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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Writing in the Sciences by Stanford University

4.9
stars
8,318 ratings

About the Course

This course teaches scientists to become more effective writers, using practical examples and exercises. Topics include: principles of good writing, tricks for writing faster and with less anxiety, the format of a scientific manuscript, peer review, grant writing, ethical issues in scientific publication, and writing for general audiences....

Top reviews

IA

Aug 25, 2020

A very helpful course. My writing has improved significantly in these 8 weeks. I highly recommend this course to everyone. Thank you Dr. Kristin Sainani and Coursera for bringing this course together.

AA

Jan 11, 2023

The best course I attain in Coursera. I struggled a lot to write my first manuscript and it took a lot of time. This course is beneficial for all scientific students. I highly recommended this course.

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51 - 75 of 2,766 Reviews for Writing in the Sciences

By kulsum h

•

Jan 23, 2022

there is something wrong in grading system.

if i write correct answers i get 56%

if i select wrong answers and leave the answer boxes empty i get 56%

its been 6th time

By Charul S

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Jul 9, 2020

Although I'm not from the medical field, I am thoroughly satisfied with the course content. The course is well structured and the short duration of the modules is so comfortable to adjust to. The quizzes are thorough and actually test your knowledge, post listening to the weekly lectures.

I used to be confused and frustrated regarding the writing process in academics, but attending this course has opened my eyes and broadened my mind. It is an all encompassing course that touches on the minutest details of academic writing: editing, grammar, writing process, stages in writing, publishing, peer review and what not.

I am so thankful to the teacher of the course for making this information available and that too in such an engaging manner, there was not a dull moment during this course, the teacher always kept my mind engaged with relatable and easy to understand examples. One of the best attributes of the course is that it is 'succinct' and 'crisp', without any 'unnecessary clutter' and 'dead weight' lectures, much like the requisites of academic writing that this course advocates. I feel confident to dive into my academic writing after attending this course, and I'm going to come back to it whenever I'm unsure about writing a research paper again.

By Liz C

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Mar 31, 2021

If you are a scientist, you need to take this course. This is - bar none - the very best course I have ever taken. Every single scientist should take this course, preferably at the undergraduate level, but minimally in the early days of graduate school before they attempt to write anything. I am lamenting not having access to this course when I wrote my thesis, or struggled my way though writing manuscripts for publication. I am sharing this with everyone on my team and people from my former positions. I am eternally grateful to Dr. Sainani, and hope more of her courses become available on Coursera in the future; now that I have my communication skills honed, my biostats could use some brushing up!

I am not exaggerating when I say this free Coursera program was more beneficial than any formal training I had in undergrad, grad school or my post-doc positions, either in scientific writing or in simple science. Science only matters if we can communicate it.

By Mithra M

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Jan 19, 2021

This is a fantastic course with an exceptional instructor. I earned my Ph.D. quite a while ago and have written plenty. I've never had trouble writing "correctly," but also was never trained in how to write or plan papers efficiently. The material provided in this course has totally helped me by filling in gaps in how to write papers, how to pay attention to the reader, how to edit other people's work, and even how to think about moving into science journalism. The instructor describes her thought processes in editing, and this is a fantastic help. I wish there were a second course and/or a book or blog. Thank you to Dr. Sainani and thank you to Stanford for making this course available. It gives me faith in online learning. One suggestion: if doing a Part II, it would great to more fully include social sciences, which are not the focus of this course.

By Soham D

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May 12, 2021

Coming into this course my pockets were empty with regards to scientific literature, and now that I've finished this course, it's safe to say that I've become rich in knowledge. For Beginners, this is a wonderful opportunity to dive deep into the topic of Scientific Journals but as young and prospering scientists it's a great way to learn grammar, ethics, Do's and Dont's and last but not the least - "how to think outside the box and be creative". These 8 weeks I have had the wonderful experience of connecting with people across the globe and it was an ecstatic experience reading their Honours Papers and reviewing their assignments. I'm extremely thankful to Dr Kristin Sainani as well as numerous guest mentors/ Interview Panels and not to mention; Coursera for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

By Roxana K

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Apr 29, 2021

The best online course I have ever taken. This course eased my way in writing. I can not believe how much I learned (and tried to unlearn!) during this 8 weeks. I am a postdoc with 22 peer reviewed publications, still some materials in this course were brand new for me. My first language is not English and I learned science writing here and there mimicking old style writers and picked up all those unnecessary sometimes incorrect ROLES of science writing. I have a much better feeling and confidence in my writing now.

Well done and thanks for making it available for free. My writing, or better to say my thinking process during writing, is now more organized and purposeful. Keep offering it so a greater number of students and professionals could benefit from it. I loved it too much!!!!

By Julia K

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Nov 9, 2021

In the course, bio-medical sciences often serve as a linguistic platform, yet the scaffolding for an article follows the editorial blueprint for a generic scientific piece. Crucially, Dr. Seinani’s fostering conceptual transparency and scientific rigor through precise writing and relentless editing, bring to the surface imperfections which stay on the way of coherent expression of thoughts. During the extra editorial segments, watching her dissect and mercilessly slash fluffy sentences was scary at first and then almost hilarious, and then liberating – her passion for precision in scientific writing takes no enemies. I started to apply her method to my own writing, and it felt like taking off a corset of a superficial language.

