Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Career Feature
  • Published:

CAREER FEATURE

Improving scientific communication with service, education and career development

Nature Biotechnology volume 39, pages 1309–1313 (2021)Cite this article

Subjects

A trainee-run group that provides editing and schema design services not only enhances scientific communication for clients, but also trains its members in communication, writing and other transferrable skills.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: InPrint editing and schema design team workflows.
Fig. 2: Demographics of InPrint clients, submissions, and members.

References

  1. Hillier, A., Kelly, R. P. & Klinger, T. PLoS One 11, e0167983 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Inouye, S. K. & Fiellin, D. A. Ann. Intern. Med. 142, 274–282 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Cameron, C., Lee, H. Y., Anderson, C. B., Trachtenberg, J. & Chang, S. PLoS One 15, e0228197 (2020).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Langin, K. Science https://doi.org/10.1126/science.caredit.aax3138 (2019).

  5. Zimmerman, A. M. PLoS One 13, e0203783 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Irion, R. Mol. Biol. Cell 26, 591–593 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Börner, K. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 115, 12630–12637 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Parker, R. Mol. Cell 46, 377–381 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Cameron, C. et al. Acad. Med. 88, 1499–1506 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Hanauer, D. I., Sheridan, C. L. & Englander, K. Writ. Commun. 36, 136–154 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Ramírez-Castañeda, V. PLoS One 15, e0238372 (2020).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Council of Graduate Schools https://cgsnet.org/international-graduate-application-and-enrollment-rates-increase-us-institutions-after-two (12 February 2020).

  13. Rudd, E., Nerad, M., Morrison, E. & Picciano, J. Professional Development for PhD Students: Do They Really Need It? (Center for Innovation and Research in Graduate Education, 2008).

  14. Fuhrmann, C. N., Halme, D. G., O’Sullivan, P. S. & Lindstaedt, B. CBE Life Sci. Educ. 10, 239–249 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the WUSTL Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, and Postdoctoral Society for supporting InPrint. We also thank E. Heckler of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs for the statistical information on international biomedical postdoctoral fellows at WUSTL and D. Frank for her guidance in forming InPrint and her thoughtful and thorough review of this manuscript. All InPrint members appreciate the support from their mentors to pursue their scientific communication-related interests and career goals. Finally, we thank all past and present InPrint members for their dedication to the group, especially those integral in its founding.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA

    Amanda Dicks

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA

    Amanda Dicks

  3. Shriners Hospitals for Children – St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA

    Amanda Dicks

  4. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA

    Himanshi Bhatia & Elizabeth A. Mueller

  5. Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA

    Adam W. Clemens, Marissa C. Locke & Nathan Pomper

  6. Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA

    Adam W. Clemens

  7. Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA

    Marissa C. Locke & Daniel Murphy

  8. Department of Biology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA

    Elizabeth A. Mueller & Anne E. Robinson

  9. Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA

    Nathan Pomper & Kathleen M. Schoch

Authors
  1. Amanda Dicks
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Himanshi Bhatia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Adam W. Clemens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Marissa C. Locke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Elizabeth A. Mueller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Daniel Murphy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Nathan Pomper
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Anne E. Robinson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Kathleen M. Schoch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

A.D. conceptualized the manuscript. A.D., H.B., A.W.C., M.C.L., E.A.M., N.P., A.E.R. and K.M.S. drafted sections of the manuscript. H.B., A.W.C and M.C.L. surveyed clients, members, and alumni, respectively. D.M. and A.E.R. created Fig. 1. A.D. created Fig. 2. A.D. and K.M.S. combined sections and wrote the manuscript. All authors edited and approved the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kathleen M. Schoch.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Dicks, A., Bhatia, H., Clemens, A.W. et al. Improving scientific communication with service, education and career development. Nat Biotechnol 39, 1309–1313 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-021-01077-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-021-01077-1

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing