New York University: Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health
Food Writing -- FOOD-GE 2021.002
Seminar in Writing for Research Publications in Nutrition,
Food Studies, and Public Health
Spring 2012
Mondays 4:55-6:35 p.m., 3 credits, @4l1 Lafayette, small conference room
Marion Nestle, Instructor
marion.nestle@nyu.edu, blog www.foodpolitics.com, @marionnestle
Office hours by appointment, 411 Lafayette, 5th Floor
This is an advanced writing seminar for graduate students in nutrition, food studies, or public
health who would like to prepare (a) research articles or reviews for professional journals, (b) book
chapters, (c) book proposals, (d) thesis chapters, or any other research-based professional
publication. Students will develop the project over the course of the semester, submit sections
for feedback from the instructor and fellow students every week, and expect to have the project
ready to submit to the appropriate venue by the end of the semester.
Course objectives:
 Explain how to report research ideas and accomplishments in professionally appropriate
ways.
 Describe and apply the basic elements of professional writing about food, nutrition, or
public health: organization, paragraph and sentence structure, grammar.
 Explain how research is used to support professional work and how professional writing
explains, summarizes, and cites research.
 Explain how to use research to support a point of view about evidence-based issues in food,
nutrition, and public health.
 Describe and apply the basic elements of research publications: purpose, experimental
design, methods, results, discussion, and reference citations.
 Describe how to use feedback from readers or editors to improve writing structure and
clarity.
 Identify the basic elements of professional editing and apply them to text revision.
 Prepare a substantial research-based paper for submission or publication.
Books
Phyllis Goldenberg. Writing a Research Paper: A Step-by-Step Approach, 2004.
William Strunk, Jr and E.B. White. The Elements of Style, 4th ed, 1999 or any other edition.
Other readings
Instructor and students will bring in pieces of professional writing for discussion.
Submission of work
All work—no exceptions—must be double-spaced, one side of paper, at least one-inch margins all
around, not right justified, two spaces between sentences, pages numbered. It must be submitted
on time in the required number of copies, stapled.
Course organization
Every week, students will submit work for review as well as reviews of the work of other students.
This will be organized during the first class session and during subsequent sessions depending on
individual needs. By the end of the class, all students will have given and received feedback from all
other class members, more than once.
Course expectation
By the end of the course, all students will have prepared and completed a finished piece of
professional writing ready to submit.
PROFESSIONAL WRITING CLASS SCHEDULE, SPRING 2011 (Rough Outline)
CLASS
DATE
TOPIC
1
January 23
Introduction: organizing
the course
2
January 30
Identifying the topic
3
February 6
Introducing the topic
4
February 13
Introductions, continued
February 20
President’s Day
5
February 27
Introductions
6
March 5
March 12
7
March 19
8
March 26
9
April 2
10
April 9
11
April 16
12
April 23
13
April 30
14
May 7
ASSIGNMENTS
These should be completed and ready to discuss by the
indicated class date.
Read (browse) “Writing a Research Paper” to page 70.
Read: Strunk & White section I
Write: 2-page summary of your project, 2 copies
Read: Strunk & White sections II and III
Read: Strunk & White sections IV and V
Read: “Writing a Research Paper” parts 6 and 7
Draft of complete Introduction (with references); outline of
remainder
Finish: “Writing a Research Paper” parts 8-10
Spring Break
First draft of final paper
Second draft for review
Third draft for review
TBA
Submit final paper