CAMB 695 Scientific Writing

CAMB 695: Scientific Writing

2008 Course Overview

• Week 1: Introduction to CAMB 695
• Large group meeting – Jan. 11, 12:00-1:30pm, BRB II Room 252
• Discuss
• Course goals
• Improve the clarity of your writing
• Practice writing sections of a grant proposal
• Weekly topics
• Logistics (required reading, assignment deadlines, grading policy)
• Introduce key terms that students will encounter in first assignment
• Homework assignment             
• Read “Five Principles of Clear Scientific Writing”
• Read the recommended pages in “The Science of Scientific Writing” by Gopen and Swan and Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace by Williams
• Read example “before and after” Abstract

• Week 2:  Principles of Clear Scientific Writing
• Small group session – Jan. 16-18
• Review  “Principles of Clear Scientific Writing”
• Discuss Re-writing Exercises and  “before and after” Abstracts
• Homework assignment             
• Read “Parts of a Grant Proposal - The Abstract”
• Write a brief Abstract (~200 words) and a Title describing your thesis research
• Abstract and Title DUE Saturday Jan  19 by 3pm, send by email to instructors

• Week 3: Parts of a Grant Proposal – The Abstract
• Small group session – Jan. 23-25
• Review “Parts of a Grant Proposal - The Abstract”
• Discuss sample Abstracts and students’ Abstracts
• Homework assignment             
• Read “Parts of a Grant Proposal - Preliminary Data”
• Write 1-2 paragraphs of Results text with an accompanying Figure and Legend. You can use your data, a colleague’s data, or made-up data
• Results, Figure and Legend DUE Saturday Jan 26 by 3pm, send by email to instructor

CAMB 695: Scientific Writing Course Overview (continued)

• Week 4: Parts of a Grant Proposal – Preliminary Data
• Small group session –Jan. 30- Feb. 1
• Review “Parts of a Grant Proposal - Preliminary Data”
• Discuss sample Results text and students’ Results text, Figures and Legend
• Homework assignment             
• Read “Parts of a Grant Proposal – Specific Aims”
• Write a Specific Aims page describing your thesis research
• 1st group of 2-3 students’ Specific Aims pages DUE Saturday Feb. 2 by 3pm, send by email to instructors

• Weeks 5, 6, 7: Parts of a Grant Proposal – Specific Aims
• Small group sessions – Feb. 6-8, Feb. 13-15, Feb. 20-22
• Review “Parts of a Grant Proposal – Specific Aims”
• Discuss sample Specific Aims and students’ Specific Aims
• Course evaluations
• Homework assignment             
• 2nd group of 2-3 students’ Specific Aims pages DUE Saturday Feb. 9 by 3pm
• 3rd group of 2-3 students’ Specific Aims pages DUE Saturday Feb. 16 by 3pm

Course Director:

Erica Golemis                                              

Fox Chase Cancer Center W406                                      

215-728-2860 phone, -3616 fax                                                    

Erica.Golemis@fccc.edu

Assignments:

Students should email writing assignments to their instructors as indicated in the weekly schedule. Instructors will distribute a few of them (with authorship anonymous) to all students in the section, allowing instructors and students to read them in advance of the in-class critique. Students whose samples are not discussed in a particular week will be read and critiqued by instructors only, and can meet with instructors individually to discuss their writing.

Grading Policy:

Grades are based on attendance, completion of assignments, and participation in class. If you miss a particular class, notify your instructors and arrange to attend another section that week.

Required Reading Materials:

1. CAMB 695 Extended Course Syllabus

The syllabus will be distributed at the first session on Wed Jan 11, as will other short reading materials.

1. J.M. Williams, Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace

The book is in the Penn Bookstore or can be obtained from Amazon.

1.  “The Science of Scientific Writing” by George D. Gopen and Judith A. Swan, American Scientist (1990) vol 78: 550-558. Available at http://www.americanscientist.org/ , use search term Gopen and Swan.

The first session will be held Friday, Jan 11 in BRB 252 from 12-1:30 PM. 

There will be a brief organizational session and an introduction to principles of clear writing.  Lunch will be served.

Beginning January 16, the class will meet in small groups.

Section 1         Wednesday              1-2:30 PM                  AC0103

                        Ina Dobrinski-Worth              dobrinsk@vet.upenn.edu

James Lok                             jlok@vet.upenn.edu

Section 2        Thursday                    1-2:30 PM                  AC0103

Haig Kazazian                       kazazian@mail.med.upenn.edu

                        Jane Glick                              glickj@mail.med.upenn.edu)

Section 3        Friday                         Noon - 1:30 PM                     BRB0252

Michael Betts             betts@mail.med.upenn.edu

                        Eileen Shore                          shore@mail.med.upenn.edu

                        Erica Golemis                       Erica.Golemis@fccc.edu