Writing Course Review Form (1/12)
I. General Education Review – Writing Course
Dept/Program
Course # (i.e. ENEX
Wildlife Biology
WRIT 325
Subject
200)
Course Title
Writing in the Sciences*
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office.
Please type / print name Signature
Instructor
Anne Greene
Phone / Email
Anne.greene@mso
Program Chair
Dan Pletscher
Dean
James Burchfield
III. Type of request
New
One-time Only
Reason for new course, change or deletion
Date
Change
From
Remove
WBIO
245 to
WRIT
325
Change for common course numbering
IV Overview of the Course Purpose/ Description: Provide an introduction to the subject
matter and course content.
This course is designed to help science students learn to write clearly and concisely. We focus
on learning the principles of clear writing and the grammar necessary to use them. We learn
how to avoid the jargon-laden, abstract prose that characterizes much of the writing in scientific
journals today. We practice the principles of clear writing by evaluating examples of good and
bad scientific writing taken from the literature. The written assignments provide an opportunity
to write clearly for different audiences and include writing a scientific piece for radio (Field
Notes), a cover letter and resume for a job application, a grant proposal, a research poster, and a
technical paper based on research presented in class. I stress the importance of writing science
so that a broad audience can understand, no matter how complex and unfamiliar the topic.
Individual tutoring is a major component of the course.
V Learning Outcomes: Explain how each of the following learning outcomes will be achieved.
The principles of clarity, coherence, cohesion,
Student learning outcomes :
and concision are new to most students.
Use writing to learn and synthesize new
Applying these principles to both a popular
concepts
science article (which is often recorded for
radio) and a technical scientific article provide
many new learning experiences for students.
Formulate and express written opinions and
ideas that are developed, logical, and
organized
Compose written documents that are
appropriate for a given audience, purpose and
context
Revise written work based on constructive
comments from the instructor
Find, evaluate, and use information
effectively and ethically (see
http://www.lib.umt.edu/informationliteracy/)
Begin to use discipline-specific writing
conventions
Demonstrate appropriate English language
usage
VI. Writing Course Requirements
Enrollment is capped at 25 students.
Group work in class often involves applying the
principles of clear writing to improve and revise
other people’s writing. In addition, students must
come up with their own topic for Field Notes,
which is often the hardest part of the assignment.
The poster assignment presents each group with
the task of coming up with ideas about how to
present information clearly, and finally the
proposal assignment is completely based on the
students’ own questions, hypotheses,
predictions, and methods.
The students write for a number of different
audiences and different purposes throughout the
semester: they write a Field Note for the KUFM
radio audiences, a grant proposal for the Philip
Wright Scholarship Committee, a job application
package for a potential summer employer, and a
research paper for their peers.
For each large written assignment, the students
submit a first draft that I assess and give back to
them. Based on my comments and individual
tutoring, the students revise their drafts until they
are polished.
For the Field Note, each student must have at
least three peer-reviewed references. For the
technical scientific paper, they must read and
incorporate published literature in an
Introduction section and supporting material for
a Discussion Section. They have one class with
Barry Brown, the science librarian at the
Mansfield, who shows them how to use the
library’s resources and find primary and
secondary sources.
While the students are preparing their technical
scientific paper, I lecture on the characteristics of
each part of a technical paper from how to come
up with an informative title to how to list the
references.
I cover basic grammatical rules from a book
called “The Least You Should Know About
English” including sentence structure (subjects,
verbs, objects, clauses, and phrases), word
choice, and punctuation. I also assign several
exercises from the book, and if some students
need more grounding in this subject, I spend
time with them in tutoring sessions.
If not, list maximum course enrollment. Explain
how outcomes will be adequately met for this
number of students. Justify the request for
variance.
What instructional methods will be used to teach
students to write for specific audiences, purposes,
and genres?
I spend the first two lectures going over
audience and purpose. We look at different
kinds of scientific and science writing
(journals, science magazines, newspapers,
etc.) in class as well as with Barry Brown at
the library. The editor of the Montana
Naturalist gives a class to explain how to
write Field Notes, and the researcher who
presents the work described in the technical
paper describes the appropriate journal and
audience the students should write for. I have
also had faculty from the School of Journalism
give classes when students have written for
newspapers.
Which written assignments will include revision in All large written assignments.
response to instructor’s feedback?
VII. Writing Assignments: Please describe course assignments. Students should be required to
individually compose at least 16 pages of writing for assessment. At least 50% of the course grade
should be based on students’ performance on writing assignments. Clear expression, quality, and
accuracy of content are considered an integral part of the grade on any writing assignment.
Formal Graded Assignments
Approximately 90% of the course grade is
based on the written assignments. The larger
assignments go through many drafts before
the final product is graded. There are 4 large
assignments: Field Notes, a technical paper, a
poster, and either a proposal or a cover letter
and resume. The smaller assignments are
either done in class in groups or at home and
involve taking the principles of clear writing
and applying them to other peoples’ writing.
Informal Ungraded Assignments
VIII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. 
