Interlude: Consistent Practice, "Harmless" Phrases, and Not Disclosing AI Use
I adopted a new dog recently. His name is Tucker. He's an older fella, and I don't know much about his background. But he's had a lot to learn. So we've been doing a lot of training.
We train every day, multiple times a day—during walks, mealtimes, and playtimes. I've even worked training into small moments throughout the day, like a cue for a piece of carrot while I cut vegetables for dinner.
And I've been amazed at how quickly he's learning. (Granted, I only have an n of 2 for comparison—but I know more now than I did when I was training Benson).
When I reflect on what's contributed to his progress, one thing stands out: consistent, dedicated practice.
That reminds me of what I often tell my students: when you commit to consistent, dedicated practice, you can transform your writing.
And every bit of practice helps. You can invest in a course, join a webinar, or even just learn a new word each day. The time you dedicate does not have to monumental to be meaningful.
So show up consistently for your writing. Practice with dedication and purpose. And over time, your commitment will lead to transformation.
Now onto this week's round-up...
Round-up
From My Desk
3 "Harmless" Words That Can Sabotage Your Scientific Writing
Word choice can make the difference between connecting with readers and alienating them. In this video, you’ll learn three words that may seem harmless but can actually signal arrogance and come across as presumptuous or dismissive. You'll also learn how a simple fix can make your writing more empathetic and persuasive.
Reading
Biomedical and life science articles by female researchers spend longer under review
"…female-authored articles tend to spend longer under review than male-authored articles, and that the trend is robust to controlling for several potentially confounding factors. Even though the gender gap is pervasive across biomedicine and the life sciences, it does not affect all fields equally, being absent and even reversed in a minority of disciplines."
Basic Experimental Studies in Humans (BESH) Will No Longer Be Considered Clinical Trials by the NIH
"In the context of the definition of clinical trials, the NIH now considers a health-related biomedical or behavioral outcome as having the potential for direct advancement of health. Although BESH research, which produces fundamental information about biology or behavior, might eventually inform advances in health, it is not conducted with the express intent of changing clinical practice or health but rather aims to understandfundamental aspects of phenomena without immediate clinical applications. Therefore, BESH research is no longer considered to meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial."
Why Authors Aren’t Disclosing AI Use and What Publishers Should (Not) Do About It
"There is one solution I encourage publishers not to adopt: investing in AI text detection tools. Not only are these tools notoriously unreliable and slow to adapt as AI models improve, but they also reinforce the idea that using AI to help with writing is forbidden, a position not taken by most publishers. If we believe that AI tools will help ESL scholars level the playing field for publication, why are we so obsessed with trying to detect their use?"
Quote
“Practicing the basics is the foundation for mastering the extraordinary.” –Greg LeMond
Thank you so much for reading.
Warmly,
Crystal
