BIOL4000K Sc. Writing & Communication

Academic Year 2023/2024

Effective communication skills allow scientists to share their research findings with their peers, non-scientific audiences and other researchers with diverse areas of expertise. These same skills are also essential for securing research funding, collaborating, and publishing research findings.

This module will enhance the development of students’ scientific writing and communication skills. While the key principles of scientific writing and communication will be covered (e.g. citation, structure, peer-review, plagiarism, presenting, graphics), the focus of this module is the improvement of the student’s individual skills. Students will develop skills in data interpretation and analysis, writing a scientific summary (abstract), producing a graphical abstract (poster), presenting work to their peers, critically reviewing literature, referencing and creating a bibliography. Various tools and methods that can be used to improve and enhance writing and communication, including AI tools, will also be explored, so that students can learn how best to implement them. A number of continuous assessment and group exercises will be undertaken.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On satisfactory completion of this module, students should have improved their ability to:
1. Prepare, communicate and present appropriate scientific concepts and findings in oral, graphical and written forms.
2. Explore and evaluate published literature and discuss their importance and reliability.
3. Understand the fundamental principles of producing high quality scientific writing.
4. Use various resources to enhance their writing and communication.
5. Use these principles to evaluate their own work and critique/provide formative feedback on peer-written work.

Indicative Module Content:

Some of the topics covered will include:
- Referencing and citation tools
- Data interpretation
- Use of large language models and natural language processing
- Plagiarism
- Graphical abstracts and posters
- Popular science and science in the media
- Structure of communication in written and presented forms (e.g. peer-reviewed publications, literature and research reviews, research seminars, press releases, summaries, popular science, grant applications)

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

20
Small Group

20
Specified Learning Activities

15
Autonomous Student Learning

70
Total

125
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module will be extremely interactive and will require active participation from all students. Students will be taught about the key concepts of Scientific Writing and Communication and learn how to deliver their science to an extremely high standard. They will be given the chance to practise their communication skills in front of their peers.

Key teaching and learning approaches used in the module are: active/task-based learning; peer and group work; critical writing; reflective learning.
 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Assignment: Students will be required to write a summary on a chosen scientific subject. Week 3 n/a Graded No

20
Group Project: Students will be divided into groups of 5. Groups will produce a poster on a chosen scientific topic and will provide a short (3 min) presentation. Week 7 n/a Graded No

30
Assignment: Students will be provided with writing samples which they will be required to critique. Week 4 n/a Graded No

20
Essay: Students will be required to write a short essay on a chosen scientific subject using various writing tools that we will explore. Week 6 n/a Graded No

30

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 

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