For assistance on syllabus preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
The syllabus must include the following:
1. Writing outcomes
2. Information literacy expectations
3. Detailed requirements for all writing assignments or append writing assignment instructions
Paste syllabus here.
*Note a change in the title of the course from Science Writing to Writing in the Sciences.
Writing in the Sciences: WRIT 325
MW 10:10 - 11:30am
DHC 117
Instructor: Anne Greene
Office: 205 Health Sciences
E-mail: anne.greene@mso.umt.edu
Scientific communication is essential for helping us to use and take care of this earth. –
Martha Davis
Overview:
In this course you will learn how to write clearly. Although we will concentrate on
science writing, the rules you learn can be applied to everything you write, not just
science. Good science writing is not very different from good legal writing, good
journalistic writing, or even good creative writing.
Broadly speaking, scientists write for two groups of people: the first group is other
scientists; the second group is non-scientists. Although there are notable exceptions, most
scientists write only for the first group. They write articles for professional journals like
Nature and Science, or they write proposals for granting agencies like the National
Science Foundation or they write reports for government departments like The Fish and
Wildlife Service. Most of this writing is very formal and structured. You probably write
this way when you prepare a research paper or a lab writ-up for a class. This course will
teach you this kind of writing and give you practice in it.
But it is not enough anymore for scientists to write for other scientists. It’s crucial that
scientists write for the general public as well. Our democracy depends on an educated,
voting public, and science is having more and more impact on their lives every day. For
example, the public will have a lot to do with the fate of stem cell research, and whether
we can halt or even slow the rate of global climate change. Not to mention the fact that
the public pays for billions of dollars of research every year, and they deserve to know
what they’re paying for!
Unfortunately, a lot of science today is hyper-specialized, and the way scientists
communicate means that only a very specialized audience can understand what they’re
saying. Poor communication between scientists and the public may be one reason for the
large gap between the views of the two groups. A recent poll by the Pew Research Center
for the People and the Press in 2009, found that while 84% of the public holds science
and scientists in high regard, 85% of scientists see the public’s lack of scientific
knowledge as a major problem. For example, 84% of scientists polled believe that the
earth is getting warmer because of human activity, while only 49% of the public agree.
One way we may be able to bridge the gap in understanding is if scientists like you learn
to write so it can be understood by a broader audience. In this course, you will learn how
to write for such an audience and practice doing it.
The tools for clear writing I will give you in this class can be applied to both kinds of
writing with the same beneficial results.
A well-respected lawyer said it this way: “Psychologically, the main quality that
distinguishes good writers from bad ones is this: good ones have cultivated an abiding
empathy for their readers, while bad ones haven’t.”
At the beginning of the course, we’ll review different kinds of science writing and their
characteristics. Then we’ll look at the writing process and take some of the mystery out
of how to get started and how to organize information before writing a first draft. We’ll
have a quick but essential review of basic grammar and then focus on how to make your
writing clear and comprehensible. Making your writing readable and easy to understand
is the main goal of this course. You do it by learning what readers need in a piece of
writing and fulfilling those needs. If you give readers what they need in the places they
are looking for them, you will probably succeed as a writer. If you don’t, you probably
will fail. My goal in this course is to show you how to succeed.
At the end of the course you should be able to:
•
communicate written scientific information in a clear and concise style;
•
recognize bad writing and improve it;
•
develop a polished job application package or research proposal;
•
evaluate a research poster;
•
write a Field Note for public radio;
•
write a scientific journal article based on research presented in class.
Texts:
The lecture notes for the first half of the class will be the chapters of a book I am in the
process of writing. Get yourself a three ring-binder to put these in as well as all the
lecture notes on the second half of the course. More information on the lecture material
can be found in Style by Joseph Williams (1995) which will be on reserve at the
Mansfield Library along with a good overview of grammar called The Least You Should
Know About English by Paige Wilson and Teresa Glazier (2003). I will also put a good
reference on how to write a journal article on reserve called A Short Guide to Writing
About Biology by Jan Pechenik (2010).
Grading:
Your final grade will be based on the following list of assignments. You will also be
graded on your class participation which will depend on your attendance (in class and
tutoring), how much you help with group work, and your general level of engagement.
3 Large Assignments
I expect you to write several drafts of these before the final is handed in and to come to
tutoring for help.
Field Note =25
Cover letter and resume or proposal =20
Technical paper =30
5 Small Assignments
Tools = 5
Poster = 5
Sources = 5
Participation = 10
Total = 100
How do you make a good grade in this class?
1) Come to class and participate.
2) Do the assigned work and pass in drafts on time.
3) Start your writing assignments early, so you have time to revise often.
4) Come to tutoring regularly.
5) Read the examples of good writing I give you as well as any you can find.
Extra credit:
If your Field Note is chosen to be aired on KUFM, you will receive extra credit (2). If
you read it yourself, you’ll get another 2. Also, if you find any great examples of the
writing principles we discuss in class, hand in the sample and write me a short paragraph
about why it is a good example (or a bad one), and you will receive extra credit (2).
