CANVAS 2025 publications workshops

Our publications workshops at CANVAS 2025 in Salt Lake City this November will provide early career professionals and students alike with hands-on learning experiences to help develop skills to communicate their work and become active in the scientific community. Each two-hour workshop is a mix of information presented by established professionals, hands-on activities guided by instructors to introduce and strengthen skills, and an opportunity to gather feedback and recommendations to reach the next level. 

You can add any of the workshops below after you complete your CANVAS registration. Workshops are limited to 30 individuals and often sell out. Please register in advance to reserve your seat and take advantage of the early bird discount ($40 if you register before October  2; $45 if you register after). 

NEW!  Designing Impactful Tables and Graphs

The objective of this workshop is to provide participants with the skills to identify poorly designed tables and graphs. They will then apply this knowledge to create figures that enhance the effectiveness of their papers and presentations. Half of the participants will be asked to select what they consider to be a well-designed and a poorly designed table from their area of expertise. The other half will do the same for graphs. The workshop will begin with a 15-minute presentation by an experienced reviewer, followed by a 15-minute presentation on design principles. We will then spend 15 minutes reviewing examples of tables contributed by participants and another 15 minutes on graphs. Note: All attendees will also be expected to complete a pre-workshop assignment.

Choose from two sessions

Monday, November 10

10:00 am–12:00 pm
 

Tuesday, November 11

10:00 am–12:00 pm

NEW!  Taking Better Photographs for Your Articles and Presentations

In this interactive hands-on photography workshop, we will examine how to create images that communicate scientific information effectively and persuasively. We will work through a series of sample problems together to demonstrate principals of lighting, composition, and storytelling that apply to anyone who wants to enhance their work with images. Whether you are using a smartphone or digital camera, working in the lab or in the field, the basic skills are the same. We live in a visual world—improving your photography will enhance your writing and presentation skills. Note: You will need to bring a smartphone and/or a digital camera.

Choose from two sessions

Monday, November 10

12:00–2:00 pm

Tuesday, November 11

12:00–2:00 pm

Creating the Materials and Methods Section of a Manuscript

A well-written material and methods section should be detailed enough so that a competent researcher can replicate the experiment, including the statistical analysis. The objective of the workshop is to equip participants, in a hands-on setting, with the knowledge and skills necessary to write an informative and professional Materials and Methods section for any scientific paper. Note: All attendees will also be expected to complete a pre-workshop assignment.

Choose from two sessions

Monday, November 10

2:00–4:00 pm


Tuesday, November 11

2:00–4:00 pm

Introduction to Peer Review

Peer review is an essential part of the scientific publishing process, but many early career professionals are not comfortable taking on this important task without experience. In this workshop, you will receive hands-on instruction on the peer review process from a team of experienced mentors. You will be placed in a group of people with similar scientific backgrounds as you gain the skills necessary to become a confident reviewer. Note: All attendees will also be expected to complete a pre-workshop assignment.

Choose from two sessions

Sunday, November 9

12:00–2:00 pm

Wednesday, November 12

12:00–2:00 pm

Simplify Your Professional Writing

Simplifying your writing doesn't mean dumbing it down. It means clear, concise, and easier-to-read writing despite complex ideas. You will learn to make your writing more accessible to your readers. The objectives include writing more concisely, reducing too long sentences, substituting simpler words, managing jargon, etc. Instructors will demonstrate a little-known function in Microsoft Word to assess readability. Note: Attendees should bring a laptop and a recent example of your writing.

Choose from two sessions

Sunday, November 9

2:00–4:00 pm

Wednesday, November 12

10:00 am–12:00 pm