Mahtab Matin is a Writing & Academic Communication Consultant in the Centre for Scholarly Communication (CSC) and a PhD candidate in the school of Nursing, researching infant sleep, gut microbiome, and infant feeding.
Through the CSC, Mahtab provides one-on-one consultations to graduate and post-doctoral researchers at UBC Okanagan who are writing journal articles, grant proposals, theses, and dissertations or preparing conference presentations.
During a consultation, Mahtab can help her clients:
- Develop clear research questions.
- Refine research methodology.
- Organize data.
- Structure papers or theses.
- Ensure arguments are coherent and supported by evidence.
- Improve clarity, flow, and academic tone.
- Check for proper citation and adherence to style guidelines.
- Help interpret qualitative or quantitative results using related software or applications.
- Help translate complex findings into accessible, well-written narratives.
“A common misconception about academic writing and data management is that they are purely technical tasks rather than integral parts of the research process. Many believe data management simply means storing files or backing up data, when in fact it involves organizing, documenting, and preserving information to ensure transparency and reproducibility. Similarly, academic writing is often seen as the final step after research is complete but it’s actually a continuous process that helps researchers think critically, clarify ideas, and communicate findings effectively. Both academic writing and research data management are ongoing practices that strengthen research integrity and impact.”
–Mahtab Matin