National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research 

Information and Communications Services Programme

National ICT-based Training Centre (NITTEC)

PROSPECTUS
SW-2008.08.01

Title:
	Scientific Writing Training Course	
Place:	NISIR, Lusaka, Zambia
	
Date:	25 – 29 August 2008
	
Deadline for
nominations:
	30 July 2008	
Organizers:
	The National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR).
	
Language:
	The language of instruction will be English.	
Participation:
	The training course is open to researchers, technicians, science reporters and editors, science educationists involved in teaching, training and research activities and technical work and writing:
•	Research Scientists and technicians
•	Science Writers, Reporters and Editors
•	Science educators / Lecturers	
Target countries:
	East and Southern African English Speaking Countries	
Purpose of the 
course:
	To introduce beginning researchers, editors, writers/reporters and educators to the knowledge and tools of scientific writing and to enable their seasoned counterparts to stay competitive in this area of scientific endeavour.	
		
Participants’
qualifications and experience:	Minimum Bachelors Degree and should be involved in teaching, research and scientific writing / editing.	
		
Nature of 
the course:
	The Training Course on Scientific Writing is both an introduction for newly appointed scientific and technical staff, science reporters and editors, lecturers, and a refresher for experienced colleagues. There are formal presentations on the fundamentals of scientific writing, writing ethics, the writing processes, Audience Analysis and Cross-cultural issues, Techniques for writing certain types of documents, writing styles and manuals, Collaborative Science Tools, and scientific writers’ tools as well as public presentation of research findings. Formal presentations are accompanied by seminal presentations, practical labs and a project.	
		
Course Outline	•	Writer’s Block / Writer’s Anxiety
•	Introduction to Documents
•	Document organization
•	Scientific Writing Ethics
•	The Writing Process: Literature Review
•	The Writing Process: Statistics
•	Scientific Writing: Peer Review and scientific journals, including Reviewers’ critiques
•	Scientific Writing: Thesis and Research Proposals
•	Writing Styles and Manuals
•	Featured Scientific Writing Styles: Citations, including Citing Online Sources
•	Grammar and Style
•	Scientific Data Visualisation
•	Scientific Communication Tools
•	Scientific Writing and Research Tools
•	Oral Presentations (Colloquiums and Posters)	
Facilitators	1.	Dr. Ray Handema, Managers R&D, National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR)
2.	Mr. E.J. Zimba, Former Scientific Editor, Zambia Journal of Science and Technology, National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research 
3.	Mr. Forward Lumbwe, Information Systems Specialist / Senior Scientific Officer, Information and Communication Services Programme, (NISIR)	
Course Director	Mr. Forward Lumbwe
National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR)
International Airport Road
P.O. Box 310158
15302 Lusaka
Zambia
Tel.: +26 (095) 523-4641
Fax: +26 (021) 128-1013
EMail: lumbwe@nisir.org.zm
EMail: lumbwe@gmail.com	

Application procedure:
	Nominations should be submitted on the standard Course Application Form attached hereto. Completed forms should be endorsed by sponsoring organisation’s Human Resources Development Officer or CEO, and returned to Course Director. 	
		
Pariticpation fees
and financial
arrangements:	All national and international participants are expected to meet their lodging, up-keep and participation costs. Participation fees are K3,740,000 and USD1,500 for national and international participants, respectively. The fee include transportation to designated pick and drop points, lunches, tea/coffee breaks, training materials and manuals, and registration.