Katie Kirkby, MPH University of Oxford

Aldineber Alzate, University of Sussex

Welcome
Welcome to the series of lectures and workshops with
the purpose of familiarising students and academic staff
with application processes for studying abroad and
processes of publishing articles in English in
international journals.

This workshop series is in four seminars:
1. Improving your English writing skills, as they are
essential for all of the following.
2. How to write and publish your scientific articles in
English
3. How to find and apply for Masters degrees and
scholarships abroad
4. How to find and apply for Doctoral degrees and
fellowships abroad

Workshop schedule
Monday 7
th
May
Technical/academic writing skills
- Essay structure
- Writing style
- Technical vocabulary and linking words

Workshop schedule
Thursday 10
th
May
Writing of scientific articles in English for
publication in international journals
- Structure of articles
- Writing style
- Processes of application to journals
Workshop schedule
Monday 14
th
May
Application processes for Masters degrees abroad
-How to choose the right course for you
-The application process
-How to write a personal statement
-How to find scholarships
Workshop schedule
Wednesday 16
th
May
Application processes for Doctoral degrees abroad
- How to choose the right programme for you
-The application process
-How to write a statement of purpose
-How to write a research proposal
-How to find fellowships (scholarships)

Structure of the workshops
The workshops are structured in the following way:

Approximately 2 hours divided into:
1 hour lecture
Followed by a 15 break
1 hour workshop

Different applications and processes
UK versus USA systems

- Masters applications
- Both ask for Personal Statements, 2-3 References, CV, transcripts
- USA GREs and TOEFL
- UK TOEFL/IELTS
- Funding opportunities
- Doctoral applications
- UK research proposal and statement of purpose
- USA statement of purpose
- Choosing your supervisor
- Scientific article submission
- Different types of journals how to choose the right journal
- Different submission procedures and requirements
Why is this important?
1. Lots of opportunities for study abroad
- Missing opportunities for courses and scholarships for
Masters and PhDs that are available in USA and Europe, as
well as Asia and Australia.

2. Publishing articles in English gets you worldwide
recognition
- English dominates the scientific world
- Worldwide recognition of yourself as a scientist/researcher
- Citations
- Make connections with other researchers around the world
- Proof of your abilities and experience = Jobs
- Higher university ranking
- Recognition for Colombia and Latin America as a whole

Importance of English writing skills
Need of good technical writing skills for writing:
- Articles
- Personal statements
- Research proposals
- Essays
- Dissertations
- Thesis

Workshop 1: Writing Skills
Structure is everything!

Follow the formula

Plan before you write
Structure of an essay
Introduction
Paragraphs
Conclusion
Planning the essay
Writing clear sentences
Logical development of the argument


Workshop 1: Material to be covered
Structure of an essay
Conclusion

Body

Paragraph

Paragraph

Paragraph
Introduction
Structure of an essay
Introduce general topic
Papers
argument
Support for thesis statement

Brief
Summary
Link to wider perspective
Examples: Essays
Example: Scientific paper
Structure of an essay
Introduction
Grab the reader
Introduce the topic
What your main argument/point is
What is going to follow in the essay
Start wide and get more and more specific

Paragraphs
Each paragraph is a new argument or topic
Gives more detailed support or evidence for your argument
Each paragraph has a beginning, middle and an end

Conclusion
Summary of main findings
Link to broader themes and consequences
Full circle ending

Structure of the introduction
1. First sentence grab attention, introduce the wider
topic
2. Thesis statement the argument of the paper in one
sentence
3. Development sentence the points that you will be
making to develop/support your argument
Example Introduction 1
From: THE COST OF TOURISM IN THE COOK ISLANDS

In theory, tourism brings substantial economic benefits to a
country. But who gains the wealth generated? In recent times tour
operators have brought large numbers of tourists to the Cook Islands to
enjoy their beauty and the traditional life style. Local people meet this
demand in the form of profit generation. Can it be argued that tourism in
the Cook Islands has brought wealth and well-being for the majority of
the local population? Tourism is also promoted as creating jobs and
fostering social relations, and in particular a better understanding
between nations. However, there is, according to one researcher, "a
growing body of empirical evidence that the so-called 'benefits' of
tourism are often greatly outweighed by the substantial long-term social
and environmental costs incurred" (Mercer, 1994, p. 127). This essay will
argue that in the case of the Cook Islands, tourism's economic and
social benefits are unfortunately unrealised ideals and that instead
it has put stresses and strains on both the country's economic
wellbeing and its social values.

