Students are requested to carefully review the norms of the Certification in Scientific Writing before going through the FAQs.

1Q: What is the goal/purpose of the Certification in Scientific writing?

Ans: To gauge students’ skills and knowledge in scientific writing and to promote skill development.

2Q: Is Certification in Scientific Writing mandatory for all Ph.D. students regardless of the discipline?

Ans: It is mandatory if the student wants to avail Institute financial support for conference travel or for doing research in a foreign laboratory. Please refer to Point (10) in the norms.

3Q: What is the process of Certification in Scientific Writing?

Ans: Applications are required to undergo two phases:
Phase I: The participants are required to submit 2 written works, i.e., 1) a poster (mandatory), and 2) a scientific article (either a manuscript or a research proposal). The participants will have 6 weeks to complete and submit their written works.
Phase II: Students who pass Phase 1 will undertake a written examination.
Please refer to Point (3) in the norms.

4Q: I have submitted the paper for journal publication, but I have its first draft that was not edited by my supervisor. Can I submit it?

Ans: Drafts of published work will not be accepted.

5Q: I am currently writing a review article that I am planning to submit to a journal. Can I use this review article to submit as a written work for the certification?

Ans: Yes, you can submit an article that you are planning to submit to a journal. However, it should not be edited by your faculty advisor or any other colleague.

6Q: Can the written submissions be outside my area of work?

Ans: Yes.

7Q: Can I submit the written work and the poster of the same topic?

Ans: Yes, you can.

8Q: I do not have experimental work or data that I can write upon to submit for Phase I. Can I write and submit a review paper or a research proposal?

Ans: Yes, review articles or research proposals, which do not require reporting of original data, can be submitted for Phase I. Please refer to Point (3) in the norms.

9Q: What is the word limit for written works?

Ans: The guidelines for preparing the written works for Phase I will be provided to the applicants, which will include the word limit.

10Q: If I could clear the “Phase-I”, but not the “Phase-II” of the certification process, do I need to reappear for both phases all over again in the next round to get certification?

Ans: Students are required to clear both Phase I and Phase II in one semester in order to be eligible for the certification.

11Q: Who will be evaluating the submitted written works?

Ans: Faculty from various disciplines in IITGN are involved as reviewers of the written submissions. The students’ submissions will be provided to faculty reviewers within the same or related disciplines.

12Q: What type of questions/topics are included in the in-person written exam (Phase II)?

Ans: The Phase II written examination will test the student’s awareness of the principles of scientific writing (e.g., clarity, preciseness, coherence, and logical order), developing a paragraph, quotation and summarization, academic integrity and ethics, plagiarism, building an argument, and structuring academic works. It will also test their ability to visualize and interpret data. Please refer to Point (3) in the norms.

13Q: Do I get course credits upon completion of certification?

Ans: No. This certification program is not a course that would be taken for credits.

14Q: If I could not clear the certification, will it be reflected on my academic transcripts?

Ans: No. It will not be reflected in your academic transcript.

15Q: I am in my first year of PhD and did not complete the “Writing Course” yet in the institute. Can I attempt the certification process?

Ans: Yes, you can attempt the exam.

16Q: I am a PhD student from Physical Research Laboratories, registered at IITGN. Am I eligible to attempt the certification?

Ans: Yes.

17Q: If I am unable to clear the certification in the first attempt, can I retake/appear for the next round of certification?

Ans: Yes. You can appear for the certification as many times as you would like within the duration of your PhD program.

18Q: What is the timeline for the exam?

Ans: A detailed timeline is provided to the students via email and is displayed in the Scientific Writing website: https://initiatives.iitgn.ac.in/scientificwriting/certification/

19Q: How do I prepare for the certification? Can you suggest resources that I can go through for better performance in the certification process?

Ans: The Scientific Writing team curated resources that can be accessed via the following link: https://initiatives.iitgn.ac.in/scientificwriting/scientific-writing-resources/. Students are highly encouraged to review the resources for better performance in the certification process.

20Q: How is the exam tailored to suit the HSS discipline students?

Ans: The exam is designed to suit all disciplines. Please refer to Point (3) in the norms for more clarity on what will be asked in the written exam.

21Q: Is there any option to take the written exam online?

Ans: Currently the student needs to physically appear for the written exam. However, students will be informed if there is any option to take the exam online in the future.

22Q: Is certification anything to do with the student’s monthly stipend?

Ans: No, this certification would not affect the student’s stipend.

23Q: If I pass Phase I, but will not be able to attempt Phase II during the designated date and time, can I appear for the Phase II exam in the next semester?

Ans: Both Phase I and II should be attempted in the same semester. Students must review the schedule of the Phase I submission deadline and the in-person Phase II exam before submitting their application. If the student is unable to meet the Phase I deadline and/or appear for the Phase II exam in the current semester, then he/she is advised to attempt the certification in the subsequent semester when his/her schedule permits. If a student passes Phase I, but fails to appear for the Phase II written exam, then their application for certification will be revoked, unless a legitimate reason (e.g., medical emergency) is communicated in writing to the Certification team and the student’s Faculty Advisor.

24Q: What is the acceptable similarity index required for the manuscript/proposal submissions to scientific writing phase I ?

Ans: The percentage similarity (excluding the references) will be taken in consideration by the reviewers. In avoiding plagiarism, the percentage similarity should be as low as possible.