Abstract

This paper has no abstract. This text is excerpted from the Introduction.

Shared writing projects are an integral part of graduate training in STEM disciplines; advisors work closely with their trainees on manuscripts, conference abstracts, proposals, and (eventually) a thesis or dissertation. ...

Our 10 simple rules are aimed at helping advisors and their trainees work more effectively together on writing projects, and are built on our experiences leading, evaluating, and participating in a collaborative writing workshop at Colorado State University. We also incorporated ideas and feedback from over thirty faculty and graduate students who have participated in this workshop to date. All the authors have also been engaged in mentor/mentee writing partnerships, some of us during the preparation of this article. While most of us are researchers with interests in computational biology, these 10 simple rules can be applied to many disciplines. Our goals are to describe the unique writing challenges that the advisor/advisee relationship creates, highlight pain points, and share rules that make the process of teaching and learning through writing more productive and enjoyable. We have also emphasized how Generative AI can be used, with caution, to support collaborative writing. To get the full benefit, we encourage you to discuss with your writing partner how you can apply these rules to your next project.