Four Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Started Writing A Manuscript

We all await for those sweet words to come our way, “I think we’re ready to start writing up your data in to a manuscript.”  Finally, you get a chance to start writing up your projects as a first author and can tell the world (or rather the small group of people that study the same thing you do) about all the cool science you’ve been doing.  I was excited when I started to write up my data.  Finally I felt like I was making some progress.  However as I started the manuscript writing process, I realized I was in for an experience.  One that I wish somebody had told me about.  So for right now, I will share some of the major things I’ve learn as I am currently writing my first manuscript as a first author.  Once my manuscript has been sent back (most likely), revised and is published (fingers crossed), I’ll share what else I learned along the way. 

Four things I wish I had known before starting to write a manuscript

1) Ultimately, it your PI’s call as to what goes into your paper.

Even though you did the hands on work and have been actively writing and editing the paper, your PI has the final say.  Their grants funded your work and paid for your salary.  Also, it is their name and reputation on the line when they publish your work.  This may vary from PI to PI as to how much input you get to have on the content of your paper.  I know that I started out with a certain idea of how my work should be written and presented however it was not the best way.  And it can be challenging getting used to having your idea for your work being changed into somebody else’s idea for your work.  I’ve been told that this is part of the process that everybody goes through.  I felt like I was doing something wrong every time the draft came back and was substantially from what I had sent two days before.  Apparently, this is normal.  Crappy, but normal. 

2) Communication between you and your co-authors is really important.

The clearer you and your PI are about the direction of your paper the better.  You both waste less time trying to get on the same page about how to write up your work and which experiments to you need to prioritize to fill in the hole in your story.  I recommend having a meeting with your PI before you start writing so you can start on the same page and then have regular meetings to keep you on schedule with your writing and also to keep communication flowing.

3) It is another full time job – so now you have two: research and writing.  And they are supposed to be done at the same time.

Finding a balance between writing and doing bench work is challenging not to mention balancing your interests outside of lab.  Good luck.  I feel like all grad school is a balancing act.

4) It will take way longer than you think to write the paper.

Even the best planned timeline for getting a draft to co-authors and getting a draft submitted will go awry.  Get used to it.  It gets done when it get done.  Learn from all the delays that come your way.

This was written Kaitlin McDaniel, a 5th year Pathobiology student.