Scientific Writing

Catalog description

This 7-week course is designed to introduce students to basic scientific writing skills and is based upon the premise that clear writing, giving feedback, and receiving feedback are all essential tools for professional development. While this is not strictly a prelim preparatory course, applying the principles of this course will help improve your prelim writing and your scientific writing in general. Structure: An initial introductory lecture for the entire class is followed by 6 weekly small group sessions. These sessions are conducted as workshops designed to enhance student and faculty engagement to improve scientific writing. During the course, participants review the principles of clear, persuasive writing, and apply these principles to writing for a scientific audience. Particular emphasis is placed on conveying the significance of your research, outlining your aims, and discussing your results. Classes are highly interactive, and the majority of class time will be spent discussing student scientific writing. In order to focus on the techniques of scientific writing, in-class discussions and critiques will not address scientific methodology or interpretations of results. Evaluations: One of the goals of the course is to encourage active and open interaction among students, and grading will be predominantly based on class attendance, participation, and timely submission of assignments, not on the quality of the writing itself. Offered spring semester.