Training in writing of PhD students from University of Extremadura: Beginners vs. Experts

Abstract

Writing is a fundamental skill for all students and especially for those who are immersed in the writing of scientific contributions. This research has two objectives: (1) to explore whether the quality of the scientific texts produced by new researchers (they have not defended their doctoral thesis yet) is mediated by the amount of contributions they have created, and (2) to know the impact that the production of academic texts has on the scientific field. For this purpose, 39 doctoral students from University of Extremadura have completed a brief questionnaire about their strategies for writing scientific texts. In addition, 11 texts composed of 11 of the 39 participating doctoral students have been evaluated and a bibliometric analysis has been performed. The results show that the strategies for writing scientific texts are evolving as the researcher writes more contributions. The quality of their productions also increases; however, it does not do it equally in all sections of the scientific text. In addition, a low number of works that analyze academic and scientific writing are observed in the consulted bases. Finally, some findings are discussed