Writing in the Sciences

ORIGINAL: Stanford



Writing in the Sciences

Date:
Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Platform: OpenEdX

This course teaches scientists to become more effective writers, using practical examples and exercises. Topics include: 

• principles of good writing, 
• tricks for writing faster and with less anxiety, 
• the format of a scientific manuscript, and 
• issues in publication and peer review. 

Students from non-science disciplines can benefit from the training provided in the first four weeks (on general principles of effective writing).

COURSE FORMAT In the first four weeks, we will review principles of effective writing, examples of good and bad writing, and tips for making the writing process easier. In the second four weeks, we will examine issues specific to scientific writing, including: authorship, peer review, the format of an original manuscript, and communicating science for lay audiences. Students will watch video lectures, complete quizzes and editing exercises, write two short papers, and edit each others’ work.

COURSE SYLLABUS Week 1 - Introduction; principles of effective writing (cutting unnecessary clutter)
Week 2 - Principles of effective writing (verbs)
Week 3 - Crafting better sentences and paragraphs
Week 4 - Organization; and streamlining the writing process
Week 5 - The format of an original manuscript
Week 6 - Reviews, commentaries, and opinion pieces; and the publication process
Week 7 - Issues in scientific writing (plagiarism, authorship, ghostwriting, reproducible research)
Week 8 - How to do a peer review; and how to communicate with the lay public

PREREQUISITES
The course has no prerequisites other than fluency in English.

FAQ:
Will I get a Statement of Accomplishment?

Yes, students who score at least 60 percent will pass the course and receive a certificate.
Students who score at least 90 percent will receive a certificate with distinction.

How much of a time commitment will this course be?
You should expect this course to require 4 to 8 hours of work per week.

Any additional textbooks/software required?
There is no textbook for this course. Students who would like additional reading may enjoy:
- On Writing Well, William Zinsser;
- The Elements of Style, Strunk and White;
- Sin and Syntax, Constance Hale;
- Essentials of Writing Biomedical Research Papers, Mimi Zeiger;
- http://www.aacc.org/publications/clin_chem/ccgsw/Pages/default.aspx

Instructor(s) Kristin Sainani
Clinical Assistant Professor, Stanford University

Kristin Sainani (née Cobb) is a clinical assistant professor at Stanford University and also a health and science writer. After receiving an MS in statistics and PhD in epidemiology from Stanford University, she studied science writing at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has taught statistics and writing at Stanford for a decade and has received several Excellence in Teaching Awards from the graduate program in epidemiology.

Return to Stanford Online Course catalog

10 Tips on Writing from David Ogilvy

ORIGINAL: Brain Pickings

by Maria Popova

“Never write more than two pages on any subject.”

How is your new year’s resolution to read more and write better holding up? After tracing the fascinating story of the most influential writing style guide of all time and absorbing advice on writing from some of modern history’s most legendary writers, here comes some priceless and pricelessly uncompromising wisdom from a very different kind of cultural legend: iconic businessman and original “Mad Man” David Ogilvy. On September 7th, 1982, Ogilvy sent the following internal memo to all agency employees, titled “How to Write”:

The better you write, the higher you go in Ogilvy & Mather. People who think well, write well.

Woolly minded people write woolly memos, woolly letters and woolly speeches.

Good writing is not a natural gift. You have to learn to write well. Here are 10 hints:

1. Read the Roman-Raphaelson book on writing. Read it three times.
2. Write the way you talk. Naturally.
3. Use short words, short sentences and short paragraphs.
4. Never use jargon words like reconceptualize, demassification, attitudinally, judgmentally. They are hallmarks of a pretentious ass.
5. Never write more than two pages on any subject.
6. Check your quotations.
7. Never send a letter or a memo on the day you write it. Read it aloud the next morning — and then edit it.
8. If it is something important, get a colleague to improve it.
9. Before you send your letter or your memo, make sure it is crystal clear what you want the recipient to do.
10. If you want ACTION, don’t write. Go and tell the guy what you want.

David

This, and much more of Ogilvy’s timeless advice, can be found in The Unpublished David Ogilvy: A Selection of His Writings from the Files of His Partners, a fine addition to my favorite famous correspondence. The book is long out of print, but you can snag a copy with some rummaging through Amazon’s second-hand copies or your favorite used bookstore.

via Lists of Note