GEOS 39600
In this practicum, scientists will learn to write papers that communicate their work clearly to the scientific community, that attract citations, that can be compelling even for experts from other fields and the general public. The course is intended for students engaged in research and at the stage of working on a paper intended for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, and students are expected to bring their work in progress. Students will learn to evaluate their writing to anticipate its effectiveness with different audiences, and to organize and revise it for impact, using techniques from academic writing and science journalism and insights from cognitive theories of reading. Students from diverse backgrounds will read and critique one another’s work weekly, learning to overcome barriers to communication between different communities of scholars. We will also discuss techniques for effective science graphics and oral presentations. The course culminates in a practicum research presentation and production by each student of a final or near-final draft of a manuscript for submission. (2019-22)