Science Writing

HEB 183 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

Great research isn’t enough. Scientists need to effectively communicate their work to diverse audiences. This course will explore written communication in human evolutionary biology and related disciplines. Students will become better writers and produce publishable writing samples. We will survey major genres in academia and beyond, including research papers, grant proposals, job/school/fellowship applications, and pop-science writing for non-specialists. By analyzing exemplary models from these genres, we will distill elements that make scientific writing successful and sometimes beautiful. In this way, we’ll approach science writing as a technical and creative endeavor. We’ll also discuss strategies to make writing easier, which consider the writer’s emotional, social, and environmental conditions. For the major course assignment, students will choose a specific writing project (e.g. grant proposal, op-ed) and work on it throughout the term in order to produce a document that’s ready to publish or submit. Course intended for upper-level undergraduates or graduate students.