Public Health Writing Guide Table of Contents Part I: Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Part II: General Writing Strategies and Utilizing Feedback ........................................................................... 3 The Writing Process ................................................................................................................................... 3 Prewriting .............................................................................................................................................. 3 Writing ................................................................................................................................................... 5 Revising and Editing ............................................................................................................................... 6 Structure and Flow..................................................................................................................................... 9 Communicating Data ............................................................................................................................... 11 Incorporating and Describing Data ...................................................................................................... 11 Using Figures and Tables ..................................................................................................................... 11 Phrasing and Word Choice ...................................................................................................................... 14 Conditional Language .......................................................................................................................... 14 Casual vs. Academic/Professional Tone .............................................................................................. 15 General Tips for Writing ...................................................................................................................... 15 Writing as a Team .................................................................................................................................... 18 Tips for Effective Team Writing ........................................................................................................... 18 Resources for Non-Native English Speakers ............................................................................................ 20 Part III: Specific Types of Writing in Public Health....................................................................................... 21 Abstracts .................................................................................................................................................. 22 Critiques (including Book Reviews).......................................................................................................... 24 Executive Summaries ............................................................................................................................... 25 Fact Sheets ............................................................................................................................................... 26 Formal Emails ........................................................................................................................................... 27 Grant Proposals ....................................................................................................................................... 29 1 Letters to the Editor ................................................................................................................................. 31 Literature Reviews ................................................................................................................................... 32 Needs Assessments ................................................................................................................................. 34 Policy Briefs .............................................................................................................................................. 35 Policy Memos ........................................................................................................................................... 37 Professional Communication and Career Documents............................................................................. 39 Resumes ............................................................................................................................................... 39 Cover Letters ........................................................................................................................................ 41 Curricula Vitae ..................................................................................................................................... 44 Project Plans ............................................................................................................................................ 46 Project Reports ........................................................................................................................................ 48 Reflections ............................................................................................................................................... 50 Research Papers ....................................................................................................................................... 52 Part IV: Finding and Using References ......................................................................................................... 54 Finding Sources ........................................................................................................................................ 54 When to Cite ............................................................................................................................................ 54 How to Cite .............................................................................................................................................. 56 Understanding Plagiarism ........................................................................................................................ 57 Part V: Additional Resources ....................................................................................................................... 58 Recommended Writing Books and Websites ...................................................................................... 58 Grammar Resources ............................................................................................................................ 58 Part VI: Acknowledgements......................................................................................................................... 59 Part VII: References ..................................................................................................................................... 60 2 Part I: Introduction Are you feeling unsure about how to get started on a public health writing project? Are you unclear on the difference between a policy brief and a literature review? Do you need to improve your online research skills? Would you like to start using an online citation management program? Whether you are a confident or anxious writer, the Public Health Writing Guide has something for you. A core function of public health is to inform, educate, and empower. As such, writing is an essential tool for public health professionals, and strong written communication skills are critical for addressing the health needs of the communities served by public health professionals. Writing in public health requires evidence-based and clear communication to multiple audiences, including communities, researchers, policy-makers, health care providers, and other public health practitioners. We hope the Public Health Writing Guide will become a key resource for public health studetns, teachers, professionals. Our goal is to provide you with writing guideliens that can be useful to you over the course of your career, any time you are looking for encouragement, structure, or advice about how to get started. Part II: General Writing Strategies and Utilizing Feedback The Writing Process Writing is a process that can generally be divided into three stages: prewriting, writing, and revising/ editing. This section will provide strategies to help you move though each stage. While this information is presented in a linear format, be aware that the writing process is often not so simple. Writers typically move in and out of each stage as their writing and content develop. The most important key to a successful writing process is time; give yourself enough time to write and revise your drafts several times! Prewriting Prewriting is the first stage of writing that focuses on planning and organizing your writing (1). Tasks associated with this stage include (1): • Determining your purpose, • Developing a thesis, and • Organizing your paper. Devoting time to the prewriting stage can clarify your purpose, strengthen your argument, and improve your organization. Determining your Purpose Before you begin to write, be sure you clearly understand your purpose (1,2). If you are writing for a course, review the assignment’s description and rubric. Be sure to clarify any questions you may have about the assignment with your professor or TA. When determining