English 390: Science Writing
Fall 2015
Tawes 0207
English 390.1502: Tuesdays/Thursdays, 3:30pm - 4:45pm
Dr. Nick Bujak
nbujak@umd.edu
Office: Tawes 1202
Office Hours: Tuesdays/Thursdays 10-11:30
(Appointments recommended but not required)
Course Description
English 390: Science Writing satisfies the University’s requirement that undergraduates
complete a course on ‘real world’ writing for situations occurring outside the classroom and for
audiences other than a teacher. Specifically designed for students interested in further study in
the physical and biological sciences, this course exposes students to the conventions of scientific
prose in the genres of research articles and proposals. In addition, students will learn to
accommodate scientific information to general audiences. It is expected that students taking this
class will have a developing expertise in science or, at least, an interest in learning and writing
about science. Students can expect to:
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Analyze a variety of professional rhetorical situations and produce appropriate texts,
adapting the text to the knowledge base of the audience
Produce persuasive texts that reflect the degree of available evidence and take into
account counter arguments
Understand and practice the skills needed to produce competent, professional writing
including planning, drafting, revising and editing
Identify and implement appropriate research methods for each writing task
Practice the ethical use of sources and the conventions of citation appropriate in your
field
Improve competence in Standard Written English (including grammar, sentence and
paragraph structure, coherence and document design) and use this knowledge to revise
texts
What will you write about?
Science writing encompasses a range of discourse practices by which trained professionals
communicate with each other and with wider audiences, including those who fund and benefit
from research activities. In this course you will gain familiarity and develop facility with a range
of scientific discourses, including the research article, the review of research, the poster
presentation, the grant proposal. In addition you will learn to accommodate your expert
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knowledge to other audiences. Finally, you will represent your professional qualifications in the
genres of the résumé or the personal statement. All projects must be approved by the instructor.
What will you read?
Expect to read a fair amount of material from our assigned text, from frequent handouts, and
from your peers. The majority of your reading will be self-directed and related to your
independent research. Readings are often challenging and you must anticipate spending several
hours per week engaged in careful and critical reading and note taking.
Should you take this course now?
Professional Writing Program courses demand serious commitment from student and instructor
alike. This course begins energetically and remains so, involving both faithful attendance and the
ability to work through problems. Those few students who do poorly in this course, including
those who drop, underestimate the commitment required for success. If you are taking more than
15 credits, working 25 or more hours per week, caring for a family, or otherwise engaged in a
substantial extracurricular activity, then think carefully about your commitments.
Required Text
Ann M. Penrose and Steven B. Katz, Writing in the Sciences: Exploring Conventions of
Scientific Discourse, third edition (New York: Pearson, 2010).
Handbook. After the first assignment, you should purchase or otherwise obtain access to a
handbook that includes the citation practices of your chosen field.
Grading Procedures
PWP courses require a minimum of 25 pages of original writing (approximately 6,250 words)
from each student. In this course, formal assignments range in length from 2 to 15 pages. All
formal assignments must be submitted to pass the course. In addition to this formal graded
material, you are required to do various exercises and other skill building activities. Your grade
will be determined as follows:
Application Package: 10%
Topic Memo: 5%
Definitions: 15%
Research Review: 20%
Presentation: 15%
Final Project: 25%
Participation (attendance, draft workshops, etc): 5%
Homework and Short Writing Assignments: 5%
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Paper Submission Requirements (read carefully and consult frequently)
All assignments must be suitably titled; hint: “Assignment #1” is not a suitable title. Keep a back
up copy of all submitted papers. Supply all the materials required for the assignment in a pocket
folder on the due date. Use a standard method of source documentation appropriate to your field.
Spell check the document.
Late papers will receive a one letter grade deduction for each class day they are late. A paper
more than three class days late will receive a grade of zero. If you know you will be absent on
the day an assignment is due, and the absence is officially excused by the university, it is your
responsibility to submit the paper before the deadline.
Folder and Record-keeping
Maintain 3 physical folders:
A. a portfolio for submitting and storing the major assignments.
B. a collection of all materials compiled through independent research
C. a folder for handouts from me and for papers from peers.
You are responsible for maintaining your files, both physical and electronic, throughout the
semester. At semester’s end, submit your portfolio of all graded assignments, their required
drafts, and their revisions. At any time, I may ask you to re-submit the originals of any paper
returned to you. Likewise, I reserve the right to ask you, at any time, to submit materials related
to your research: books, articles, internet sites, notes of interviews, etc.
Communication
You must maintain and use an active email account, one that is not full. Most materials that are
electronically generated, including most handouts, will be sent to you via our course reflector list
or posted on ELMS. Some materials may be sent only by email. In addition, some homework
assignments require you to use email. You must be able to send and receive .doc attachments and
to receive and view .pdf documents.
