2024 | Basic Writing in Physics

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2024　Basic Writing in Physics

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Academic unit or major: Graduate major in Physics

Instructor(s): Webb Adrean

Class Format: Lecture

Media-enhanced courses

Day/Period(Room No.): -

Group: -

Course number: PHY.P410

Credits: 2

Academic year: 2024

Offered quarter: 3-4Q

Syllabus updated: 2024/3/22

Lecture notes updated: -

Language used: English

Access Index

Syllabus

Course description and aims

This course teaches the basics of writing informative essays to beginning graduate students, through the use of peer learning, questioning, and short-essay writing. It is clear that English is important for those pursuing careers in the physical and life sciences, engineering, and other specialized disciplines. Therefore, students will be asked in this course to assess, explain, or summarize various scientific concepts by writing simple essays in basic English.

Students will develop their technical writing skills and learn how to apply them in their chosen specialties.

Student learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to do the following:
1) Analyze experiments and communicate their observations in basic English.
2) Assess scientific concepts in basic English.
3) Explain scientific concepts in basic English.
4) Summarize scientific concepts in basic English.

Keywords

Basic technical writing, assessing ideas, explaining concepts, summarizing results

Competencies that will be developed

✔ Specialist skills

Intercultural skills

✔ Communication skills

✔ Critical thinking skills

Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

This class is divided into four stages, with each stage focusing on one section of a standard academic paper. In detail, students will learn how to formulate and write up an IMRaD paper, which contains the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion sections, plus the Abstract. By the end of the class, students should be able to generate a basic academic article in English using LaTeX.

Course schedule/Required learning

	Course schedule	Required learning
Class 1	Introduction to technical writing for physicists	Understand the basics of writing a scientific article. Explain the importance and properties of the introduction, body, and conclusion.
Class 2	Writing a Methods section	Understand how to formulate and write a Methods section. Discuss structure, justification, topic sentences, and compiling of information.
Class 3	Using citations and references in academic writing	Discuss the role of peer review in physics. Review the basics of generating a bibliography. Discuss various procedures for the efficient gathering and organizing of references.
Class 4	Peer review exercises (no lecture)	Peer-learning and writing of a simple Methods section in English.
Class 5	Introduction to LaTeX	Understand how to create a LaTeX document that is suitable for publication in physics journals and conference proceedings. Learn how to create and maintain a LaTeX bibliography.
Class 6	Technical writing exercise (no lecture)	Writing a simple document in English using LaTeX.
Class 7	Writing a Results section	Understand how to formulate and write a Results section. Discuss structure, identification and reporting of trends, as well as appropriate usage of figures, tables, and other visualization methods.
Class 8	Discussing and evaluating data	Understand the scientific method and ethics in research. Discuss the importance of scientific communication, and the various methods and platforms for the distribution of scientific results. Understand the importance of outreach and how to avoid misinforming the public.
Class 9	Peer review exercises (no lecture)	Peer-learning and writing of a simple Results section in English.
Class 10	Writing a Discussion section	Understand how to formulate and write a Discussion section. Discuss structure, error, expressions of proof, casual language, and other concepts.
Class 11	Conducting a literature review	Understand how to discuss published literature in your writing and make comparisons. Understand what to cite, what not to cite, and how to avoid committing academic misconduct.
Class 12	Peer review exercises (no lecture)	Peer-learning and writing of a simple Discussion section in English.
Class 13	Writing an Introduction section	Understand how to formulate and write an Introduction section. Discuss structure, tense, voice, pronouns, and linking.
Class 14	Writing an Abstract	Understand how to formulate and write an Abstract. Discuss structure, identifying main results and applications, as well as summarizing an IMRaD paper.
Class 15	Finalizing and sharing your academic work	Review the processes for submitting unpublished work to academic journals and conference proceedings.
Class 16	Peer review exercises (no lecture)	Peer-learning and writing of simple Introduction and Abstract sections in English.

Out-of-Class Study Time (Preparation and Review)

To enhance learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments).
This should be done by referring to the textbooks and other course materials.

Textbook(s)

Science Research Writing: For Non-Native Speakers of English, 2nd Edition
Glasman-Deal (2020); ISBN: 978-1786347848

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Writing for Science and Engineering: Papers, Presentations and Reports, 2nd Edition
Silyn-Roberts (2013); ISBN: 978-0080982854

Active English for Science
ALESS Program, University of Tokyo (2012); ISBN: 978-4130821315

東工大英単科学・技術例文集〈新装版〉
東京工業大学 (2021); ISBN: 978-4327453015

As needed, appropriate course materials and references will be made available before or after class via T2SCHOLA and Slack.

Assessment criteria and methods

Students will be assessed on their ability to express themselves in written English.

Various written exercises : 80%
Attendance : 20%

Related courses

PHY.P610 ： Advanced Writing in Physics

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

There are no prerequisites.

Other

Before coming to class, students should read the course schedule and check what topics will be covered.
Required learning should be completed outside of the classroom for preparation and review purposes.

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