Description

This 4-ECTS microcredential provides postgraduate students and early-career researchers with a comprehensive understanding of the scientific publishing process — from manuscript preparation to peer review and proofreading — with special emphasis on editorial ethics and the responsible integration of AI tools in scientific communication.

Learning outcomes:

• Comprehend end-to-end the scientific publishing process from authorial and editorial perspectives.
• Prepare and submit manuscripts adhering to ethical and journal-specific standards.
• Evaluate manuscripts and respond to reviewer requests constructively.
• Identify and avoid predatory journals and common publishing pitfalls.
• Correctly and responsibly use AI tools across all stages of the publication process.

Address of the activity implementation

Arqus Learning Management System (Arqus LMS)

Number of hours

40 contact hours / 60 self-study hours (100 h total)

Target group

Postgraduate students (Master/PhD) and early-career researchers (EQF 7 or 8)

Number of participants

20 (minimum) / 40 (maximum)

Prerequisites

• Bachelor’s degree
• Basic knowledge of scientific publication
• English language proficiency (B2 or above)
• Personal computer or laptop

Type of funding / fee

Self-funded (covered by public enrolment fee). Fee amount: TBD by UGR. Co-financing from partner institutions possible.

Contact person (administrative and/or academic)

Academic Director:

Carmen Amezcua Prieto — carmezcua@ugr.es (UGR)

Academic Coordinator:

Luca Narduzzi — nardluca@gmail.com

Additional Contact:

Khalid Saeed Khan — profkkhan@gmail.com

Notes

• Course delivery: 4 times a week (synchronous online sessions).
• Faculty includes staff from UGR, UMinho, and SEMERGEN.
• Certificate issued via the Arqus Alliance online certification tool, by UGR as coordinating institution.
• Learner admission: first come, first served; students/researchers prioritised over non-students.
• Fee payment deadline: 31st July 2026 (before course start).
• Topics covered: Publishing Landscape, Manuscript Writing, Editorial Workflow, Peer Review, Ethics & Integrity, AI in Publishing.