DC901 - Academic Scientific Writing: Writing focused scientific articles and reports

Introduction

This module is intended to allow you to develop and demonstrate your capacity to communicate scientific concepts through writing short, focused scientific articles. It will facilitate engagement with a variety of audiences and the use of a range of strategies to describe scientific procedures, summarise and disseminate findings, write reviews, and formulate effective instructions. It also aims to develop critical thinking and peer review skills.

Module Aims

• to allow students to develop and demonstrate their capacity to communicate scientific concepts through writing focused articles;
• to allow students to engage with a variety of writing contexts and strategies to describe scientific procedures, present results and write instructions;
• to provide an excellent learning environment in which students can discuss their written work and engage in peer review;
• to encourage students to think of writing as a process;
• to facilitate the development of a variety of critical thinking skills, transferable to a range of careers relating to the sciences
• to enable the development of a range of key skills in communicating science, transferable to a range of career options

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Advanced understanding of writing as a process
• Ability to write effectively about science to a range of audiences
• ability to write clearly about an original and complex chemical research project
• ability to apply critical thinking to their own writing

Assessment

Assessment will be based on submission of an e-portfolio of 4 pieces of evaluative writing. In addition to the assignments, students engage in weekly ‘in-class’, formative writing tasks to practice techniques and processes introduced in the teaching sessions. Feedback for these pieces of work will be given informally during the session.

Any queries regarding this module, please contact Transferable.skills@warwick.ac.uk

See the module handbook for the full detail of the course and forms to be completed as you progress through the course.