This course covers the essential vehicles for the
communication of scientific ideas: journal articles and conference presentations. Students
will learn about different formats of journal articles and presentations, such as Original
Research Article, Review Article, Poster, Short Talk, and Plenary Talk. Effective means of
structuring, writing, and delivering a paper or talk will be discussed and practiced in
individual and group exercises and through homework assignments. An introduction to
the editorial process is given.
This course is designed to teach graduating biophysics concentrators how to
communicate scientific ideas and results effectively in a professional setting. This is a key
skill for any aspiring scientist, and prepares the students effectively for graduate school
where they will likely have to present their work at national and international scientific
meetings and write several original research articles.
Course Requirements:
Grades will be based on the term paper (a mini-review in the
format of a Nature News and Views article) and homework assignments.
Intended Audience:
Senior-year biophysics concentrators who have taken BIOPHYSICS
450. Other Biochemistry and Physics students may enroll with permission of the
instructor. In addition, many incoming graduate students have a bit of a deficit in these
skills.
Class Format:
Class will meet two hours per week in a lecture format.