Example Introduction 2
From: A CRITIQUE OF THE LOGICAL FRAMEWORK AND REVIEW OF ALTERNATIVE WAYS FORWARD

The Inservice Secondary School Teacher Education Project (INSSTEP) was a DFID-
funded programme from 1995-2000 in Uganda targeted at increasing the efficiency
and effectiveness of secondary school education. Like many projects, a logical framework
(logframe) was central in its planning, monitoring and evaluation (PM&E). The logframe has
a rational underlying logic: if certain activities are undertaken and inputs provided, given
certain assumptions, a set of outputs will result, which in turn will make a contribution
towards achievement of pre-defined objectives (Harley, 2005). Projects built around the
logframe are thus intended to be clear, transparent and accountable. Evaluation is built
around specified objectively verifiable indicators (OVIs). However, in the case of the INSSTEP
project evaluation, the OVIs with which success was to be measured were quantitative, such as
meeting attendance, and unsuited to measuring what the project was trying to achieve, being
enhancements in teachers resourcefulness, confidence and knowledge. Furthermore, the
logframe-based evaluation revealed that several assumptions did not hold and two of the
outputs were not achieved; however, other beneficial consequences not within the purview of
the project purpose were excluded, such as the evolution of teacher collegiality,
encouragement of enthusiasm towards their work and their personal benefits in terms of
professional growth (Harley, 2005). Thus while the logframe is meant to bring clarity and
rationality to project management, this very strength brings attendant limitations to
an understanding of real outcomes and processes leading to such outcomes (ibid).
There are many limitations in the use of logframes in project PM&E, which many
organisations are recognising and responding to with the development of alternative
tools; two such methodologies, Results Frameworks and Outcome Mapping, will be
evaluated here for their potential as alternatives to the logframe, as well as the
lessons they yield in practice.
Structure of the paragraphs
1. Topic sentence introduce the subject of the
paragraph (general, not too detailed)
2. Supporting details, arguments or evidence (in order of
importance or order of chronology/events)
3. Closing sentence summarising the topic sentence in
a different way and linking to the next paragraph topic
sentence

Example paragraph
From: COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN MATERNAL AND CHILD
HEALTH / FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMMES

Community participation is seen as the key to primary health care.
It is concerned not with advanced medical technology but rather
with applying tried and tested health care procedures to the health
problems of the poor and underprivileged, most of whom life in
rural areas of the developing countries. It is believed that only if those
who most need health care participate in its delivery will there be any
impact on the diseases afflicting them, and that only community
involvement can ensure that culturally acceptable care is available to
those who are at present underserved. WHO and UNICEF have not
confined themselves to mere advocacy of primary health care based on
community participation but have also pursued activities designed to
promote its practical application. For example, in developing a strategy
for health for all by the year 2000, WHO has focused on examining the
role of members of the community in the delivery of health services.
Those concerned with the control of communicable disases have
examined methods of involving members of the community in
their efforts and have incorporated community participation
components in their training modules.
Structure of the conclusion
Summarise main ideas and argument
One strategy is to take all of your topic sentences and
summarise/rephrase them

Explain why is this topic important. Why should the
reader care?

Relate your story to the general world/field
One strategy is to circle back to the way you opened
the introduction

Example conclusion
From: OIL CAPITALISM AND THE OGONI POLITICAL MOVEMENT

Essentially, the Ogoni struggle was one of identity in order to claim power
over land. The movement legitimated itself nationally and internationally, but
these representations isolated the movement from other ethnic groups and also
created internal tensions and cracks within the movement. These weaknesses
allowed the movement to be subverted by the petro-state; thus, the dominant
discourse, global oil capitalism, won. New social movements attempt to challenge
the status quo, attempt to fight against globalisation and transnational
companies, and in doing so create new forms of identity and legitimisation.
However, in the instance of the Ogoni, the gains were limited and the status quo
was not changed. Therefore this case is important in that it reveals the limitations
of resistance against the dominant global system. Does this mean that new social
movements are futile? Although this paper does not argue such a radical stance, it
does argue that this case shows that we should not overestimate the potential of
movements to challenge the dominant global discourses, such as capital
accumulation. We also should not over-emphasise the advantages of alliances
between the international community and local movements when fighting a force
like oil capitalism. Saro-Wiwas struggle represents the rapacious appetite of
global accumulation and the ruthless military dictatorship a struggle
which reveals the dominant force of global oil capitalism.

