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Welcome to FISH 497A: “Scientific Writing and Communication”

Welcome to FISH 497A: “Scientific Writing and Communication”. Today’s agenda: A round of self-introductions: why I am here? Why are you here , and what do you hope to learn? Why does this course exist? Course goals, organization, expectations, grades, etc. So: 1. Who am I?

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Welcome to FISH 497A: “Scientific Writing and Communication”

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  1. Welcome to FISH 497A: “Scientific Writing and Communication” • Today’s agenda: • A round of self-introductions: why I am here? • Why are you here, and what do you hope to learn? • Why does this course exist? • Course goals, organization, expectations, grades, etc.

  2. So: 1. Who am I? 2. Who are you? 3. Where are you from (personally and intellectually)? 4. What is your background in writing, scientific or otherwise? 5. Why did you take this course and what do you hope to learn? 6. What skills, insights, or other assets do you bring to the course?

  3. How did this course come about and why? A realization by faculty and teaching assistants in SAFS that undergraduates, especially as freshmen and sophomores, need help with writing and communicating scientifically. A realization also that a course in scientific writing and communication, especially as it relates to the biological sciences—and more specifically, aquatic systems—is lacking on campus. A 200-level course, intended to attract undergraduates early in their careers when the need is greatest. With the potential that it will eventually become a required course in the SAFS undergraduate curriculum.

  4. Goals:The course is designed to teach undergraduates in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, especially freshmen and sophomores, to: 1. Gather published and unpublished sources of written information and bring them to bear on scientific questions; 2. Critically read scientific writing; 3. Access electronic sources of information, including but not limited to internet searches, library databases, and public data; 4. Learn the structure and functions of different components of scientific papers to effectively communicate scientific findings; 5. Learn techniques for effective communication of scientific information in oral and poster presentations; and 6. Understand the ethical boundaries associated with scientific communication.

  5. Structure:The course will be built around two parallel assignments, both based on scientific papers: Selection and careful examination of a paper published in a professional scientific journal; and A paper written by each of you. The written paper will be based on a simple but sound question posed by each of you, refined as a testable hypothesis, and then pursued with appropriate collection of data. The study will be organized in scientific format and presented to the class at a mini-symposium at the end of the course. The selected published paper will be made into a poster.

  6. Course website: http://courses.washington.edu/fish297/index.html

  7. Expectations: I expect you to: 1. Come to class regularly and promptly; 2. Participate fully and to the best of your ability; 3. Complete the assignments on time; 4. Strive to learn and to help others learn; 5. Provide constructive feedback; 6. Refrain from distractions: no talking among yourselves when material is being presented, no use of cell phones, Internet, Facebook, etc., while in class; 7. Do your own work in an ethical manner.

  8. Expectations: You can expect me to: Design and conduct a course that will enhance your ability to communicate scientific ideas and findings; 2. Provide constructive feedback to the best of my ability. 3. Treat all of you fairly and with respect; 4. Appreciate the differences in background among students that may exist (age, language, etc.).

  9. Grades and Grading: • Your grade in the course will be based on: • 1. Attendance—why is this so important? • 2. Participation—why is this important? • 3. Small assignments throughout the quarter • 4. Oral presentation (20%) • 5. Poster (30%) • 6. Written paper (40%

  10. The textbook, and use thereof: McMillan, Victoria E. 2012. Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences, 5th Edition, Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, Boston (new at Amazon.com for $26.05, used $24.94) I don’t plan to lecture from this book on a chapter by chapter basis. However, I will try to link the class sessions to the book as best I can. I chose this book because it seems to be sensibly organized, well written, inexpensive, spiral-bound (easy to use), and covers oral and poster presentations as well as papers. There are many other books out there and some are quite possibly better than this.

  11. Please write (right now) an “essay” on one of the following topics. It will not be graded; my goal is only to get a feel for your overall writing ability. Do not worry; just write for 15 or 20 minutes, then e-mail it to me: twp@uw.edu 1. Why I decided to take this course, 2. Why I chose my major, 3. How I spent my spring break, 4. My favorite animal, 5. My favorite book or movie. Please don’t forget to put your name on it (e.g., “Ted.docx”)

  12. Assignment for Wednesday: Formulate a question about some aspect of the natural world. Suggestion: go to a park, beach, zoo, watch your pets, surf the web, sit in a coffeehouse and stare into space, wait for inspiration while riding your bike. Get an idea first. Bring the question to class on Wednesday and be prepared to talk about it. We will try to refine the question into one or a series of hypotheses that can be tested. The choice of project is really important, because this idea will be the basis for one of two major assignments in the course. You will collect data to test it, write a paper about the project, and present it to the class, in pieces and as a whole. How are we supposed to do this? This seems really difficult!

  13. Some examples of questions from last quarter: Are the migratory patterns of the Great White Shark (Carcharodoncarcharias) correlated with differences in sex and sexual maturity? Are there patterns in the distribution of beached birds along the Washington coast? What are the effects of river temperature on return-timing of salmon at the Bonneville Dam? Are there regional differences in growth patterns of the Pacific Herring, Clupeapallasii, within Puget Sound? Are there seasonal differences in Narwhal (MonodonMonoceros) diving behavior in the High Arctic? How does the prey availability of elasmobranchs alter the hunting behavior of New Zealand killer whales (Orcinus orca)? Do zooxanthellae(Gymnodiniumlinucheae) alter the swarming patterns of the thimble jellyfish (Linucheunguiculata)?

  14. Reading: Get the book, become familiar with it in a general way, and read the “Introduction” (only 3 pages).

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