Writeshops to produce information materials

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Writeshops to produce information materials

• Getting information out of heads and onto paper
• in a form that normal mortals can understand

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Writeshops

• Intensive
• 3 days2 weeks
• 2040 participants
• Scientists, extension, NGOs, indigenous
  specialists, farmers, teachers
• Wide range of expertise and interests

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Writeshop purpose

• To produce info materials on specific theme
• 40 writeshops on different themes
• Agroforestry
• Ethnoveterinary medicine
• Sustainable agriculture
• Public awareness?
• Simplify science for users
• Capacity building for national institutions/NGOs
• Document experiences best practices

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Some publications produced through writeshops
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Sample topic
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Sample topic
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Sample page

• Ethnoveterinary medicine in Asia

• Short chapters (topics)

• Clear, concise, easy to understand

• Standard format

• Illustrations

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Writeshop process
Preparation
Writeshop
Final revisions
Publish
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Writeshop process 1

• Preparation
• Identify broad theme
• Identify topics
• Select resource persons
• Assign topics
• Prepare logistics

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Writeshop process 2

• Draft 1
• Present
• Critique
• Edit
• Draw
• Desktop publishing

• Draft 2
• Present
• Critique
• Revise
• Redraw
• Desktop publishing

• Draft 3
• Comments

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Writeshop process 3

• Final revisions
• Desktop publishing
• Publish
• Print
• Distribute
• Use
• Evaluate, follow-up

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Writeshop advantages

• Fast, efficient, flexible
• 200 page book in 2 weeks
• Translates science into practice
• Easy to understand, illustrations
• Involves multiple stakeholders
• Scientists, extension, NGOs, farmers, audience
  members
• Wide distribution through multiple institutions
• Builds capacity
• Helps people write
• Promotes networking

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Flexibility

• Can adapt structure as you go along
• Add or combine chapters
• Flexible timetable
• Coordinating committee meeting in evening to
  discuss next day
• Use small groups to brainstorm ideas
• Assign writing tasks to individuals or teams
• Individual participants can come and go
• But need a core of participants all the time

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Flexibility

• Can add other activities
• Field trip
• Stakeholder discussion forum
• Project planning session
• Training course
• Can piggyback on other activities
• Conference
• Planning sessions

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Size of writeshop

• Big
• Biodiversity of the W Ghats, India
• 100 participants
• 100 short manuscripts
• 2 weeks

• Medium
• Trading up
• Ca. 40 participants
• 8 chapters
• 15 cases
• 300 pages

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Size of writeshop

• Medium
• Agricultura sostenible in Perú y Bolivia
• 8 chapters
• 16 cases
• 238 pages
• 8 days

• Small
• Conservation agriculture in Lesotho
• 6 participants
• 8 pages
• 1 day

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Type of product

• Book
• Loose-leaf kit
• Training materials
• Policy brief
• Project proposal
• Extension booklets
• Brochures
• Policy?

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Contents of book

• Cases analysis
• Trading up
• How-to manual
• Conservation agriculture
• Set of stories
• Culture and change
• Reference book
• Field manual of camel diseases

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Writeshop staff

• Writeshop coordinator
• Facilitators
• Editors
• Artists
• Computers, secretarial
• Interpreters

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Writeshop coordinator

• Focuses on content
• Specialist in subject
• Conceptualizes book
• Develops framework
• Guides choice of topics and authors
• Develops sample chapter

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Facilitator

• Guides front of house activities
• Guides and manages discussions
• Ensures focus on subject
• Guides traffic
• When participants understand process, they can
  take over facilitation

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Editor(s)

• Number of editors depends on number and
  complexity of manuscripts
• Focuses on message in manuscript
• Works with authors to revise manuscript
• 3 modes of editing
• Editor revises manuscript, then checks with
  author
• Editor discusses with author, then author revises
• Editor and author revise manuscript together
• Editor finalizes manuscript after writeshop