The Craft of Scientific Writing

UCSF Division of Prevention Science & BESST Institute Presents:

The Craft of Scientific Writing: Publishing Social and Behavioral Health Research
Trainer: Jesus Ramirez-Valles, PhD, MPH

From draft to acceptance: Crafting quantitative and qualitative scholarship for global journals

This intensive, hands-on workshop is designed for early- and mid-career scholars in public health, health psychology, and the social and behavioral sciences who seek to strengthen their scientific writing and successfully publish in peer-reviewed journals. Led by Jesus Ramirez-Valles, PhD, MPH—an experienced editor and bilingual scholar with over 30 years of publishing and editorial leadership—the workshop treats scientific writing as a craft, not a formula.

Across 12 hours delivered in three interactive sessions, participants work directly on their own manuscripts, focusing on strategy, structure, clarity, argument, and voice. The workshop integrates strategies for both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Participants writing in English or Spanish, or publishing across languages, will receive guidance on crafting work for global audiences.

Structured as a small-cohort writing workshop (10-12 participants), sessions emphasize peer feedback, guided revision, and editor-informed feedback. Participants leave with a concrete product, a clearer publication strategy, and renewed confidence in their scholarly voice.

Description:

The Craft of Scientific Writing: Publishing Social and Behavioral Health Research

Scientific writing in the health, social, and behavioral sciences is more than reporting results—it is the craft of shaping ideas, evidence, and argument into a clear, persuasive contribution to a body of knowledge. While many scholars receive strong methodological training, fewer have the opportunity to develop the practical, applied writing skills needed to move an idea or research findings from draft to publication or to understand how editors and reviewers actually engage with their work.

This in-person, hands-on workshop is designed for early- and mid-career scholars in public health, health psychology, medical sociology, and related social and behavioral health fields who are actively working on manuscripts or research in progress. Delivered across three interactive sessions totaling 12 hours, the workshop emphasizes writing as an iterative, collaborative process grounded in real scholarly practice.

Participants will work directly on their own manuscripts or research ideas, engaging in guided writing exercises, small-group discussion, peer feedback, and individualized consultation. The workshop integrates strategies for publishing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, with attention to writing strategies, manuscript structure, clarity, voice, journal fit, revision, and navigating peer review. Scholars writing in English and/or Spanish will receive guidance on crafting work for global and interdisciplinary audiences.

The workshop is led by Jesus Ramirez-Valles, PhD, MPH, an accomplished author, editor, reviewer, and mentor with over 30 years of experience publishing and reviewing scholarship in the social and behavioral sciences in health. A fully bilingual scholar (English/Spanish), Dr. Ramirez-Valles brings deep expertise across qualitative and quantitative methods, and extensive editorial insight into how manuscripts are assessed, revised, and ultimately accepted for publication.