METM12 round table discussion
Craft and critical vision: mastering the skills of good writing
Moderator: Valerie Matarese
Coordinated by Valerie Matarese and Marije de Jager
Panelists: Loredana Polezzi, Tom Jefferson, Karen Shashok, Anne Pallant
Effective writing, particularly in the academic setting, requires authors to be adept in domains of both language and content. In this closing session, four conference speakers from widely divergent fields-”who have contributed successfully to the scholarly literature and have helped other scholars do so too-”will discuss the aspects of their education, professional training and personal disposition that helped them become skilled writers. By sharing anecdotes on how they write (or guide others in writing), the session will explore the elements of craft and critical vision that one must master to be able to produce clear, accurate, influential and elegant prose. The impact of different forms of writing support, including informal collegial mentoring and the various services of language professionals, will also be examined. Through this exploration, the panel aims to provide insight into good writing practices that can help language professionals improve their services and their own writing skills.
Valerie Matarese is an independent biomedical editor based in northeastern Italy. She also teaches scientific writing in graduate-level courses and one-on-one settings. She is editor of the multiauthored volume Supporting Research Writing: Roles and challenges in multilingual settings, due to be published by Chandos in late 2012. She is also chair of the METM12 organizing committee.
Marije de Jager is a freelance copy editor and translator living in Italy and the Netherlands. She has translated books and articles in a variety of fields ranging from literature to biomedicine, and currently copy-edits several English-language medical journals published in Italy. She is MET's outgoing vice-chair and coordinator of the METM12 organizing committee.
are all speakers at METM12.
