Short term course on tools and techniques of scientific writing and publishing

The Short Term Course On Tools and Techniques of Scientific Writing and Publishing organized by School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Human Resource Development Center (HRDC), Lovely Professional University and Society of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (SPER) catered to the capacity building in research, project writing and professional growth of the participants.

The group consisting of a balanced mix of scholars and faculty including representation from the industry got off to a flying start. Addressing the participants, Course Convener and Executive Dean, Lovely Faculty of Applied Sciences Dr. Monica Gulati gave insights on the objective of this short term course mentioning the in depth thought gone into designing the format of the course after feedbacks and inputs from the participants of the last hosted course. She advised the participants to translate the learning of the course into high impact publications. She remarked that each designated subject matter expert had proven track record and mastery on the topic. She also thanked the Course Convenor & Head HRDC, Dr. Sunaina Ahuja for organizing this short term course.  Mr. Sarabjit Singh Kwatra, Course Coordinator moderated the inaugural session and Organizing Secretary Dr. Bimlesh Kumar, explained the course flow and the assessment and evaluation pattern.

The opening session was taken by Dr. Monica Gulati, the subject matter expert focused on Introduction of writing quality research papers and publishing and Selection of journal.  Session 2 taken by Dr. Suresh Mani, Associate Professor, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, LPU focused on Referencing using Mendeley, enriched the participants with the right way and approach to do so. Dr. Satnam Singh , Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology ,AIMSR, Aadesh University Bathinda gave insights on Ethics in research writing. The sessions were followed by Questions and Answer session. The last part of the day was reserved for Self practice and writing.

Referencing using Endnote was the topic for Session 1 on Day 2. It was taken by Dr. Rohit Rai, Assistant Professor, School of Physiotherapy and Paramedical Sciences, LPU. Session 2-Day II focused on capstone and thesis content. It was conducted by Dr. Navneet Khurana Professor, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, LPU.  The afternoon sessions was dedicated to self-practice and writing where the participants applied the learnings.

Day III Focused on Effective Literature Review, Inclusion, and sequencing of authors based on their roles and Preparation of title, abstract of manuscript and paraphrasing of manuscript and language correction was handled by Dr. Vijay Mishra Professor, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, LPU and Dr. Monica Gulati Executive Dean, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences LPU. The afternoon session was dedicated to self-practice and writing.

The thrust on Day IV was on Application of chem draw and Guidance for SCOPUS/WOS/SCI Journals and Predatory Journals. These sessions were taken by Dr. Amit Mittal and Dr. Sheetu. Day V dwelled on Ethical use of animals and alternatives to animal experiments Obtaining permission for reproduction of data from other journals. The subject matter experts for these were Dr. Bimlesh Kumar Professor, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, LPU and Dr. Bhupinder Kapoor, Professor, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, LPU. All the subject matter experts engaged the participants with practical examples, hands on demonstration and poll questions.

The session resources were shared on a daily basis on the Google Drive, the link of which was shared with participants. The assessment and evaluation was conducted through Multiple Choice Questions based on the session learning outcomes and construct of an Abstract.

The participants were unanimous in their appreciation of the course in terms of the content, delivery and organization. The responsiveness of the organizing team was applauded by the participants who expressed that this was one of the best learning experiences. They also expressed desire that such programs should be frequently conducted. The top three scoring participants were acknowledged. The valedictory session had a buzz of vibrancy and enthusiasm!

TESTIMONIALS:

Abhigyan Ranjan::!!! I have learnt lot about writing. It is going to help in my publication. I liked ” how to represent stats and table” in manuscript.

Varnit Tyagi..!!! Will help me in my masters program as publication is compulsory in M Pharm, Pharmaceutical based like what are the modern equipments and what new ways they are using in industry. It will help in industrial exposure.

Indu Melkani!!! Excellent job!!!! “Keep growing and keep shining”100% beneficial, Animal study, IAEC and CPSCEA GUIDELINES

Deepika Reddy!!! Also session on: How to prepare a questionnaire. Publishing Papers using Excel (Data Analysis Tool Pack) Workshop on Thematic Analysis and writing a research paper A Case study approach of preparing and presenting a research paper. I am now aware of how to recognize predatory journals and obtain permission from journals for using the information. The use of Mendeley and Endnote software was an eye-opener and very helpful. I am now very excited to write research papers however I am unsure about how to do data collection, tabulation and analysis. In future would like to attend related sessions too. Opportunity to work with international authors, travel to different foreign universities (if LPU can assist and sponsor) to see and learn their style of research. Also work on publishing papers, doing presentations in conferences and author a book.

Thank you to the organizing committee for such a knowledgeable workshop. Looking forward to meeting each one of you in person someday!