‘I wish to be mentored in improving my skills in   Data Analysis   and I am willing to come for  every training in the  TCC calendar so I may be  mentored by your trainers.’ Four ago months, we   got a message in our inbox on a  request  from Kevin  Oduor Onyango. 

As he was conducting his research, he came across our activities  and  noted  how we  would be able to support him in improving  how to analyse  and present data.  Kevin is a  former student  from Technical University of Mombasa, where  he studied Bachelor of Commerce (Finance Option) and simultaneous   took a professional Certified Public Accountant  course  and reached level 5.  Kevin, lives  about 450 kilometers from  Nairobi, where the TCC  Office is located. 

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One week  to the  Scientific Communication and  Publishing course https://www.tcc-africa.org/courses/  that  we  concluded   last month, we got a frantic message  from one of our trainees. “ I want to know where I can publish  my manuscripts!” I am so worried about  #predatorypublishing and  I do not know where to start,” he lamented.

Meet, Meshack Mulongo an early career  researcher in Education Administration from Karatina University, whose  research focus is on the Mitigation of  Examination Malpractices in Universities in Kenya.  He  drove  150kms  to  come and  attend our course and  further understand how he could protect himself  from predatory publishers  as he went through his  Journal Selection Process.
TCC: How effective was the course in achieving your learning objectives?
Meshack : The course was very effective and timely in my research work, that it has equipped me to be an effective researcher and plan to share what I have learnt.
TCC: What did you like most about the training?
Meshack : The diversity of presenters who are knowledgeable of their respective fields and also the communication and concern of the entire TCC team.
TCC: Outline 3 things that you will take with you/have learnt in this session
 Meshack:The hands on approach  in supporting us was valuable  and  it was done in such a way that we can further  train others. I loved  the units on data analysis and  I was able to identify  about 5 high impact  journals where I could publish my manuscripts .

My name is Halkano Molu Guracha  a Kenyan researcher in the Malaria Programme  at the Institute of Primate Research.  The training offered by the Training Centre in Communication was relevant and very helpful and the expectations I had before the training were met and exceeded. I was captivated by the  Introduction Materials Results Acknowledgements and Discussion (IMRaD)structure  in producing academic manuscripts . This  was new to me, and I intend to use  this knowledge in changing the quality of my  future  scientific papers.
The  workshop is very informative and eye-opening and the delivery and breakdown of hard concepts was superb and the approach was very sound and tailor-made to the dynamics we face in research as  early career  scientists .
In line with the new knowledge I have acquired, I intend to approach my abstract  and  academic  paper differently and pay close attention to the manuscript guidelines outlined and utilize the IMRaD structure process’s to produce a paper that is meaningful.
I would recommend the Scientific Writing workshop to my colleagues without any objection as it was indeed of high quality and very relevant. 

Recently I walked past my colleague’s office and noticed he was laughing. I asked him what was so funny.“I am reading about an authorship story of ‘Stronzo Bestiale’,” he chuckled. “Apparently, a US physicist (William Hoover) was struggling to publish his research in the 1980s. He overheard two Italian women refer to someone as ‘Stronzo Bestiale’. Hoover decided to resubmit his papers to the same journals that rejected them. On resubmission, he changed the title and added a fake co-author named ‘Stronzo Bestiale’. It seems his intention was to insult the editors, but instead, they missed his insult and his two papers were published. If you search for ‘Stronzo Bestiale’ on Scopus, two articles co-authored with Hoover come up.” (more…)

Authors wishing to publish their research aim to publish in journals with the highest ratings. Publishing in a prestigious journal not only looks good on your CV, but may also give you better career and funding opportunities. Researchers commonly use the journal impact factor (JIF) to assess overall journal quality. However, the JIF has its advantages and disadvantages. Here we describe other factors that you should consider while assessing a journal.

A good image or figure can go a long way in effectively communicating your results and explaining them through your manuscript. Fortunately, we have several tools that can help us effectively prepare or improvise them. Here we give you a summary of the top tools that can be used to create images and figures for scientific research publications. You can also access detailed information on some of these tools here.

Many graduate students are often concerned that academic writing is too difficult. This concern, however, can be eased. There are many tips a student can learn in order to become a better academic writer. This includes understanding how the writing process can help develop the necessary writing skills needed for academic and professional careers.

Plan S is an exciting development for the research community. So what exactly is Plan S?

