What does it take to turn good research into a successful publication in today’s competitive academic environment? Dan Littman, Professor of Molecular Immunology at New York University, shared insights from his experience with authoring and co-authoring dozens of scientific papers published in top journals.
The presentation, entitled “The Art of Publishing,” took place on August 4, 2015, on the NIH main campus in Bethesda and was the second in a series of talks aiming to inspire MD/PhD students for future leadership. The series is developed in collaboration with the International Biomedical Research Alliance and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program.
“You need to learn how to tell your story,” Dr. Littman said. He explained that when ready to start writing a paper, he would begin sharing his story with colleagues in order to get good feedback on his research, learn what people find interesting about it, and get some clarity on what ties its various strengths together. “You really learn a lot about what is interesting about your story as you communicate it,” he added.
Students were invited to ask questions about writing and publishing scientific articles and were able to get some insights about the reviewing process. The discussion was led by a panel of mentors, which included senior scientists and journal editors.
