Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Graduate Level Science Writing Course

Env H 590
Advanced Technical Writing in Public Health

MW  3:30- 5:20    Room:  E216    Credits: 5        SLN 22305

Instructor:   Dr. Deborah L. Illman,   illman@u.washington.edu

Description
This graduate-level course helps graduate students to

- Convey information effectively to technical audiences,

- Translate that information for general audiences in the public arena, &

- Craft effective commentaries and essays on topics of professional interest.

We will explore the principles of effective writing for technical articles and reports with attention to structure, clarity, style, and language usage. Students will craft an executive summary of a research report for technical audiences. Then, they translate that same content into the form of a press release that could be disseminated through the media and on the Web.  Students explore framing of science issues and learn to distill the essence of an issue for headlines and short spots.

The course is designed to build communication proficiency through a combination of writing and revising assignments, selected readings, lecture/discussion sessions, oral presentations, and hands-on activities.

On selected assignments, students will have the opportunity to share drafts with the group, practice their reviewing skills, and receive feedback from classmates and the instructor. Students completing the class will have several professional writing samples to add to their portfolios.