3. Writing a document
• Know the following:
– What type of document?
– What is the purpose?
– Who is the audience?
– What is your message?
• Plan the content
• Revise!!
Source: Biotext 2011. Successful science writing and editing
4. Eliminating wordiness
• Waffle words
– Generally speaking, writers can basically rely in
the main on certain fundamental techniques to
structure their text
– Generally speaking, writers can basically rely in
the main on certain fundamental techniques to
structure their text
– Writers can rely on fundamental techniques to
structure their text
Source: Biotext 2011. Successful science writing and editing
5. Eliminating wordiness
• Repeated meanings
– The end result was shorter in length than we had
hoped, but we plan to increase the text in the future.
Our writing methods and techniques enabled us to
achieve our aims and objectives
– The end result was shorter in length than we had
hoped, but we plan to increase the text in the future.
Our writing methods and techniques enabled us to
achieve our aims and objectives
– The result was shorter than we had hoped, but we
plan to increase the text. Our writing methods
enabled us to achieve our aims
Source: Biotext 2011. Successful science writing and editing
6. Complex words and jargon
• Complex words
– Use familiar words (keep it plain not posh!)
• Jargon: be careful when...
– Assigning precise/specific meaning to words that
others may interpret differently
– Using expressions that aren’t used in everyday
speech – might need to define them
Source: Biotext 2011. Successful science writing and editing
7. Report writing
• Reporting of health statistics from service data:
Country best practices (WHO 2007)
– Present statistics in different forms
– Use graphs, diagrams and tables – but include
explanatory notes
– Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the data
• Improving data quality: A guide for developing
countries (WHO 2003)
– Improving the quality of statistical and public health
reports
8. News articles and editorials
• Good way of getting information to the general
public
• News items
– Recent events
• Feature articles
– Longer
– Analyses subject areas
• Commentaries
– Opinion pieces, columns, editorials, letters
11. Newsletters, brochures and leaflets
• External or internal audiences
• Like a ‘shop window’
• What to include?
– Digest – Progress – Reports – Goals – Plans –
Tips – Links – People – Graphics – Features
• Brochures and leaflets
• Focus on single issue, product, service
• Content similar to a policy brief
12. Poster presentations
• Summarises work in easy, captivating ‘nuggets’
• Like an advertisement
• Inspires desire for more information
• Compelling research/evidence
• Colourful design
• Better than giving a talk
– Works when you aren’t there
– Can be used many times
13. Policy briefs
• Identify a problem
• Show evidence that informs policy on the
matter
• Propose solutions
• Present a recommendation
• Move the reader from problems to
possibilities to policies
• ‘Corn-flakes’ test
14. Components
1. Title
2. Summary
3. Statement of the problem
4. Background and/or context to problem
5. Pre-existing policies
6. Policy options
7. Critique of policy options
8. Policy recommendations
15. Group work
50 minutes
• Based on analysis of annual health bulletin
• Use the data to create a policy brief
– Advocate for additional resources/interventions
for a specific health issue
– Advocate for additional resources to improve
HIS/reporting (such as the bulletin)
• 30 minutes to develop
• 20 minutes to present back
