PBIO 418/518, Writing in the Life Sciences

PBIO 418 (Undergraduate) Syllabus (pdf)(word) PBIO 518 (Graduate) Syllabus (pdf)(word)
Dr. Wyatt (wyatts@ohio.edu)

M, W 3:10 pm -5:00 pm

Course Calendar

Assigned Readings are from Perelman et al. (1998) The Mayfield Handbook of Technical & Scientific Writing.

Web links for supplemental information Grade < Check

Week	Date	Day	Topic	Readings	Assignments due
1	Jan 1 Jan 3	M W	New Year's Day (no class) Course business. What is effective writing? Scientific literature, library & web resources
2	Jan 8 Jan 10	M W	Scientific pubs, formats & authorship, choosing a journal, Topics in plant science Getting started: from idea to first draft, targeting an audience, Endnotes & Microsoft Word Editing - Bob Houdek (guest)	pp 49-54, 67-80, 181-183, Ch 3 Ch 1	Abstract
3	Jan 15 Jan 17	M W	MLK Day - No Class Writing grant proposals	pp123-126	Paper Topic, Journal choice
4	Jan 22 Jan 24	M W	Science for the Public. Magazine/internet articles. Controversies, public opinion and policy Rethinking: boxx cars, danglers, this/that, word use Citing others' work, avoiding plagiarism, paraphrasing	Ch 6, 7 Ch 10	Policy/ media paper
5	Jan 29 Jan 31	M W	Revising, rethinking: sentence structure, number and tense shifts. Lab reports/ poster presentations	Ch 11 pp.55-57 & 92-95	(Prop. draft) Paper outline/ Poster topic
6	Feb 5 Feb 7	M W	Presentation of data CVs; revising, rethinking: paragraphs, organization Peer critique of poster figures/text/layout	Ch4 pp 25-29, Ch 5	poster: thumb nail and figures
7	Feb 12 Feb 14	M W	Reviewing proposals- Roxanne Male-Brune (guest)Revising, rethinking: grammar, sentence structure (commas, colons etc.); CV/ resume/ cover letters	Ch 8, 9 p. 29-32 pp.110-123, 167-172	(Final prop.) Paper
8	Feb 19 Feb 21	M W	Topics in plant science: poster review Poster Session & written evaluations		Full poster draft Final poster
9	Feb 26 Feb 28	M W	Writing letters More on grammar and style, a wrap up	Ch. 2.5	Job applic.
10	Mar 5 Mar 7	M W	Revising, rethinking Grant Panel		Revised Paper Job applic.
Finals	Mar 12	M 2:30			Final Paper

(Assignments within parentheses are additional assignments required for graduate credit.)