CC BY
50EDITORIAL
Special Course on Science Writing and Editing in Tokyo: Learning by Editing in an International
Environment
Meriam I. Abu Jabal 1 2 http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5316-7427 Email: abujabal.m.i@gmail.com
1 International Student's Journal of Medicine, Almaty, Kazakhstan 2 Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
In recent years, biomedical writing and editing became an integral part of the advanced medicine. Medical science, particularly in research field, is developing rapidly worldwide. However, there are many unresolved issues across non-Anglophone countries such as: 1) difficulties with writing quality scholarly English articles of interest to the global scientific community, 2) poor adherence to the instructions for authors, 3) lack of integrity and blatant misconduct in research papers, and 4) absence of transparency and poor adherence to current research reporting guidelines.
Acquiring essential skills in science communication, writing and editing should be an integral part of underand postgraduate medical education. There are few global centers of excellence in editing which offer courses for non-Anglophone audience. Department of International Medical Communications at the Tokyo Medical University (TMU) is one such center, which opened its doors for Kazakh researchers and arranged special two-week courses for four of our colleagues so far. I was fortunate to be invited by Visiting Professor of Kazakh National Medical University, Dr Armen Yuri Gasparyan, and took part in the course on editing this year to get essential skills in ethical science writing, research reporting, and language
Masterclass by Dr E.Barroga: On-screen editing
The Department of International Medical Communications of TMU arranged the special course tailored to our needs by Dr A.Y.Gasparyan and host experts. The course involved interactive lectures and practical seminars on the following topics: 1) editing cover letters and abstracts, 2) responding to reviewers’ comments, 3) choosing best target journals and adhering to the instructions for authors, 4) editing biomedical research papers and processing galley proofs, and 5) cascading peer review for open-access publishing. Each of these modules was arranged by world-renowned members of the editing team of the host institution in Tokyo.
After the introductory lecture on editing programe: With Dr Gulmira Umutbayeva, Dr Clifford A. Kolba and Dr Edward Barroga
I learned a lot about structuring and editing cover letters and abstracts, which are important parts of all types of scholarly articles. Abstract is the key to a manuscript that creates the first impression on readers and introduces the novelty and significance of the research results. Detailed and well-structured abstracts attract readers and guide through the whole article.
Lecture on instructions for authors reflected on common technical and ethical issues in preparing manuscripts for submission to journals. I learned that scientific authorship and its criteria should be
ISJM | VOLUME 1 | No 2 | 2015
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EDITORIAL
Medical editing team of TMU: Edward Barroga, Helena Akiko Popiel, Clifford A. Kolba and Takako Kojima
presented in the instructions to provide transparent and objective accounts on contribution of each coauthor. High-impact journals follow authorship guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), which currently encompass four criteria.
One of the lectures highlighted the importance of selecting relevant keywords and abbreviating terms. A number of specialized journals such as The Annals of Thoracic Surgery have their own thesaurus of keywords and abbreviation lists. Authors are advised to select keywords that best describe the subject matter of their manuscripts. Properly selected keywords facilitate to the retrieval of relevant articles through most bibliographic databases.
for authors, authorship criteria, employed research reporting guidelines, and prospects for attracting best authors from all over the world.
One of the most responsible and difficult parts of my academic visit to Tokyo was to acquire technical skills in editing. I was taught to properly structure titles of research articles, correct English grammar and style, re-word incorrect sentences without changing the authors’ unique style, and format graphics and images. Undoubtedly, the gained experience can be useful for my future career in scholarly writing and editing. I would be also honored to share my skills with peers and young doctors struggling to properly write and structure their papers.
Within the frames of the course, I was given a unique chance to introduce and discuss main parts of the International Student’s Journal of Medicine with emphasis placed on its upgraded instructions
Certificate of completion of the course in science editing, writing, and publishing
In conclusion, I’d like to thank my Alma mater, KazNMU for an opportunity to travel to Tokyo and meet international experts in editing. I am also grateful to Visiting Professor, Dr A.Y.Gasparyan for his recommendations and guidance over the whole course. Special thanks go to Dr Edward Barroga for arranging the course in Tokyo and his help with accommodation, transportation, and unforgettable social program throughout our stay in Tokyo. My heartfelt thanks go to Clifford A. Kolba, Takako Kojima and Helena Akiko Popiel for their brilliant presentations.
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2015 | No 2 | VOLUME 1 | ISJM
