What we will be doing for the semester.
Week 1, August 31 Working Life Essays – lessons from scientists
This is a new genre for me as a scientist. I’d always love reading these essays (admission here, I read the back page of Science first every week) but never thought I’d write one
until I came back from Cuba and felt like I had something to say about how much I
learned from my time there. Guess I got hooked. These are editing intensive pieces. It took nearly a dozen back and forths before it was published.
We’ll start that process by reading the work of others, then with a pitch to the class, then a two step revision cycle while learning how to write in a new and different way!
Assignment. Go to: https://www.sciencemag.org/careers-career-article-genre/working-life
Read at least 10 of these essays from the last couple years and pick your favorite and least favorite. Don’t worry, they are quick easy reads (hint, hint). By SUNDAY night,
send a link to Paul for your favorite essay – one that really grabbed you and your least favorite essay. I will post on the class website. Everyone should read the
essays your classmates picked before class and be ready to discuss them. For class, prepare a 1-minute analysis of the essays you picked. Why do you think it worked as a piece of writing?
What drew you into the piece? What techniques did the author and editor use to make the writing accessible and convincing? What did you learn by reading it? What didn't you like?
Here is a compilation of the essays you as a class most liked and least liked (as PDFs)
view most liked as a PDF
view least liked as a PDF
download word doc with links
Week 2, September 7 Discussion with Rachel Berstein, Science editor, Careers and Working Lives
We'll start by discussing what people liked and didn't like about Working Lives they read. Then, we'll spend an hour on line with Rachel. To learn more about Science Editor, Rachel Bernstein,
click here for an interview with her.
We'll close with 1 minute pitches from each of you about what you might want to write your working life about!
Assignment. Write first draft of your Working Life essay and send to Paul by Sunday night for edits by the class. It will be posted here on Monday morning.
Please send a word doc that runs between 700 to 800 words and include a title.
Week 3, September 14 Review first drafts of Working Life pieces
Read the first drafts of everyone's essays and make constructive comments focussed on the overall structure. 1 OVERALL. Does draft fit the genre? Is it a personal story? Does it start in the middle with an exciting “hook”. Does the writer present several smaller stories that define the “arc” of the narrative. Is there a compelling conclusion? Does the story flow and keep you engaged? What one thing would you change to most improve the draft in revision.
2. LINE EDITS. Is the wording simple, appropriate, and approachable. Is there repetition that could be removed or extraneous detail.
Is there exaggeration and adjectives that are too much and distract. Are there too many rhetorical questions.
Assignment. Use the suggestions you received by email and in class and create a revised version of your Working Life piece and send it to Paul by SUNDAY night.I will send to the group. Once again, please read and edit everyone's second draft.
Week 4, September 21 Review second drafts of Working Life pieces
Here are the 10 drafts of myCuban Working Life essay so you can see just how much they changed over the editting process! Thanks to Katie, the AAAS editor I worked with. Cuba drafts .zip file of folder
In class, we’ll spend 5 minutes discussing everyone’s second drafts and focus on how we all changed in response to constructive critiques from our peers. The goal at the end of this is for
us (as a group including everyone who is comfortable) to submit those drafts to Rachel and see if any of them get any traction! Lofty goal but…you might just get published, in Science.
Assignment. Send Paul final revised draft before our next class (Tuesday night) If you wish, I can give yours a last read before submission.
Week 5, September 28 Abstracts - how to build a good one
A. We will read these two views of how what an abstract should contain and in class dicuss whether you agree or disagree with the authors.
The Abstract
by Dr. Margaret Procter. download PDF
Down to Earth" Research Advice
by Dr J. Mark Tippett. download PDF
In claass, we will read, discuss and practice coding the two abstracts below, one of which I prepared for the small meeting in Denmark several years ago
and the other of which Lee Corbett (once a UVM MS student, back now with us now running the cosmogenic lab) prepared for the 2010 GSA meeting in Denver.
.
Using in situ cosmogenic 10Be to understand deglaciation timing and glacial erosion efficiency near Jakobshavn Icefjord, Western Greenland
by Corbett et al. download .doc
Cosmogenic isotopes and the interpretation of Greenland’s long-term weathering history
by Bierman et al. download PDF
Assignment. Write an abstract (200 words or less!) about either the project
you are working on now or a project you have done in the past.
Email Paul your abstract by SUNDAY night and I will distribute to the class. Download, read, compare, edit all of them and prepare to discuss these abstracts in class.
Please provide at least one strength and one way in which each abstract could be improved. Using the Tippett advice piece (linked above) code each abstract for the 5 following
types of information (colors work great): Background, Problem, Methods, Results, Implications. See this example of a coded abstract from a UVM MS student.
Week 6, October 5 Abstracts Peer Review
Week 7, October 12 Op-eds, what they are, what works and what does not
(assignment: Prepare a couple sentence pitch for your own op-ed)
Week 8, October 19 Op-eds - Pitch Review
(assignment: Prepare your own op-ed, limit 700 words and send to class by Sunday night for reading)
Week 9. October 26 Op-eds – Discuss Op-eds written by the class,
(assignment: Read and be prepared to discuss these letters about the peer review process and come to class ready to argue for or against anonymity as well as
propose ideas on who to deal with gender inequity! 1. Read these comments on whether peer reviewing should be anonymous
(download PDF) and 2. Read this comment on publishing peer reviews (download PDF) and 3.
Read this piece from Nature about gender bias in peer reviewer selection. (download PDF))
Week 10. November 2 - Peer-review, how, why and issues
Come prepared to discuss AGU comments on peer-review. We'll also cover instructions to authors, and the format/ethics of peer reviews; we'll finish with intro by Kate to her groups's paper
(assignment: prepare formal review for ms #1, Kate's; send to Kate and bring review to class so we can discuss)
Week 11. November 9 – Manuscript peer review #1 (Kate)
(assignment: prepare formal review for ms #2, Bella's; send review to Bella and bring review to class so we can discuss)
Week 12. November 16 – Manuscript peer review #2 (Bella)
(assignment: prepare formal review for ms #3, Mary's pod cast; send review to Mary and bring review to class so we can discuss)
Week 13. November 23 – Thanksgiving, no class
Week 14. November 30 - Manuscript peer review #3, (Mary)
(assignment: prepare review for ms #4 and #5; Paz and The Greenland Crew (Cat, Juliana, Halley); send reviews to Paz and the Greenland Crew and bring review to class so we can discuss)
Week 14. December 7 - Manuscript peer review #4 and 5, (Paz and Cat, Juliana, and Halley)
(assignment: bring cookies to class for swap!)