MCDB 501
Professional Writing in Biology
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Syllabus for 2005 winter term
How to Devise a Convincing Poster
Tosney home page
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Kathryn W. Tosney
Professor of Biology, MCDB Department
830 N. University
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
email: ktosney@umich.edu
email is the BEST way to contact me
telephone: (734) 764-9964
lab phone: (734) 763-8089
FAX: (734) 647-0884
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Course description:
Professional writing requires you to present arguments coherently and persuasively. Designing convincing arguments is a focus of this course. In the first half of the course, you will develop writing strategies that present arguments convincingly and clearly. You will learn how to recognize and then systematically eliminate elements that detract from clarity. You will learn how to edit your own writing effectively. The second half of the course focuses on different professional tasks such as writing publishable research papers, designing effective posters, preparing fundable grant applications, and planning fulfilling career goals. Weekly assignments help you gain facility with particular writing skills. In addition, you will hone your skills by writing, revising, and again revising a paper. You will receive individual feedback on your writing.
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Lectures meet:
Tuesdays, 2-5 PM in 3440 Mason Hall
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Required reading:
Gopen, G. D. and J. A. Swan (1978). The Science of Scientific Writing. American Scientist 78: 550-558.
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Recommended textbooks:
"Line by Line: How to Improve your own Writing" Claire Kehrwald Cook, Houghton Mifflin Co.
"How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper" Robert A. Day, ISI press.
"The Elements of Style" William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White, 2nd or 3rd edition, Macmillan
“The Elements of Grammar” M. Shertzer, Macmillan
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Prerequisites:
Graduate standing in a Ph.D. program and permission of the instructor.
Enrollment is limited to 12.
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To arrange an interview:
email ktosney@umich.edu, call 764-9964, or drop by 3103 Natural Sciences Building (NS)
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Why I teach this course
I developed this course to fit a basic need in our graduate curriculum, for clear and convincing professional writing. Few of us our trained in writing clearly, and most of us have forgotten even basic aids. For instance, surprisingly few of us remember what a topic sentence is, much less how to write a compelling argument. Yet, everything scientists write is an argument, from a journal publication to a memo, to a grant proposal: each is a document written to convince. An ability to argue clearly and convincingly is essential to professional survival. In MCDB 501, I teach presentation skills of all types, from writing through speaking through preparing effective posters for meetings.
What are my qualifications for teaching such a course? My communication skills aren’t naturally superior; I don't teach this course because I am a facile writer. On the contrary. All my mentors did write flawlessly, producing final drafts in one sitting. When I would give them my first draft, they would simply tell me it wasn't clear. I would ask, “WHY isn't it clear? What can I do to make it clearer?” But the perfect writers are no help, because they don't know how they write so well. I was forced to go back to basics, even to grammar, to devise effective editing strategies. These strategies can be taught; they can be learned. Moreover, they empower students, giving tools to present ideas clearly and convincingly.
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Word load
The work load for this course is horrendous. Why? You have become very adept at learning concepts (or you wouldn’t be in graduate school), but to learn to write more clearly, you must change your writing habits. Instead of learning a concept, you are learning a SKILL. Learning a skill requires practice. Practice, practice, and more practice. Each week you will have a writing drill, a writing assignment and, in addition, you will write 3-4 papers over the term. How long will the work take every week? It varies with your facility, and with a particular week’s exercise. Every week the work can be extensive, if you find writing to be inherently difficult. Because of the time demands, I strongly suggest that people take this class only when they are free from other course or teaching demands. Most students take the course during or after their third year of graduate school.
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