Summary: Structure of an essay
General statements
Thesis statement

PARAGRAPHS:
Topic sentence
- Support
- Support
- Support
Conclusion/Linking sentence

Summary of main points
Final comment

Body

Conclusion

Paragraph

Paragraph

Paragraph
Introduction
Planning
1. Analyse the essay title
Planning
2. Brainstorming and mind-maps
Planning
Use key words
Planning

LOCAL PRODUCTION OF GENERIC ARVS FOR HIV/AIDS TREATMENT AND ISSUES OF ACCESS
IN UGANDA

Introduction
- HIV situation in Uganda
- Are problems of access to ARVs about COST or about barriers in HEALTH
INFRASTRUCTURE?
Thesis: Although there is local production which presents an opportunity for
increased access to ARVs, access still depends on various changes to the
healthcare system.

Paragraph 1: Background to ARVs and access in Uganda and global ARV mechanisms

Paragraph 2: Local drug production in Uganda

Paragraph 3: Problems in health infrastructure and barriers to drug access in
Uganda

Conclusion
Cheap drugs will not solve the problem of access
Uganda needs to address critical issues of access and healthcare infrastructure.



3. Make an essay plan

Planning
4. Do the research

Journal articles Read the abstracts, introductions, conclusions
and note key references

Books read introductions and key chapters. Note key quotes.

Internet dont believe everything you read!

Put key information and quotes into your essay plan.

*Note down the details of the references you use for your
bibliography.
Writing: Structure of sentences
Every sentence = new point

Logical development from one point to the next

Try writing every sentence on a different line so that you treat
each individually.

Effective scientific writing conveys an idea clearly and
concisely. Even though ideas may be complex and technical,
the language does not have to be. If a sentence is not
readable, it is obscuring the meaning.

The importance of clear sentences
The secret of good writing is to strip each sentence to
its cleanest components. Every word that serves no
function, every long word that could be a short word
these weaken the strength of a sentence. And they
usually occur in proportion to the education and rank.

William Zinsser in On Writing Well, 1979



Clear writing
Do not hide your main points or arguments put
them at the beginning of sentences or paragraphs.

Do not use emphatic writing
- Best
- Always
- Excessive personal emotion
- Too much detail and story-telling

Cut unnecessary words and phrases


Cut unnecessary words
Example:

This paper provides a review of the basic tenants of cancer biology
study design, using as examples studies that illustrate the
methodological challenges or that demonstrate successful
solutions to the difficulties inherent in biological research.

This paper provides a review of the basic tenants of cancer biology
study design, using as examples studies that illustrate the
methodological challenges or that demonstrate successful
solutions to the difficulties inherent in biological research.


This paper reviews cancer biology study design, using
examples that illustrate specific challenges and solutions.
Example:

As it is well known, increased athletic activity has been related to
a profile of lower cardiovascular risk, low blood pressure levels,
and improved muscular and cardio-respiratory performance.

As it is well known, increased athletic activity has been related to
a profile of lower cardiovascular risk, low blood pressure levels,
and improved muscular and cardio-respiratory performance .


Increased athletic activity is associated with lower
cardiovascular risk, low blood pressure, and improved fitness.

Increased athletic activity lowers cardiovascular risk and
blood pressure, and improves fitness.

is associated with
fitness
Take out words that
slow down the reader
as it is well known
as it has been shown
it can be regarded that
long words or phrases that could be short (muscular
and cardio-respiratory performance)
repetitive words (illustrate/demonstrate,
challenges/difficulties)
adverbs (very, really, quite, basically, generally)

Shorten long words or phrases
A majority of Most
A number of Many
Are of the same opinion Agree
Less frequently occurring Rare
Give rise to Cause
Due to the fact that Because
Have an effect on affect
There is more power in shorter
sentences that give the main idea:
Brain injury incidence shows two peak periods in almost
all reports; rates are the highest in young people and the
elderly.

More power:

Brain injury incidence peaks in the young and the
elderly.

Logical development of the
argument
Importance of planning
Importance of structure
Connectors and linking words
Editing
Transitions / Connectors
Link paragraphs
Link sentences
Make your ideas flow


Firstly, secondly, thirdly Primarily Above all
Finally As a result In addition
Furthermore Therefore Additionally
However Consequently To conclude
On the other hand Thus Also
In contrast Hence Besides
Similarly The cause of Correspondingly
Likewise Moreover To summarise
Editing
Get feedback
If the meaning is unclear, it is badly written
Take a break from the writing and return to edit it later


Conclusion
STRUCTURE

Logical development of the argument
Thesis statement
Main arguments = main paragraphs
One sentence = one idea
Linking words = connecting ideas
Conclusion

Thank you

Any questions?
Workshop group exercise
Never write before you make a plan

Essay topics:
How can corruption issues in Colombia be solved?
Why is the gap between the rich and poor increasing
in Colombia and how can this be reduced?
Where do you see Pereiras development in the next 20
years and why?

1. Brainstorm
2. Make an essay plan