literature Review - III Literature Review - III

• Library Workshops on Literature Searching & RefWorksLibrary Workshops on Literature Searching & RefWorks– http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/workshops http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/workshops

• Meet With a Librarian one-on-oneMeet With a Librarian one-on-one– Look for a subject librarian Look for a subject librarian

http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/about/staff/liaisonshttp://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/about/staff/liaisons– Send an email request for a literature search or Send an email request for a literature search or

RefWorks consultation RefWorks consultation http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/services/reference/cohttp://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/services/reference/consultations nsultations

• Request a Librarian do the Literature Search for youRequest a Librarian do the Literature Search for you– http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/services/reference/http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/services/reference/

literatureliterature




Anne-Marie Weber Main Disclosure Anne-Marie Weber Main Disclosure InformationInformation

April 13, 2007April 13, 2007



Collaborative WritingCollaborative Writing

Point 1:Point 1:Collaborative writing is a good thing!Collaborative writing is a good thing!

Potential advantages include:Potential advantages include:• Skills of one author can supplement Skills of one author can supplement

deficiencies in another.deficiencies in another.• Workload is shared.Workload is shared.• New ideas and perspectives enrich the text.New ideas and perspectives enrich the text.• Writer has more interaction, less isolationWriter has more interaction, less isolation• New writers can be mentored.New writers can be mentored.


Collaborative Writing Collaborative Writing

Point 2:Point 2:

For a writing project to truly be For a writing project to truly be “collaborative,” all authors need to be “collaborative,” all authors need to be invested in the project, willing to work, invested in the project, willing to work, and committed to seeing the project and committed to seeing the project through to its final outcome. through to its final outcome.



Point 3a:Point 3a:

Collaborative writing will be more Collaborative writing will be more productive, and more enjoyable, if productive, and more enjoyable, if coauthors identify clear roles and coauthors identify clear roles and responsibilities for each member of the responsibilities for each member of the writing team. writing team.



Point 3b:Point 3b:

Ideally, these roles will take advantage of Ideally, these roles will take advantage of each author’s skills - not just in their each author’s skills - not just in their scientific content area, but also in their scientific content area, but also in their approach to writingapproach to writing..



Point 4:Point 4:

““There are many potential pitfalls into There are many potential pitfalls into which both novice and experienced which both novice and experienced writers may fall when working with writers may fall when working with friends and colleagues on a combined friends and colleagues on a combined research/writing project.” research/writing project.”

p. 255, Fess EE. Can coauthors remain friends? p. 255, Fess EE. Can coauthors remain friends? J Hand TherJ Hand Ther. 1994;7(4):255-6.. 1994;7(4):255-6.




Brenda Hudson Disclosure InformationBrenda Hudson Disclosure InformationApril 13, 2007April 13, 2007



Rhetorical elements of writingRhetorical elements of writing

Purpose: Why am I doing this?Purpose: Why am I doing this?

• Longer-term purpose: communicate the Longer-term purpose: communicate the results of my studyresults of my study

• Immediate purpose: to get publishedImmediate purpose: to get published

AudienceAudience

• Whom am I writing for?Whom am I writing for?

• What are their expectations?What are their expectations?


Rhetorical elements of writingRhetorical elements of writing

Audience: help or hindrance?Audience: help or hindrance?• Is the audience safe or dangerous?Is the audience safe or dangerous?• Does it affect quantity or quality of Does it affect quantity or quality of

words?words?• How much are we being affected by the How much are we being affected by the

real audience for these words and how real audience for these words and how much by some other audience we carry much by some other audience we carry around in our heads?around in our heads?

- from Peter Elbow. Writing with Power (Oxford: Oxford - from Peter Elbow. Writing with Power (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998)University Press, 1998)


Rhetorical elements of writingRhetorical elements of writingSome AdviceSome Advice

• Can’t get going? Change / ignore your Can’t get going? Change / ignore your audience in early writingaudience in early writing

• Self-conscious, worrying about mistakes? Self-conscious, worrying about mistakes? Try freewriting with safe or no audience in Try freewriting with safe or no audience in mindmind

• Writing too complicated, too many Writing too complicated, too many qualifications in your argument? Write as if qualifications in your argument? Write as if you were writing to friendsyou were writing to friends

• Lots of words but no focus? Consider a Lots of words but no focus? Consider a dangerous audiencedangerous audience

- from Peter Elbow, ibid.- from Peter Elbow, ibid.


Rhetorical elements of writingRhetorical elements of writingSummarySummary

““If your piece is unfocused and wandering . . . If your piece is unfocused and wandering . . . and you want to and you want to endend the fission or chain the fission or chain reaction . . . bring your audience more reaction . . . bring your audience more strongly to mind and write more strongly to mind and write more toto it. it.

If you can’t find enough to say . . . try ignoring If you can’t find enough to say . . . try ignoring your audience and following the words your audience and following the words where they want to go or else writing to very where they want to go or else writing to very different audiences.”different audiences.”

- from Peter Elbow, ibid.- from Peter Elbow, ibid.


Contact InformationContact Information• Prewriting, writing, rewritingPrewriting, writing, rewriting

Mary Knatterud, Mary Knatterud, [email protected]; 612 625 ; 612 625 44134413

• Literature reviewLiterature reviewKatherine Chew, Katherine Chew, [email protected]; ; 612 626 3017612 626 3017

• Collaborative writingCollaborative writingAnne Marie Weber-Main, Anne Marie Weber-Main, [email protected]; ; 612 624 5864612 624 5864

• Rhetorical elements of writingRhetorical elements of writingBrenda Hudson, Brenda Hudson, [email protected]; ; 612 624 3422612 624 3422

• Time managementTime management

mailto:[email protected]




Education

Tackling The Writing Process