Art of Scientific Communication I

Catalog description

Introduction to scientific analysis, writing, and oral presentation using primary literature sources. BMS 504 Art of Scientific Communication I (1) The overall goal of BMS 504 , and the sequential course BMS505 taken in the Spring semester, is to develop the students into scientific communicators who, in written and oral formats, can convey scientific concepts and the experimental support for these concepts. This includes the development of the knowledge base and communication skills required for effective scientific exchange and engagement. BMS 504 meets 90 minutes, once a week for 11 weeks from the first week of class until the Thanksgiving Recess, and focuses on reading and analyzing articles from the primary literature with brief presentations by students. The intent of this schedule is to support the students in developing the skills necessary to analyze the primary literature, begin to present components of scientific articles in a group setting, and complete these goals in a time frame that does not compete with end-of-semester examinations. The first meeting is a presentation by a course director on Effective Powerpoint Presentations. The following 10 meetings allow two weeks to cover each of five topics. Each topic focuses on a high quality article selected from a portfolio created by the instructors of the Fall first-year Core Curriculum for the Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Graduate Program ( BMS 501 , 502 , and 503 ). Topics vary from year to year. The first week of each topic examines the components of the chosen article (purpose and significance) and is led by one of the course directors. The second week includes short presentations by students on experimental design and data analysis from the articles and is facilitated by a content expert from one of the Core BMS Courses.