English 102.23

The Course:

This ten-week course is designed as an introduction to scientific and technical writing. We will analyze and practice various forms of scientific and technical writing, both academic and professional, such as reports, proposals, journal articles, and abstracts. Additionally, we will analyze research methods, design of papers, development of graphics, technical style, and editing strategies.

Goals:

This course is intended to assist scientific-technical majors in preparing their professional writing needs, and will help non-science majors intending to work within scientific-technical realms. You do not need to be a science or engineering major to take this course; however, the course will be particularly helpful to those pursuing scientific and technical careers.

This is not a course dedicated to technical communication, although some of our material will bear upon this sub-discipline. Students interested in technical communication are referred to the UCSB Professional Writing minor, which offers an excellent and comprehensive technical communication emphasis.

Objectives:

During the quarter, we will examine several examples of scientific-technical writing. Our examples will include scientific criticism of social-historical-philosophical issues, lab reports, scientific articles for lay, professional, and expert audiences, research papers, and so forth. Much of our effort will be directed toward learning the rudiments of “hard-core” science writing as used in professional scientific journals and reports. In turn, this will necessitate a brief examination of what science is. A lot of poor scientific writing is simply due to bad science; no amount of “good writing” can fix it. We will also examine the peer review process, which is a necessary part of all genuine scientific reporting and publishing, and how to properly cite sources in written works. At the very start of our quarter, we will look at how scientific professionals represent themselves in their correspondence and credentials. Everyone will be expected to draft a curriculum vitae and submit professional quality correspondence. When your studies are completed in March, you should be capable of tackling basic written tasks within most scientific laboratories, including formal reports, articles, and oral presentations.

Texts

Required: Course Reader available at AS Notes. MAKE SURE YOU GET THE CORRECT READER FOR YOUR COURSE TIME (12:30 OR 3:30); THEY ARE DIFFERENT!! An extra copy will also be available at the UCSB Library reserve desk.

Course website: www.writingcures.com

Recommended: CSE/CBE handbook

English Dictionary

We may use various articles which will be made available well in advance of the class meeting in which you will need them. Details TBA in class.

In addition, from time to time you will be collecting and bringing your own artifacts to class to share.

You are responsible for reading assigned articles plus any outside research reading for your final conference paper and presentation. Plan on three hours of reading per week minimum. You are expected to develop the practice of annotating your readings, including the development of a personal notation style.

Course Requirements

Class Participation (including discussions and peer reviews—20 %). Because we are covering a great deal of material and will frequently work in peer groups, you must come to class prepared to discuss the material. Please contact the instructor as quickly as possible should an emergency arise. Missing more than two classes (excused or unexcused) may adversely affect your grade up to 10%. You are responsible for all material covered in class. Be sure to have someone in class you can borrow notes from as I will not repeat material covered in course lecture.
Assignments.

Long: Your final assignment will entail a professional quality conference paper (30%)and presentation (20%). You may select from four formats: 1) Primary research paper; 2) Secondary research paper; 3) review of the literature within a chosen sub-discipline; or 4) science article written for lay audiences on a scientific –technical topic. You will present your conference paper at the end of the quarter in a 15-minute, professional quality presentation using an electronic format (e.g.. PowerPoint). All conference papers and presentations must be cleared with the instructor prior to beginning work.
Short: A total of seven short works will be assigned during the quarter.

Email correspondence 3%
Resume or CV 4%
Cover Letter 3%
Analytic Summary 4%
Proposal memo 4%
Interview a scientist/engineer/physician 4%
Explanatory article 4%
Reflective essay 4%

o Article reviews 5%: We will begin each class with three minute article reviews by students. You will be expected to bring two articles to class during the quarter and introduce them to the class. Articles can be clippings from newspapers or journals, or copied from websites. The should cover some aspect of science and technology; however, the choice of the article is up to you. Be certain that you write your name and date on each article submitted and your speaking notes;

o Briefly describe the author, article, topic

o Identify the publication or organization where the article originated

o Explain the relevance of the article: Why is this important and To whom?

o Be prepared to answer questions.