Late Policy:
You will be given ample opportunity to revise until you feel your assignments reflect
your best writing. However, you will be docked points (1 per day) if you miss the due
dates on the schedule.
Revision:
Revision is an important part of the writing process. Seek out other people’s opinion on
your writing as often as you can. Learn to let go of your ego and value constructive
criticism. I will hand back a draft of each assignment with written comments on how you
can improve it. Then come to tutoring, and I’ll explain the comments. You can come to
tutoring and revise as often as you want within the time limit of each assignment.
Tutoring:
I provide one-on-one tutoring throughout the course. Take advantage of it because it
helps you relate what we’re learning in class to your own writing . Everyone’s writing is
different, and tutoring is a good way to get individual feedback.
Plagiarism Policy:
Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism which is the representation of someone else’s
work as your own (the word plagiarism comes from the Greek plagion, which means a
kidnapping.) Ideas and data as well as text may be plagiarized. Plagiarism can occur by
using and not acknowledging material from the internet, from books, from classmates,
and from writing assignments in other classes. Plagiarism .org
(http://www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_ is_ plagiarism.html) posted the
following list of actions they considered plagiarism:
•
“turning in someone else’s work as your own
•
copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit
•
failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
•
giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation
•
changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving
credit
•
copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of
your work, whether you give credit or not”
We all use the ideas and the writing of others when we write, and giving credit to those
we are borrowing from is an important part of writing science. We do this not only for
ethical reasons, but because it gives credibility to our writing. In addition, citing our
sources is one way we scientist interact; it’s like a conversation between friends who may
agree or disagree, but each one is given the chance to be heard. Showing that we have
investigated the literature on a topic and know which authors have investigated which
questions, tells the reader that we are comfortable with this information. In a way, we are
collaborating with these authors when we cite their work. This gives the reader the sense
that what we have to say is important, because it exists in a context of already published
information. Some students look at citing sources in a negative way; they will be
punished if they don’t cite their sources. Instead, I suggest thinking of the process more
positively - that citing your sources will make your writing more credible. If you are
interested in the subject, here is another web site you might be interested in:
http://www.stu.ca./inkshed/nletta03/hunt.htm
If you work with other people and get ideas from them, acknowledge those ideas. If you
take a direct quotation from somewhere, show that it is a quotation and cite it. And
whenever you do an assignment, write it up by yourself, in your own words. Do not take
text from someone else’s work and rearrange it; that also constitutes plagiarism.
You are encouraged to work together to solve problems, to share information or
resources, and to test each others’ understanding. Those are all legitimate forms of
collaboration. However, the written work of each student must be his or her own. If you
are at all uncertain about whether or not to cite or acknowledge a person or material,
come and ask me. When you put your name on an assignment or a paper, let it represent
the fact that you did the work yourself and have cited or acknowledged all of the people
who contributed ideas or data to your work.
At a minimum, confirmed plagiarism will result in failure in this course, and can result in
suspension from the University. Familiarize yourself with the Student Conduct Code
which outlines the penalties of plagiarism.
Drops and Adds:
University policies for dropping and adding courses, changing grade options, and
changing to audit status are firmly upheld in this class. These policies are described on
Cyberbear under Important Dates for Spring Semester 2011. February 11 is the last day
to drop classes on Cyberbear with a partial refund. March 28 is the last day to drop
courses with instructor/advisor signatures on a drop/add form. You should note that after
March 28, such changes are NOT automatically approved. They may be requested by
petition, but the petition MUST be accompanied by documentation of extenuating
circumstances, such as family emergency, accident or illness or other circumstances
beyond the student’s control. Requests to drop a course or change the grade basis to
benefit a student’s grade point average will not be approved.
Privacy Policy
Over the years, I’ve gathered up a collection of good and bad science writing that I use as
examples in class. The authors are students like you, graduate students or faculty. They
have very kindly loaned us their writing so we can pick it apart!
Remember the Golden Rule: treat these papers as you would have others treat your own.
Don’t ridicule them and return the copies I give you after you are finished with them.
Please keep the examples of good writing I give you. Reading other people’s good
writing helps you develop your own.
Grading Rubric:
I won’t be grading your drafts. I will write my suggestions on them about how to revise,
and you can come to tutoring to get help. Revise as often as you can until the final due
date. The more you revise, the better your writing will be and the higher your mark.
When I do grade your papers, this is what I will be looking for:
1) Are the ideas creative and interesting?
2) Is the paper well-organized?
3) Are the voice, tone and register appropriate for the assignment?
4) Is the writing clear? Does it tell a story with characters and actions?
5) Are the verbs strong and mostly in active voice?
6) Is the word choice appropriate for the audience?
7) Is the writing concise?
8) Do the sentences present old information at the beginnings and new information at the
ends?
9) Are the sentences variable lengths?
10) Are there unnecessary negatives?
11) Are terms the same?
12) Does each paragraph have an issue and show organization?
13) Are topics within paragraphs consistent?
14) Does the document have a point?
15) Is the writing grammatically correct and the presentation pleasing?