Admission requirements
This course is obligatory for all MSc students Chemistry and all MSc students Life Science & Technology who started after August 2017.
The course Academic Writing is taught three times in the academic year 2019/2020. AWR consists of two modules; module 1 consists of four lectures with associated assignments, and module 2 consists of one lecture and self-study to write the final assignment. Students are required to register for one of the three editions of module 1; further information about registration is available on the AWR Blackboard page.
Description
A good scientist will never be a great scientist without the ability to explain their work to other scientists. Therefore, it is vital that students learn to report on their work with easy to read manuscripts in proper academic English, with a clear and logical structure.
In this course, students learn the essential writing skills for communicating scientific results. The principles are covered in lectures and put into practice with exercises during lectures and in homework assignments. To test the skills acquired in this course, two writing assignments are handed in and graded. These are an introduction to a research paper and a mini literature review. Students improve their texts based on feedback from the lecturer and peer-review sessions.
At the end of the course students:
can critically read scientific literature
know the structure of a scientific paper and the function of each section
can use logical structure to build their narrative
can write a piece of scientific text using proper academic English
know how to source, use and cite scientific literature
can review and edit their own and their peers’ work
Mode of instruction
Lectures, homework exercises, workshops, peer-review and writing assignments.
Literature
All literature will be made available on blackboard:
Papers from the literature
Slides presented during the lectures
Background reading materials
Assessment
Final assessment is based on two writing assignments.
assignment 1 (introduction): 30%
assignment 2 (literature review): 70%
Attendance at lectures, workshops and participation in peer-review is mandatory.