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28 February 2007

Getting to Grips with Writing Science

Publish or perish – so the saying goes in scientific circles. The work that researchers do in their fields of expertise, needs to be read by people in the scientific community, so that new information and ideas can be circulated.But scientists and researchers seldom have time to get to the details of writing scientific papers. Luckily for Kruger National Park scientists and researchers, Dr Peter Ashton from the Aquatic Ecosystems Research Group of the CSIR, was there to provide some helpful guidelines and advice, which we hope will translate to more interesting information being shared with us about the work our researchers do in the park. Having produced many scientific papers and reports himself, Dr Ashton took the group through a series of modules on how to structure a scientific paper, how to present data and finally submitting the paper to a suitable scientific journal. This course was of particular use to the Junior Scientists, sponsored by the Andrew Mellon Foundation, who are still developing their careers in the fields of natural science, conservation and ecology. These Junior Scientists (JS) are mentored by experienced Kruger National Park staff who also provide the necessary support and assistance. But, as everyone will agree, it’s never too late to get started, so researchers will be dusting off their data and getting to grips with publishing their valuable work for the progress of scientific knowledge.