An appetizer for the article
writing course
CHARLOTTE LEBOEUF-YDE, DC, MPH, PHD
PROFESSOR IN CLINICAL BIOMECHANICS
SDU
Why write an article?
 Because you must
 To make your findings known to others
 To look good and become famous
 The Nobel Prize
What is a good article?
 Nice to read
 Easy to understand
 Interesting
 Useful
 Correct
What is a bad article?
 Difficult to read
 Difficult to understand
 Uninteresting
 Useless
 Incorrect
How to write a bad article
Write it for yourself:
Write, re-write, re-write, re-write and re-write
Cut and paste yourself into total confusion
Learn the text by heart
Omit relevant explanatory steps
Lots of details
Stir, boil and give to your (busy) supervisor
Become annoyed when criticism is given
How to write a good article
Write it for the reader:
Determine the objective(s)
Keep it simple
Brainstorm first
Structure the contents (the ”filling” is not yet important)
Lots of sub-headings, while you structure the MS
One section at a time
Seek assistance in the early stages
Write text at the end
Recipe course on how to write an article will help you
to…
 … write for the reader
 … produce a good article
 … do it rather quickly
 Workshop for five whole days without interruptions
(no SMS-s, mobile phones, patients, or other jobs at
the same time!)
(brief) Course outline
Day 1:
Day 2:
Day 3:
Day 4:
Day 5:
Defining the objectives precisely
Introduction/background
Method
Result
Discussion
Lay-out, ref.list, acknowledgements,
Abstract
Where and how
 Sleep-over at Park Hotel, Middelfart 5th-7th of March
(Good food, pleasant surroundings, bring jogging gear if
you want, no kids, no cooking, no vacuum-cleaning)
 Middelfart hospital, Penthouse 15th and 16th of March
OR at SDU/WP – venue to be determined
Bring an idea of the manuscript you want to work on
What’s the big deal?
Each session: Introduction/explanation followed by workshop in
which the whole group gets an insight into each others’ projects,
help each other and each person structures his/her own work.
Homework: In the evening, own work to be done.
Next day: Presentation of own work, feed-back from course leader
and discussion with and assistance from group.
Caution: Nobody will be good at this from the beginning,
everybody must be able to adapt to comments and critique, and
we shall work together.
Outcome: Everybody will have a well-structured article when the
course is over.
Continued assistance: If you wish, and your supervisor allows
it, you can come back for further assistance afterwards.
This is difficult so…
 You must be able to put up with the workshop
format.
 You must develop the ability to look at your own
work at a distance and accept the help of others.
 You need to keep your head clear.
 You must be willing to adapt this systematic
approach.
The details will probably be no problem, as most of
you probably are nerds, anyway
Writing an article can be great fun provided that
 You ”know” how to do it
 You can work with others in a smart way
WELCOME TO THIS COURSE!