Course Policies and Classroom Procedures
Electronics
Using cell phones and similar devices is not allowed in class. Please turn your cell phone off
before class begins. Using any of these devices during class will result in a loss of participation
credit for that day’s class. Repeated violation of this policy will negatively affect your progress –
and therefore your grade – in this course.
Emergency situation: If you are in an emergency situation (illness in the family, babysitters who
may need to contact you, etc.), you should explain the situation to me before class begins, put
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your phone on vibrate, and when the call comes through, excuse yourself and leave the
classroom quietly to take the call. Such emergencies should be rare exceptions.
Attendance
To succeed in this course, regular attendance is required. Classroom discussions and in-class
work account for a significant part of your grade, and class participation, once missed, cannot be
restored.
Below are the policies on unexcused and excused absences, as well as tardiness. Please note that
missing more than two weeks’ worth of class for any reason may result in a zero for the
participation/professionalism portion of your grade and may jeopardize your overall course
grade. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what you’ve missed. Missing more
than two weeks of class will make catching up difficult, if not impossible.
Unexcused Absences. You may take up to one week’s worth of no-questions-asked absences per
semester for both the expected (i.e., being the best man in your brother’s wedding) and the
unexpected (i.e., a flat tire).
If you take a no-questions-asked absence, however, you are still responsible for whatever
material was covered in class. If a major scheduled grading event (assignment due, in-class
workshop/peer review, presentation) is scheduled for that class period, and you don’t show up
and don’t have a university-sanctioned excuse (see below) then you will lose the points for that
activity.
Excused Absences. The University excuses absences for your own illness or the illness of an
immediate family member, for your participation in university activities at the request of
University authorities, for religious observance, and for compelling circumstance beyond your
control. Documentation is required for all excused absences. If you have an anticipated excused
absence, you must let me know in writing by the end of the schedule adjustment period or at
least two weeks in advance.
Absence for one class due to your own illness: The university requires that you provide me a
self-signed note attesting to the date of your illness, with an acknowledgment that the
information provided is true. Providing false information to University officials is prohibited and
may result in disciplinary action. The Health Center has an online form
(http://www.health.umd.edu/sites/default/files/Class%20Excuse110.pdf).
Absence from more than one class because of the same illness: You must provide written
documentation of the illness from the health care provider who made the diagnosis. No
diagnostic information shall be given. The provider must verify dates of treatment and indicate
the time frame during which you were unable to meet academic responsibilities.
Non-consecutive medically necessitated absences from more than a single class: Such absences
may be excused provided you submit written documentation for each absence as described
above, verifying the dates of treatment and time frame during which you were unable to meet
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your academic responsibilities. However, as also noted above, if you miss too many classes—
even if excused—though you are technically eligible to make up the work, in practice students
are rarely able to do so.
Tardiness. In the professional world tardiness is not tolerated. However, this campus is large,
and another instructor may keep you late. So if you do arrive late on occasion, do not disrupt
class, and let me know by the end of the schedule adjustment period if you anticipate ongoing
conflicts. Remember that it is your responsibility to catch up on your own time, not the class’s.
Thus, 2 late arrivals (or unexplained early departures) will convert to 1 absence.
Late Papers: Papers are due at the beginning of class or by the announced times on their
assignment sheets. Papers turned in late without prior permission are subject to a penalty of one
letter grade for each class period day late, including the first one.
Class Participation/Professionalism
Few jobs permit one to just sit around. I expect active participation, in and out of class. You are
expected to do homework assignments, assigned readings, language and style exercises, etc. You
should be prepared to discuss the issues and ideas in class.
Much of the work in this class is collaborative. You will share drafts, contribute thoughtfully to
the work of others, explore ideas, etc. It is absolutely crucial to come prepared to draft
workshops. You are expected to bring a draft and have something helpful to say to those with
whom you work. Failure to do so will negatively affect your grade.
Students who are present and on time, involved in discussion, thoughtful and thorough in their
answers, and comport themselves respectfully and maturely will receive high grades in class
participation/professionalism. Students who are frequently absent or late, do not participate in
discussions, are not prepared to answer questions, and/or do not comport themselves respectfully
and maturely will receive low marks for participation.
Conferences
Two conferences outside class time are required. At the first conference, you will present plans
for the “linked assignment” projects. At the second, near the end of the semester, we will discuss
your working draft for the final project. You are welcome to make further arrangements to meet
with me to discuss your work and your progress. In addition, you are encouraged to meet with
fellow students outside class time in face-to-face or virtual environments to plan together.
Collaboration
Students are expected to engage in collaborative activities throughout the semester. All students
are expected to take an active role in reading and editing the writing of others through peer
review and drafting workshops.
Revision
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To emphasize the importance—indeed necessity—of revision, all graded assignments undergo a
built-in draft review and revision process. In addition, you are permitted to revise and resubmit
the first two papers, provided that they were turned in on time, complete, and in accord with
guidelines for paper submission. In addition, I reserve the right to request that you do further
work on a project before I assign a grade. Papers identified as candidates for revision will
be expected, and in some cases required, to be workshopped with a tutor at UM’s Writing
Center before resubmission.
