Introduction
As a senior in my last semester of my undergraduate degree, I decided to go a step further than taking a standard "critical writing" course at Roger Williams University. Instead, I decided to enroll in WTNG 310: Advanced Writing for the Sciences. As a soon to be Bachelor of Science in Biology, I have spent a great deal of time over the past four years learning how to convey scientific information to my peers, my professors and my superiors in the veterinary medical field. This often consists of an IMRAD style, manuscripts to submit for peer review, or communication littered with scientific jargon. When I got to my senior year, I found myself enrolled in more seminar type/reflective courses and I was surprised at how much difficulty I was having writing for a non-scientific audience. It was my hope that taking this course would benefit me more than simply filling some credit hours or checking a box, and it certainly did.
A series of minor assignments helped me to learn the tactics and techniques in communicating in the sciences. It also taught me a great deal about certain issues in communicating in the sciences such as how to address things like diversity, and how to have a productive conversation about controversial issues such as climate change. We were often asked to apply these concepts to a text of our choice, which really helped me think more deeply about the topics covered as I was able to pick an article that related directly to my area of interest.
For my first major assignment, I decided to analyze the peer review process as a form of communication in the sciences. I examined the process from start to finish, including how peer reviewers are selected, ways in which the process attempts to weed out personal bias, etc. I referenced the Mertonian characteristics of science-- universalism, communalism, disinterestedness, and organized skepticism-- which I had learned about in another class. I used this knowledge to create an interdisciplinary approach to this project. I also examined the outcomes of peer review and how it helps (or doesn't help) to improve the quality of published scientific literature. This ended up being an especially helpful assignment for me because I was completing it concurrently with my senior thesis. Through my research for this project, I learned about what types of things reviewers are looking for and how to truly address the questions being raised.
The second major assignment was much more applicable to a "real-life" circumstance. A number of stakeholders presented to the class and called for action on different projects they had going on. I decided to work with the Rhode Island Nature Conservancy on developing new website material for some of their preserves throughout the state. This struck me as an important project because I am very passionate about conservation and education. For the past four years, I have worked with a variety of marine animal rescue facilities and through hours of community outreach, I have learned that the best way to get people to care about these issues is for people to see it for themselves. So, if my writing could help get people to visit these sites, my hope was that they would start to care more about the conservation of the nature around them. My group and I developed a proposal, visited four nature preserves, and developed website material including a site description, a blog post and photos.
I tried to organize my website around my professional identity. I used my own photos from the Mystic Aquarium Animal Rescue Clinic where I work in a veterinary setting. I will be attending veterinary school in the fall, and I feel these photos show some of the reasons I have pursued this career (the home page photo is us releasing seals into the pre-release tank once they were big enough). I know that throughout veterinary school, I will have many jargon filled interactions with my superiors, but I will also have to interact with clients, and it is my hope that this class will help me to better communicate to pet owners in my future career as a veterinarian.
A series of minor assignments helped me to learn the tactics and techniques in communicating in the sciences. It also taught me a great deal about certain issues in communicating in the sciences such as how to address things like diversity, and how to have a productive conversation about controversial issues such as climate change. We were often asked to apply these concepts to a text of our choice, which really helped me think more deeply about the topics covered as I was able to pick an article that related directly to my area of interest.
For my first major assignment, I decided to analyze the peer review process as a form of communication in the sciences. I examined the process from start to finish, including how peer reviewers are selected, ways in which the process attempts to weed out personal bias, etc. I referenced the Mertonian characteristics of science-- universalism, communalism, disinterestedness, and organized skepticism-- which I had learned about in another class. I used this knowledge to create an interdisciplinary approach to this project. I also examined the outcomes of peer review and how it helps (or doesn't help) to improve the quality of published scientific literature. This ended up being an especially helpful assignment for me because I was completing it concurrently with my senior thesis. Through my research for this project, I learned about what types of things reviewers are looking for and how to truly address the questions being raised.
The second major assignment was much more applicable to a "real-life" circumstance. A number of stakeholders presented to the class and called for action on different projects they had going on. I decided to work with the Rhode Island Nature Conservancy on developing new website material for some of their preserves throughout the state. This struck me as an important project because I am very passionate about conservation and education. For the past four years, I have worked with a variety of marine animal rescue facilities and through hours of community outreach, I have learned that the best way to get people to care about these issues is for people to see it for themselves. So, if my writing could help get people to visit these sites, my hope was that they would start to care more about the conservation of the nature around them. My group and I developed a proposal, visited four nature preserves, and developed website material including a site description, a blog post and photos.
I tried to organize my website around my professional identity. I used my own photos from the Mystic Aquarium Animal Rescue Clinic where I work in a veterinary setting. I will be attending veterinary school in the fall, and I feel these photos show some of the reasons I have pursued this career (the home page photo is us releasing seals into the pre-release tank once they were big enough). I know that throughout veterinary school, I will have many jargon filled interactions with my superiors, but I will also have to interact with clients, and it is my hope that this class will help me to better communicate to pet owners in my future career as a veterinarian.