CIHP (Consultation of Investment in Health Promotion) is implementing the Rockefeller funded project "Enhancing capacity of Vietnamese researchers on publishing and dissemination of research on gender and sexuality" (Encourages), which aims to support Vietnamese researchers to produce high quality research papers/articles and disseminate them effectively at national and international levels.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

This series of two linked workshops aims to provide participants with support in researching information and producing well structured written work in a form suitable for peer review and potential publication.

More specifically, the workshops will build understanding of

· the topics and issues focused on in different journals.

· different ways of accessing journals through the internet and other means in resource poor settings.

· the general protocols and conventions expected by good quality international peer reviewed journals.

They will also aim to build

· confidence in writing for international audiences and the ‘adjustments’ to content, style and mode of address that have to be made for this.

· understanding of how to select journals for publication on the basis of knowing what an individual journal’s priorities are, and the type of paper/article its editors would prefer.

PROGRAMME DETAILS

Trainer: Professor Dr. Peter Aggleton

Language: The training course will be conducted in English.

Dates: April 2 - 4 and August 20-21, 2007.

Venue: Hanoi.

Class size: Limited – max 14 people.

The project will provide scholarships for participants outside Hanoi.

CONTENT

In advance of the first meeting, participants will have identified a piece of writing that they have prepared and would like to develop further for possible publication.

Writing workshop 1

Taking place over two and a half days, Workshop 1 will provide opportunities for participants to:

• describe and discuss their previous experience writing for publication.
• talk about different potential environments for publication (local, national, regional and international) and the strengths and weaknesses of each.
• review different (national) and regional journals and identify the kinds of topics and issues they focus on.
• review international journals in the fields of sexuality, gender and rights, with a view to assessing
• the kinds of topic they focus on.
• the authors who write for them.
• the format and style of particular pieces of writing.
• the composition of their editorial boards.
• their relative status and ‘position’ within the field internationally.

In addition, participants will be provided with support in identifying

• a topic which they have been working on and which they would like to write about.
• whether this topic is suitable for publication in a local, regional or international journal, and if so which one.
• the steps that might logically be followed in order to begin preparing a piece of writing for consideration for publication in a chosen environment.

At the end of this first workshop, participants will be asked to present back to the group (i) an action plan and (ii) an identified process of support (involving the more experienced writers present and other experienced colleagues), to enable writing to commence.

Between workshop support

Between the first writer workshop and the second, an e-mail link up will provide opportunities for experiences to be shared; challenges and difficulties discussed, and levers and facilitators identified. Less experienced writers will meet with a more experienced colleague on two occasions, to review the work undertaken.

Writer workshop 2

A second two day workshop will take place in August 2007. This will provide an opportunity for participants to

• share with one another their experiences writing; the factors that have facilitated this process; hindrances, ‘blocks’ and difficulties; and the outcome(s) of their work to date.
• further review a range of journals in which their work could be published, and the suitability (or otherwise) of particular journals with respect to the work they are seeking to publish.
• examine, discuss and reflect on progress made and work undertaken.
• consider the possibility of developing a themed issue of a journal or a themed symposium within a journal that would act as a showcase for the work accomplished, and would provide a concrete goal to work towards.

OUTCOME
At the end of the workshop, the participants will have

1. Mastered the main components and structure of research papers including developing an appropriate structure, constructing a clear argument, reporting on findings, reaching conclusions etc, and citing appropriate references.

2. Revised their papers for possible publication in an international environment.

OTHER INFORMATION

Who would find this course useful?

Researchers and programme developers/managers who would like to publish academic papers in good quality international environments.

Training methods

· The training workshops will be participative and practical, giving time and space for the participants to discuss concepts, concerns relating to the structure and contents of their papers.

· The trainer will tailor the training programme so far as possible in response to participants’ papers, interests and needs.

· The trainer will work closely with participants during the workshop in order to provide feedback and comments for their papers.

About Professor Peter Aggleton

Peter Aggleton has over twenty years experience working internationally in the fields of sexuality, sexual health and HIV/AIDS. He works at the Thomas Coram Research Unit which is part of the Institute of Education, University of London. Peter has written or edited more than thirty books and two hundred papers, many of which have been published in international journals. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Culture, Health and Sexuality, is Associate Editor of AIDS Education and Prevention, and is Senior Editor of Global Public Health. He has worked in Vietnam on several occasions since the mid 1990s.

Course enquiries and enrolments

Participants are required to fill in the application form. Submit the completed form and paper(s) in English to the Encourages Project via email encourages@cihp.org or by fax to 5770261 prior to Feb 28, 2007. Application form is available to be downloaded at website www.cihp.org or please contact Ms. Vinh through email vinh@cihp.org for the form.

Participants are expected to be actively involved throughout their time together, writing, sharing their writing with others, giving short presentations, and so on. Participants are expected to attend all of both of the workshops, and should bring a laptop with them.

Participants are expected to commit themselves fully to the whole process, which will include preparing a piece of writing after the meeting, receiving comments on it and modifying it in the light of these comments prior to possible submission to a peer reviewed journal.

Contact address

Encourages Project, Consultation of Investment in Health Promotion (CIHP)

108 A12 Alley 4/15, Phuong Mai, Dong Da, Hanoi

Tel: 5770261 Fax: 5770260

Email: encourages@cihp.org

Attn: Hai M. Tran, Project Assistant.