Course Evaluations
Your participation in the evaluation of courses through CourseEvalUM is a responsibility you
hold as a student member of our academic community www.courseevalum.umd.edu). Your
feedback is confidential and important to the improvement of teaching and learning at the
University. Because CourseEvalUm does not ask specific questions useful to the Professional
Writing Program, I will ask you to fill out a different, also confidential, evaluation in class. Both
evaluations are important for separate audiences and somewhat separate purposes, and I
appreciate your participation in this process.
Plagiarism
You will be informed about the mechanics of proper citation and documentation during this
course. Failure to abide by accepted academic conventions, especially for those failures that
seem to stem from intention rather than ignorance, will result in being charged with plagiarism.
Charges of plagiarism that are proven may lead to an XF.
The following statement from the Student Honor Council provides additional guidance:
The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic
Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council.
This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and
graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this
course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication,
facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the
Student Honor Council, please visit http://www.shc.umd.edu.
All undergraduate and graduate students are asked to affirm their commitment to a University of
Maryland Honor Code by writing, in longhand, and signing the following honor pledge
statement on all major assignments: “I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any
unauthorized assistance on this assignment.” I expect that your graded assignments will feature
this honor pledge.
Accommodation
If you have a documented disability, including learning disabilities (registered with DSS) and
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need accommodations, please speak with me as soon as possible. If you have not registered with
DSS, you should do so immediately (Shoemaker Hall; 4-7682 or 5-7683 TTY/TDD).
These course policies are subject to change. Any changes will be submitted in writing;
students are responsible for all changes.
Course Schedule
This schedule, a highlight of major dates and assignments, is subject to change. Please consult
assignment sheets and homework handouts for details and adjustments.
WEEK
1
Date
Tuesday,
September 1
Thursday,
September 3
Class
Due
Introduction
Science as Social Enterprise
Read: WITS, chapter 1
Due: Reflective Writing #1
2
Tuesday,
September 8
Technology and Scientific
Communication
Read: WITS, chapter 2
Preparing Application
Materials
Thursday,
September 10
Writing as Revision
Due: Application Package
Draft
Introduction to Workshop and
Peer Review Format
(Collaborative Editing)
3
Tuesday,
September 15
Ethics in Scientific
Communication
Read: WITS, chapter 3
Thursday,
September 17
Writing Mechanics
Read: Writing Mechanics
handouts
Due: Application Package
Final Draft
4
Tuesday,
September, 22
Topic Selection and Research
Thursday,
September 24
Topic Selection and Research
Due: Find, print, and read
a research article from a
peer-reviewed journal in
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your field
5
6
Tuesday,
September 29
Topic Conferences
Thursday,
October 1
Topic Conferences
Due (at the beginning of
your conference): Topic
Memo
RESEARCH (ON YOUR OWN)
NOW THROUGH THE END OF THE SEMESTER
Tuesday,
Communicating With Public
Read: WITS, chapter 8
October 6
Audiences
Thursday,
October 8
Peer Review (speed dating
style)
Read: WITS, chapter 11
Due: Draft of Definitions
Assignment (2 copies)
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Tuesday,
October 13
Reading and Writing Research
Reports
Read: WITS, chapter 4
Due: Final Draft of
Definitions Assignment
(turn in first draft, peer
review sheet(s), and a 1page memo to me indicating
how you incorporated your
peer review suggestions into
your final draft)
Thursday,
October 15
Reviewing Prior Research
Read: WITS, chapter 5 AND
pp. 234-236
Assign Research Review
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Tuesday,
October 20
Annotating and Synthesizing
(in-class project)
Read: peer-reviewed
research on your topic
Due: annotation homework
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10
Thursday,
October 22
Research Review Workshop
Tuesday,
October 27
Thursday,
October 29
Tuesday,
Research Review Peer Review
Due: Draft of Research
Review
Research Proposals
Read: WITS, chapter 7
Preparing Conference
Read: WITS, chapter 6
8
November 3
Presentations
Due: Final Draft of
Research Review
Thursday,
November 5
Analyzing/Evaluating
Presentations and Posters (inclass project / worksheet)
Friday,
November 6
11
12
13
14
15
Due (by Midnight):
Conference Abstract
Drafts
Tuesday,
November 10
Thursday,
November 12
Tuesday,
November 17
Project Conferences
Thursday,
November 19
Tuesday,
November 24
Thursday,
November 26
Presentations
Tuesday,
December 1
Final Project Workshop
Thursday,
December 3
Tuesday,
December 8
Final Project Peer Review
Project Conferences
Presentations
Due: Reflective Writing #2
(unless you are presenting
today)
Presentations
Thanksgiving Break—No
Class
Writing Mechanics
Due: Draft of Final
Project
Read: Writing Mechanics
Handouts
Due: Reflective Writing #3
Thursday,
December 10
Last Class Meeting
Due: Final Project
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