Reporting on Sci & Medical Lit

Catalog description

Science writing relies on understanding and interpreting scientific and technical genres (such as clinical studies and reports and scientific research and review articles) for lay audiences. This class will teach you how to read, understand, and critique primary research studies in a variety of scientific and medical disciplines, focusing on the right questions to ask about methodologies, funding, research ethics, and presentation and interpretation of results in context. Case studies will highlight high-impact research that had undue influence on public health and other areas of intersection between science and society (e.g., the Women’s Health Initiative 2002 study), as well as cases of false reporting or misunderstanding of scientific studies. Students will build a heuristic for reading scientific literature, will critique scientific studies, and will write science accommodations, e.g. publicizing high profile studies for select lay audiences.