Breakdown of Grade:

Assignment % Due Date

Short Assignments 30%

1. Email 3% 1/10

2. Resume (1-2 pages)/CV (2+ pages) 4% 1/17 peer, 1/29 final

3. Cover Letter (2 pages) 3% 1/22 peer, 1/29 final

4. Analytic Summary (1 page) 4% 1/29

5. Proposal Memo (1 page) 4% 1/31

6. Interview (1-3 pages) 4% 2/26

7. Explanatory article/brochure (1-3 pages) 4% 2/12

8. Alternative Essay (1-3 pages) 4% 2/21

Written Conference Paper 30%

Peer (5-7 pages) 2/5

Draft (7-10) 10% 2/21

Final (12-15) 20% 3/5

Written Conference Paper Presentation 20%

Time 4%

Auditory 4%

Visual 4%

PowerPoint 4%

Content 4%

Class Participation 20%

Attendance 10%

In Class Activities 5%

Article/Website Reviews 5%

Peer Reviews 1/17, 1/22, 2/5 5%

Participation and attendance can affect your grade up to 20%

This course MUST be taken for a letter grade.

Conferences

There will be two 15-minute conferences. These are mandatory. Missing any will count as an absence. The purpose of these conferences is to review your work one on one, to answer any questions you may have about class assignments or policy, and to review your points. Of course you are always welcome to visit me during office hours in addition to the mandatory conferences.

Course Policies

Attendance/Discussion Participation/Class Design

This course will be run workshop-style; it will feature mini-lectures by the instructor, combined with many student-centered, discussion-focused learning activities. All class members should attend class regularly, read carefully, write thoughtfully, and participate actively. Since this course will rely heavily on discussion, and the writing activities will be challenging, it is necessary that you prepare thoroughly for each class meeting: read the material before class on the day it is scheduled for discussion, and come to class ready with constructive questions and comments. There will be various in-class writing assignments that are due in class. These assignments generally cannot be “made up” later. Your participation in groupwork and other activities is crucial; thus excessive absenteeism (more than 2 absences) may lower your grade. I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences so save them for when you need them. If you are unable to attend class, please notify me, arrange to deliver work due in class the day of your absence, and figure out some way to “catch up” on the week’s discussion with another class participant. This is not a lecture course; it will be conducted as a workshop. Reading and writing are complemented by discussion. When you talk about your ideas in class you have a chance to hone your understanding, to grow in expressive power. We will be writing in class and out of class, formally and informally. We will read one another’s writing and the writing of others. This is a genuine source of pleasure and a sure sign of education in progress.

Late work: No! No! No! Late work will not be accepted unless you have made prior arrangements with me in writing. All work is due at the beginning of class. Please plan ahead. I’m not especially sensitive to last minute computer malfunctions.

Plagiarism: Don’t do it! You are responsible for the content and integrity of all of your work in this class. Cheating and plagiarism will, at a minimum, result in an F for the project and may result in failing this course or expulsion from the University. Plagiarism is defined as the act of using the ideas of work of another person or persons as if they were one’s own, without giving proper credit to the sources. This includes, but is not limited to, failure to use quotation marks when quoting from outside source, submitting a paper written by a friend or purchased from a term paper service, or retyping another student’s paper and submitting it as one’s own. See Course Reader for paper on plagiarism.

Academic Conduct and Disability Accommodation:

Disabled Students Program (DSP) provides a wide array of academic support services to eligible students with documented disabilities. These services include note takers, readers, sign language interpreters, facilitation of access, and adaptive computing equipment. If you have a disability and would like to discuss accommodations, please contact them (893-2668) directly and/or me as soon as possible.

Drop Deadline: Feb 5, 2007 4PM with the Registrar or 11:45PM via GOLD

Final Note: This class is demanding. If you experience difficulty, please contact me. In addition there are campus resources available to you, including:

Campus Learning Assistance Service: 893-3269. CLAS helps students increase their mastery of course materials through course-specific tutoring and academic skills development. Visit www.clas.ucsb.edu for more information or visit the CLAS office in Building 477 from 9-5 daily.

Counseling and Career Services: 893-4411. www.counseling.ucsb.edu offers counseling for personal and career concerns, self-help information and connections to off-campus mental health resources.