Course Description

In this course we will discover the interrelationship between good science and good writing, and explore
how writing is inseparable from scientific research. Indeed, just as good science stresses method as well
as results, so does good writing require both clear style and sound content. If you consider the following
list of famous scientists who changed the way we see the world--Gailieo, Newton, Darwin, Einstein,
Sagan, Hawking--it is clear that what they have in common, aside from their scientific vision and tenacity,
is their ability to write eloquently in order to explain the meaning of their discoveries. As Sir Francis
Bacon's statement reminds us, the best research in the world is virtually worthless if the scientist is unable
to communicate his or her results clearly to other scientists.

Throughout the semester, we will tackle issues ranging from basic grammatical skills and sentence
construction, to questions of style, design and layout, while always focusing on the purpose and role of
writing in the scientific process. We will discuss which specific writing skills combine most effectively with
different research projects, and examine exemplary articles in your field to evaluate their strategies, in
order that you may put those strategies into practice in your own writing.

Major Assignments: Review Article, Experimental Research Paper(Thesis version and Publication Version), Non-Specialist Paper, Brief Grant Proposal, Poster Presentation