Interlude: Anniversaries, Peer-Review Bullies, and Creating Shared Understanding
Tomorrow is a very special day...
Redwood Ink is celebrating its 8-year anniversary! 🥳
The past 8 years has been an incredible journey. And it's all because of YOU!
Thank you so much for connecting with me, sharing your perspectives, and engaging in insightful conversations these past 8 years.
As a thank you, and to celebrate this special day for Redwood Ink, I want to share 8 free resources that we offer! 🤩
1️⃣ Transform Your Writing masterclass
2️⃣ Passive Voice Primer course
3️⃣ Inclusive Language Fundamentals course
7️⃣ Science Communicators Supporting Impacted Researchers Database
Thank you for joining me on this journey. I appreciate you!
Now onto this week's round-up...
💌 Round-up
💻 From My Desk
Adapt Your Writing for a Changing Scientific Climate
A few weeks ago, I hosted a masterclass in which I shared some of the things that are changing in science and how you can adapt your writing to meet the current moment. In case you missed it, you can now watch it (and share it!) on YouTube.
👓 Reading
‘Lipstick on a pig’: how to fight back against a peer-review bully
"Peer review is supposed to be critical. But too often, Silbiger says, reviewer feedback crosses the line into an unprofessional realm. Such unacceptable behaviours range from outright bullying of other scientists and personal comments about the authors to mean-spirited or unhelpful remarks without constructive, evidence-based criticism. In...a survey of roughly 1,100 scientists...58% of respondents reported that they had encountered unprofessional peer-review comments. In particular, women, non-binary scientists and people of colour said that the experience had harmed their confidence and productivity and delayed their career advancement."
What your Discussion section isn't
In this article, Stephen Heard shares three things that your Discussion section isn't: a rehash of your results, a chance to shred your own work, and an advertisement for your subfield or research program. "Discussions are, I’ll admit, hard. There are few obvious rules for writing a Discussion; and although there are standard rhetorical elements that appear in most Discussions, they aren’t always obvious or signaled by a standard organization or set of subheads."
🎧 Listening
Wired for Words: A Neuroscientist’s Guide to Influence – Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast
In this episode, Emily Falk, Vice Dean of the Annenberg School of Communication, shares the real secret to persuading others: know what your audience finds relevant, and craft a message that resonates with them. She also shares how we need to understand what other people are thinking and feeling so we can use the power of storytelling to create shared understanding.
💬 Quote
“Most complexity is unnecessary, but we manage it instead of removing it because deletion requires courage that addition doesn't.” – Shane Parrish
Thank you so much for reading.
Warmly,
Crystal