By Antonio S

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Oct 12, 2023

This is my very first MOOC and it was such an amazing one! Dr. Sainani conveys insightful commentary whilst maintaining a jovial and cheerful demeanor that really made the experience feel personable: it was so engaging and immersive that at times I was surprised to see 20-minute long videos pass by in a blink. I know the "Demo Edit Units" are not compulsory, but I found those eight demonstrations highly edifying as to the principles of good scientific writing and were a wonderful take at practicing before actually watching the professor masterfully undertake the text; I was quite surprised to see all the things that can be omitted. Thanks to Stanford, Dr. Kristin Sainani and Coursera for this great course!

By Victoria B

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Oct 28, 2023

Thank you for this amazing course. I have many years of experience as a writer in the humanities, but this course helped to clarify my understanding of the general editing process. The structure of a research paper or news article in the sciences is so very clear. I read widely in the science literature, but now I have a more critical way of evaluating what I am reading. I am working on a formal book review now. I have wandered through the book trying to make sense of the logic. Now I see how the author identified a knowledge gap. The book is built around this novel insight. I would have never recognized that "formula" for designing an academic work. I hope to become a Coursera regular.

By Rosmita B

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Aug 1, 2023

I was looking for a Science Writing course (a certificate course) for a while and I came across someone's profile in LinkedIn where I saw about this course. I got in touch with them to get their feedback. 100 % recommended by them I opted for the course and I must say it was one of the best decisions. I enjoyed the course thoroughly. I am not new to science writing yet the course had a lot to offer. The assignments were very interesting. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in Science writing and who wants to improve their writing skills.

Thank you for the course.

Best wishes,

Rosmita

By Talita P

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Jun 10, 2020

I took this course aiming to improve my writing skills focusing on papers and manuscripts. Turns out it showed me how to be a better science communicator for a general audience and that was fantastic! The strategies presented in the course are interesting and powerful, independently if you are a student or an expert. Professor Kristin Sainani has an excellent didatics, that engage you the course.

By Kent J

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Aug 6, 2023

Not only did course instructor Dr. Kristin Sainani thoroughly explore and explain science writing, but perhaps equally as important she opened by covering the basic principles of effective writing, whatever the topic. This laid a great foundation for the rest of the course. Thank you, Dr. Sainani!

By Anketse D

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Jan 16, 2021

This is an excellent course if you are struggling how to write a scientific paper or don't know what goes in what part of the paper. I have already graduated from grad school but I wish I took it in my first and second year of grad school as it would have simplified my writing life.

By Christina F

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Jun 11, 2020

I really enjoyed taking this course. The material was clear and organized in a logical manner. The segments were the perfect length. I have applied the lessons already in my professional and personal life. I would be happy to take another course from her or Coursera.

By Angela M D

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Jun 13, 2020

This course is excellent! It is highly recommended for all those who want to write articles, present grants, clarify doubts about the researcher's career and learn all this from experts.

Congratulations to Stanford University. I really enjoyed the course!

By Prabhat J

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Jun 12, 2020

It was insightful and interesting--the lectures were clear and well thought out. I also liked how the exercises were organised. I would highly recommend this course for anyone willing to improve their writing skills, whether or not in the field of science.

By Dr. A S

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Jan 4, 2021

Excellent course- highly recommend for writers of all styles and levels. Engaging instructor with a deep knowledge base. It took me longer than 30 hours to complete, but an "on the ball" student could do it handily. Overall, worth my time investment.

By Kathleen P

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Jan 11, 2021

I rewrote my first paper and submitted it to a journal by following this course, and currently wait for a response. Thank you Stanford and Dr. Kristin Sainani! This course is the only resource that I have to write the paper, and it is very helpful!

By Adriana P

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Feb 1, 2021

The Writing in Science course was my "first time" with Coursera.

Great course, great professor. I loved suggestions and tricks to gets a more catchy text.

Although it's made by a medical expert, it's useful for all scientific subjects.

By ayrolles

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Jun 10, 2020

Excellent course, which teaches not only a how to write but a how to reason in science and how to clarify ideas. Absolutely essential for anyone who wants to write scientific articles with or without any previous experience. Thank you

By NOOF A N A

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Aug 14, 2023

I recommended this course for the one who intent to study master not only for those who want to write scientific articles. It is really valuable course and cover everything the researcher need to start his/her career as a researcher.

By Raymond L R

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Aug 28, 2023

I find it amazing how informative and enlightening this 8-week course was to me. As someone who always though of the research world as impenetrable and dense, this course surely provided me with the tools to navigate the jungle.

By Arafat M H

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Jun 11, 2020

Great course. Very useful for those just setting out to write in medical journals. A lot of useful tips on basics of what must constitute a well written paper, many of those that one fails to pick up on just reading articles.

By Dr. T S

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Jun 10, 2020

Insightful. Kudos to the instructor for compiling such a well-crafted course. Being in the science writing field for over two years, the course came as a refresher and helped me considerably improve my writing.

By Miss B

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Aug 4, 2023

Dr.Sainani is an absolute pleasure and an inpiration, this course has been beyond informative, eye-opening and FUN, I cannot wait to use the tools I've now learned in my future endavors and career.

Thank you!