(16-week semester, class meeting two days a week)
Click here for a printable version of this syllabus.
Weeks ----- Topics and Assignments
Communication Forums in Science
- Read Preface and Chapter 2 (See notes in the Instructor's Manual on Ch.2, Purpose and Scope)
Due: one-page introduction to field (Ch.2, Activity 1)
- Groups plan data gathering for community profiles (Ch.2, Activity 2)
Read Chapter 1; use chapter exercises in class discussion
Reporting Results to the Scientific Community
- Read Chapter 3, Sections 3.1-3.2
Due in research portfolio: Exercise 3.1
Due: interview data for community profile
Review sample community profile in Figure 2.3
- Read Section 3.3 on writing introductions; Chapter 4, Sections 4.5-4.6 on synthesizing and organizing prior literature
Portfolio: Exercise 3.4, 4.5
Due: Research Community Profile (Chapter 2, Activity 3)
Bring copies to distribute to group members.
In-class group project: Chapter 2, Activity 5; prepare presentations
- Group presentations on research community profiles
Read Chapter 4, Sections 4.1-4.4 on finding sources; Ch.4, Sections 4.7-4.8 on citing and documenting sources
Due: Research topic and 1-2 pertinent journal articles for conference presentation and research proposal
Read Ch.3, Section 3.4 on describing methods
Portfolio: Exercises 3.7, 3.8, 3.9
- Read Ch.3, Section 3.5 on reporting results
Portfolio: Exercises 3.10, 3.12
In-class group project: Exercise 3.14
Read Ch.3, Section 3.6 on discussing implications
Portfolio: Exercise 3.16, 3.17, 3.19
- Read Ch.3, Section 3.7 on writing report abstracts
Portfolio: Exercise 3.21
Read Ch.3, Sections 3.8-3.11
Portfolio: Exercise 3.24
- Portfolio: Ch.3, Activity 1
Due: Research Report Portfolio
Read Chapter 5, Sections 5.1-5.3 on conference papers and proposals
Exercise 5.2
Read Ch.5, Sections 5.4-5.6 on oral presentations
Read Ch.5, Section 5.7 on poster presentations
- Conference Paper/Poster Presentations
Making a Case for Research: The Research Proposal
- Read Chapter 6, Sections 6.1-6.2 on proposal audiences and purposes
Read sample proposals by Reynolds et al. (Ch.11) and Burkholder & Rublee (Ch.10)
Exercises 6.1, 6.2
Read Ch.6, Sections 6.3-6.4 on organizing and introducing the proposal
Exercises 6.3, 6.5, 6.7
- Read Ch.6, Section 6.5 on presenting background
Exercise 6.8
Review Chapter 4
Due: Draft of introduction and outline of background section for research proposal
- Read Ch.6, Section 6.6 on describing methods
Due: Draft of background section
Read Ch.6, Sections 6.7-6.9 on writing and reviewing proposals
- Due: full draft of research proposal (drafts returned midweek)
Read Chapter 9 (all) on ethics in scientific communication
Due: Final draft of Research Proposal
Communicating with Non-Scientists
- Read Chapter 7.1-7.3. Exercise 7.1
Read Chapter 7.4-7.7. Exercise 7.4
- Due: Final draft of SOP (Ch 7, Activity 1)
Read sample introductions in Chapter 8, Figure 8.1
In-class group project: Exercise 8.3
Read Chapter 8 and sample scientific essays: Blaser, "The Bacteria behind Ulcers" (Ch.10) and Huyghe, "Killer Algae" (Ch.11)
Exercises 8.6, 8.9
- Due: Draft of science article for public audience (in-class readings)
Exercises 8.8, 8.12, 8.13, 8.14
Due: Final draft of Science Article