The key goal of Plan S is that, by 2020, publications from research funded by public grants must be published in open access journals or platforms.  Plan S also has ten principles. These cover factors such as copyright, funding and timelines. (more…)

Journal rejection is something that every researcher faces at some point in their research career. As a researcher, rejection of your manuscript by a journal can be very discouraging after spending years planning your research, securing funding, compiling and analyzing data, etc. In this episode of Enago Academy’s podcast, we will share 5 top tips that will help you avoid journal rejection and have a successful publication journey. (more…)

Important research findings with ground-breaking results need to be published at the earliest. These findings are usually a part of the entire research but are often published as short or brief communications. Brief communications usually have a strict length, word count, and figure limits. Here, we provide essential tips when drafting brief communications. Are you looking to publish your research as a short/brief communication? Then don’t forget to keep the below tips in mind. (more…)

Science carries an anachronistic burden: a dull and under-developed communication culture. This is a general problem as science needs to be communicated widely and effectively to help solving the challenges of the future. Olle Bergman, engineer-come-communicator, suggests an more progressive mindset, based on “the two Ps”: • Inject more Passion • Learn from the Professionals. With a hands-on approach, Olle Bergman demonstrates some examples from the toolbox of professional communication and points out that a movement is emerging which is breaking the conventions of the traditional scientific culture. Olle Bergman – swedish communications consultant, public speaker & professional writer with a passion for science, language, history & people. Project leader for Crastina – a network of influencers who believe science and tech can be communicated in a more engaged and professional way. Proud Polonium Foundation Ambassador.

My name is Walter Ojok and my research is centered in Physical Chemistry where I am involved in Natural Sciences-modelling sorption studies. The one week training organized by DAAD and TCC was very relevant in shaping my study so as to develop a complete proposal with clear and achievable objectives.The skills that I acquired through the training will enable me as well as other scholars develop fundable proposals, better my academic writing, gain better grasp of accessing e-resources which will catapult us into the level of world renowned scientists.

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African languages will have a formal role in the scientific research community with the launch of a repository that encourages and accepts research in indigenous languages including Swahili, Akan, Zulu, Igbo and more.

AfricArXiv is an online platform that publishes preprints submitted exclusively from African scientists or those whose research is relevant to the continent. It is the latest to join a small, but growing roster of science publications trying to make sure African scientists don’t get left out of research publishing cycles. Preprints are drafts or complete articles that have not been peer-reviewed. They are especially useful because it allows scientists to receive quick and early feedback on projects they are working on. (more…)

TCC trained 65 participants from various research programmes in Scientific Communication and Publishing and  Science Communication and Communicating to Non Scientists.

TCC trained researchers from University of Nairobi, Gertrude Gardens Children Hospital, Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organization, AGRA Alliance Research Fellows, Maasai Mara University. The training sessions were held in Kenya and we had participants from Burkina Faso, Togo, Rwanda, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin and Senegal. (more…)

TCC trained 230 participants from  various  research programmes in Scientific Communication and Publishing, in the 4^th quarter of 2017.

TCC trained  researchers  from University of Nairobi, Gertrude Gardens Children Hospital, AGRA Alliance, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), New Kenya Cooperative Creameries and Strathmore University . (more…)

I  am a DAAD scholar pursuing a PhD programme in Chemistry at Makerere University, with interest in medicinal plants. I am currently working on plant species believed to have oxytocic properties.

I was very much privileged to have been invited as one of the participants to attend the 6-day training workshop in “Scientific Communication and Publishing” organized by DAAD and Training Centre in Communication (TCC) – Africa scheduled for 17-22^nd September 2017 at Eureka Place Hotel, Kampala Uganda. I can confirm that learning took place with acquisition of new skills, knowledge and change of attitude.  (more…)

Four experts in scientific communication answer four seminal questions about the best ways to communicate science to the public.

SCIENCE journals have become a prime medium to expand scientific knowledge. They have been deployed since the early beginnings of scientific research. We cannot deny the fact that knowledge can only grow through the sharing of the fruits of research. Knowledge will have problem growing otherwise. And in the pursuit of scientific knowledge, journals perform an important function of curating and validating the findings generated by scientists. Over the years, journals have undeniably demonstrated their worth as effective platforms for the communication of science among peers. It is through such communication that new ideas are born. It is also through the writings in the science journals that scientific theories are enriched and improved to eventually develop into technologies which are consequently harnessed by societies for their betterment. (more…)

Science communication is defined by the aptly named journal, Scientific Communication, as “…the nature of expertise, the diffusion of knowledge, and the communication of science and technology among professionals and to the public.” (more…)

Bill Nye “The Science Guy” has simplified the complex world of chromosomes and terrestrial layers for students across America for decades. On April 21, Netflix introduced his triumphant return to the world of science education, “Bill Nye Saves the World.” (more…)

The role of social media in science has been hotly debated, with the most recent skirmish coming from a Guardian op-ed. Entitled “I’m a serious academic, not a professional Instagrammer,” the article has inspired both a “nonserious” response and ironically, its own set of hashtags: (more…)

Several years ago, actor Alan Alda led about 20 engineering students at the University of Southern California in an improv session. The students gave short talks about their research and then spent three hours trying the same exercises (more…)