Duke Medical Center Library & Archives Blog
Tag: writing

How to Write an Abstract
Posted On: Tuesday, July 23, 2024 - 15:52 by Beverly Murphy

When you search PubMed (or most databases), did you know you’re only searching the titles, abstracts, and keywords/subject headings? That’s why it’s so important that you write an effective, concise, and clear abstract! In this session, learn how to refine your abstract writing skills to help users find your paper. Tue. Aug. 20; 1-2p; ONLINE ONLY. This class is FREE but registration is required.

Categories: Classes

Tags: writing

ChatGPT for Research and Writing: A Library Perspective
Posted On: Tuesday, May 30, 2023 - 15:15 by Megan Von Isenburg

From a YouTube tutorial showing how ChatGPT can "write a systematic review [in] under 1 hour" to reports of the program's fabrication of fake citations, recent media coverage of ChatGPT demonstrates a wide range of both promise and peril for its use in library research and writing tasks. We understand the interest in automating and streamlining these tasks: it is time consuming and difficult to find relevant articles, synthesize knowledge, and put it all into writing. So when can ChatGPT help and when might it lead you astray?

First, some background:
ChatGPT, a chatbot from the company OpenAI, is one example of generative artificial intelligence (AI) based on large language models (LLMs). Google's Bard program is similar. These generative text…

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Tags: research, writing

Common Grammar Mistakes
Posted On: Wednesday, May 24, 2017 - 14:01 by Matthew Johnson

Bad grammar might distract readers from an otherwise good paper or make your work more difficult to read and comprehend. On the other hand, good writing may make an otherwise bad paper appear better than it is. 

Here are some explanations for a few common mistakes in scientific writing: 

    • Incorrectly writing units or incorrectly using hyphens
      • Use hyphens with adjectives. My camera has a 24-mm lens, but the lens is 24 mm
      • Remember to put a space between the number and unit if there isn't a hyphen.
      • The not-so-simple instructions were not so helpful. 
      • Here's more from Grammar Girl about…
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Tags: grammar, scientific writing, writing, writing support

Having Writer's Block? Try These Fun Apps!
Posted On: Wednesday, March 29, 2017 - 11:06 by Matthew Johnson

Do you ever get stuck writing? Or do you just not want to get started? Check out these writing apps to psych you up for a great and fun writing session.

The Most Dangerous Writing App

If you stop writing, all of your work will be deleted!

This app will get you started on writing and kick up your adrenaline. You set a time limit, and if you stop writing before time is up, everything you've written will be lost. It's stressful and encouraging. For added excitement, try hardcore mode.

The primary point of using this app is to force you to get something on the page to get you started, then you can go back and edit or build off the text…

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Categories: Explore Tools

Tags: writing

Trouble Communicating with Non-Scientists?
Posted On: Thursday, March 9, 2017 - 11:47 by Erica Brody

Do you have trouble communicating with Non-Scientists? Check out these tips from leading weather scientist, Dr. Marshall Shepherd.

  • Know your audience. Many scientists are guilty of delivering the same message to the Rotary Club or Congressional Staffers that they give at a science conference. Research and understand your audience. Anthony Leiserowitz, an excellent climate communication scholar at Yale, once told me, "Not knowing your audience is like throwing darts at a dartboard with the lights off."
  • Get to the point. As scientists we are trained to describe a ton of details and background information before we give the final results…
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Tags: for researchers, impact, social networking, teaching, writing