Why not write about it?

Whether you are attending RCSI’s Research Summer School, working with a member of the faculty at RCSI, assisting on a project while home for the holiday, or independently reading up on a topic of interest, summer is a great time to accumulate some research experience.  It’s also a great time to lay the foundations for a publication based on your work!

In the medical field, research is a key component of a well rounded résumé. Publishing demonstrates your ability to carry a project through all stages of the research process and lends some credibility to your work. For students who haven’t published before, the RCSIsmj is a fantastic stepping stone; not only is it a way to become familiar with the process of writing and submitting an academic paper, but students whose papers are accepted also get to add a publication to their résumés.

If you haven’t written a research paper before or are unsure where to start, there are some excellent resources available online. Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) offers handouts and tutorials for writing at every academic level. Try this handout for a step by step guide to writing a research paper.

The submission deadline for next year’s issue of the RCSIsmj is October 24, 2014. Now is a great time to start writing!

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at editorsmj@rcsi.ie. We look forward to hearing from you!

– Natalie Achamallah, Editor in Chief RCSIsmj 2014-2015