Biology Writes

Writing groups: Mark your calendars – the biology writing group begin Mondays from noon – 1PM starting Monday Sept 16^th.  Stay tuned for more details!

One-on-one writing consultation and Writing Coaching: Email Julie.A.Reynolds@duke.edu to set up a meeting.

Writing retreats and Writing challenges – details coming soon!

Here are some insights about cover letters by Dr. Paul Woods, an editor with the journal Nature Astronomy (with emphasis added, read the full interview here).

• Cover letters are a place for direct communication to the editor dealing with your paper, and they are not seen by reviewers, so they’re a perfect place for frank and open communication.
• [Do not include] the abstract, I can read it in the manuscript. Same holds for an author list with their list of affiliations (unless the authors have opted for double-blind peer review). Never ever just copy-paste the entire paper in the cover letter… Yes, some people do this.
• I would like to see a concise summary of the work that has been performed. One or two paragraphs are ideal.
• InNature Astronomy, the author is also required to indicate how the work or the results make an improvement over previous work, that is, other refereed papers in the literature. More specialist journals might not have this strict requirement. The authors can be explicit here – I appreciate things like “Our results are more robust than XXX et al. because they didn’t do any completeness tests, whereas we perform these in a couple of ways (see Methods section).” Knowing these things not only helps me to assess the impact of the work, but also to spot whether the reviewers have fully appreciated the level of advance that the current paper makes.
• The cover letter is also the right place to communicate relevant information of organizational nature. For example, if there are time pressures or restrictions on the publication of the manuscript. Do mention if there is a companion manuscript with which publication has to be synchronized.
• I like to see suggestions for good referees who will appreciate the topic and importance of the work. But don’t give a list of colleagues and collaborators… Editors do check! On this note, I also welcome suggestions for referees to avoid because of some professional conflict.

They are half- or full-day events, on campus (in the beautiful Rubenstein Library on west campus), where you dedicate time for your writing and work in a community of fellow writers.

Sample schedule:

8:30 – 9AM:  Coffee, tea, and pastries

9:00 – 9:10:   Welcome and setting intentions

9:10 – noon: Designated writing time

Noon: Lunch at The Commons

1PM – 4PM: Designated writing time (snacks provided, gluten-free/dairy-free options available)

1PM – 4PM: Optional one-on-one consultations and/or feedback on your writing

What to bring

• Bring materials related to a specific writing project—this could include a working draft, an outline, a call for proposals, a grant application, or even some writing ideas you’re trying to choose from for this workshop. Bring whatever you need to jump start your writing.
• A charged laptop and power cord.
• A sweater or light jacket for comfort in the air-conditioned rooms and walking/comfortable shoes if you would like to take a walking break or participate in the optional “walk and talk” consultations
• Water bottle and coffee cup