Students’ satisfaction and perceived impact on knowledge, attitudes and skills after a 2-day course in scientific writing: a prospective longitudinal study in Spain

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine students’ satisfaction with a 2-day course on scientific writing in health sciences and to assess their perceptions of the long-term impact on their knowledge, attitudes and skills.Setting27 iterations of a 2-day course on writing and publishing scientific articles in health sciences.Participants741 students attending the 27 courses.DesignProspective longitudinal study.Primary and secondary outcome measuresImmediately after each course, students completed a first questionnaire, rating their satisfaction with different aspects of the classroom sessions on a Likert scale (0–5). Approximately 2 years after the course, students completed a follow-up questionnaire, using a Likert scale (0–4) to rate their knowledge, skills and attitudes in relation to scientific writing before and after attending the course.Results741 students (70% women) participated in the 27 iterations of the course; 568 (76.8%) completed the first questionnaire and 182 (24.6%) completed the follow-up questionnaire. The first questionnaire reflected high overall satisfaction (mean score, 4.6). In the second questionnaire, students reported that the course had improved their knowledge (mean improvement: 1.6; 95% CI 1.6 to 1.7), attitudes (mean improvement: 1.3; 95% CI 1.2 to 1.4) and skills (mean improvement: 1.4; 95% CI 1.3 to 1.4) related to writing and publishing scientific papers. Most respondents (n=145, 79.7%) had participated in drafting a scientific paper after the course; in this subgroup, all the specific writing skills assessed in the second questionnaire significantly improved.ConclusionsStudents were satisfied with the format and the contents of the course, and those who responded to the follow-up survey considered that the course had improved their knowledge, attitudes and skills in relation to scientific writing and publishing. Courses are particularly important in countries without strong traditions in scientific publication.

Interactive workshop on writing and publishing research: reflections and lessons learned

“…Several workshops and other programs have found positive perceptions of the participants and improved writing skills. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8] However, the evidence for the effectiveness of training programs for publication writing is limited, as reviewed by Galipeau et al 9 discussions. This was minimized to some extent by the use of AhaSlides, an audience response system (ARS).…”

Writing Accountability Groups Are a Tool for Academic Success: The Obesity Health Disparities PRIDE Program

“…18,19 The inability to write efficiently and effectively, and inadequate training in scientific writing can impede career progression. 20 The objective of our study was to determine the impact of WAGs on the duration and frequency of writing for OHD PRIDE mentees. The findings related to the impact of the OHD PRIDE WAG on the frequency of writing and the duration of writing are not statistically significant.…”

Students’ Satisfaction on Training cum Workshop Programme on Thesis Writing and General Research Skill Development

“…Courses are particularly important in countries without strong traditions in a scientific publication. Fernandez, Garcia, Seres, and Bosch (2018) concluded that students were satisfied with the format and the contents of the course, and those who responded to the follow-up survey considered that the course had improved their knowledge, attitudes, and skills about scientific writing and publishing. It is observed that the satisfaction of training and workshop programme is dependent on many variables, though few variables such as programme schedule, teaching pedagogy, learning environment, and research skill developments are considered in this study.…”