Goals of the Advanced Workshop for Writing in Science & Engineering

By the end of the semester, you should be able to do the following:

  1. Describe your general approach to writing tasks and identify ways that you are improving efficiency.
  2. Define the roles that writer, audience and purpose play in any communication strategy.
  3. Define "writer-responsible" cultures and how the audience expectations within these cultures differ from those of "reader-responsible" cultures.
  4. Understand the relationship between audience, purpose and document style/genre.
  5. Read more efficiently within your discipline.
  6. Understand and use document features—font, space, color—to meet reader expectations.
  7. Describe the difference between the "topic" and the "key message" of a document.
  8. Define and provide examples of "professional" style in English scientific and technical writing.
  9. Identify some major factors that reduce reader-friendliness in a text or presentation.
  10. Incorporate principles of "power proofreading" into your writing activities.
  11. Identify and demonstrate best practices for writing effective memos.
  12. Identify and explain some tips for writing effective job application letters.
  13. Identify and explain some tips for writing effective proposals.
  14. Follow the basic recipe for effective informative abstracts.
  15. Follow the basic recipe for effective descriptive abstracts.
  16. Follow the basic recipe for effective introductions.
  17. Construct an effective data commentary in your discipline.
  18. Follow the main guidelines for incorporating tables and figures into written papers and reports.
  19. Follow the main guidelines for incorporating equations into written papers and reports.
  20. Understand what constitutes, and know how to avoid, plagiarism in Anglo-American countries.
  21. Practice "defensive documentation" in your writing and presentations.
  22. Make and respond to referee's comments on a journal paper in progress.
  23. Design an effective presentation for a listening audience.
  24. Follow the main guidelines for designing effective visual aids for presentations.
  25. Understand how to handle question & answer sessions in presentations.