Teaching Academic Writing in the Health Sciences

A Guide for Instructors, Mentors, and Trainers

By Ella August

Subjects: English Language Teaching (ELT), Writing, Education, Higher Education
Paperback : 9780472040148, 262 pages, 18 tables, 64 boxes, and 36 figures, 8.25 x 11, April 2026
Open Access : 9780472905683, 262 pages, 18 tables, 64 boxes, and 36 figures, 8.25 x 11, April 2026
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.12710084
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Table of Contents

Best practices for teaching and mentoring academic writing in the health sciences

Table of contents

Acknowledgments
List of Boxes
List of Tables
List of Figures
Preface
Introduction

Part 1: Teaching Scientific Writing
Chapter 1: Socializing Your Trainees Into Academic Writing
Chapter 2: Helping Writers Create Meaning With Stronger Reading and Source Use Skills
Chapter 3: Encouraging Writers to Reach Their Readers Using Rhetoric
Chapter 4: Supporting Diverse Needs, Backgrounds, and Experiences With Your Writing Instruction
Chapter 5: Honoring the Writing Process: Staging Assignments and Supporting Writing to Maximize Impact and Manage the Workload
Chapter 6: Planning a Class or Workshop on Scientific Writing
Chapter 7: Creating Effective Writing Assignments for Health Science Courses
Chapter 8: Considering the Role of Technology in Assigned Writing
Chapter 9: Engaging Students With Feedback that Promotes Agency and Development
Chapter 10: Strategies for Making Student and Professional Collaborative Writing a Success
Chapter 11: Mentoring Trainees to Develop and Publish Their Research
Chapter 12: Helping Struggling Writers Overcome Challenges Through Productivity Strategies, Retreats, and Support Groups

Part 2: A Guide to Planning and Writing a Publishable Journal Article​
Chapter 13: Crafting Your Writing to Get Attention and Reach Your Readers
Chapter 14: Building a Successful Author Team and Choosing the Right Target Journal
Chapter 15: Setting the Stage with a Clear and Compelling Introduction 
Chapter 16: Crafting Your Research Objectives 
Chapter 17: Describing and Justifying Your Research in the Methods
Chapter 18: Highlighting Your Findings With Descriptive Results Text 
Chapter 19: Complementing Your Results Text With Figures and Tables
Chapter 20: Interpreting and Contextualizing Your Findings With a Discussion
Chapter 21: Summarizing the Highlights With an Abstract
Chapter 22: Promoting Your Paper With a Clear and Inviting Title 
Chapter 23: Responding Effectively to Journal Peer Reviewers and Move Toward Publication

References

Description

Immersing trainees into academic research culture helps them learn to think, write, and publish like full-fledged researchers. Teaching Academic Writing in the Health Sciences offers best practice pedagogical strategies to help instructors, mentors, advisors, lab leaders, and ministries of health as they guide trainees toward professional development and publication. With practical strategies and examples, the book supports readers in improving their mentoring skills; creating effective writing assignments; providing effective feedback; developing writing courses; and planning publication workshops, retreats, and writing groups. In addition, the book includes strategies for supporting writers with varying backgrounds, including second-language speakers and neurodiverse writers. 

Part 1 offers the pedagogical basis teachers need to apply best practices, as well as:

  • Tips for collaborative writing and writing productivity
  • Strategies for using generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology in teaching and writing
  • Open-access resources and instruction planning activities

Part 2 focuses on the steps of writing a scientific paper, offering:

  • A strong foundation in the structure of and strategies for successful writing
  • Customizable teaching materials on how to write a scientific paper
  • Strategies for planning a paper, crafting writing to reach readers, developing persuasive arguments, and building a successful author team
  • How-to write each section of a paper, from the title to the conclusion
  • Guidance on navigating the publishing process, including selecting the appropriate journal and effectively responding to peer-reviewer comments

Ella August is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

“Teaching Academic Writing in the Health Sciences is a strong pedagogical resource that will help teachers in their course planning and graduate students with their own writing as it breaks down and demystifies the full process of scientific writing.”

- Amy Flick, University of Pittsburgh

“Scientific writing skills are essential for success in academia and research. Through timely, clear, and practical advice, Teaching Academic Writing in the Health Sciences addresses a critical need within health sciences education for structured, accessible guidance on teaching and mentoring scientific writing.”

- Danielle DeVasto, Grand Valley State University

“I had a wise professor tell me that in order to become an effective scientific communicator you’ll need to write at least a million words that are critiqued. The book by Ella August is a great addition to the field as it provides a guide for teachers, mentors, and mentees to learn the secret sauce of effective scientific writing and strategies to get your work noticed so it has impact.”

- K. Michael Cummings, PhD, MPH, Medical University of South Carolina
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