Popular Science Writing for Water Researchers
Populärvetenskapligt skrivande för vattenforskare

KET100F, 3 credits

Valid from: Autumn 2017
Decided by: Margareta Sandahl
Date of establishment: 2017-02-27

General Information

Division: Chemical Engineering
Course type: Third-cycle course
Teaching language: Swedish

Aim

The aim of the course is to offer course participants tools to develop and reflect on their science writing in Swedish for a varied audience. A specific goal is to increase participants’ awareness of publication norms and communicative strategies related to different popular science and science genres. The focus is on Swedish texts, but contrasts will be made to comparable texts in English.

Goals

Knowledge and Understanding

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• show ability to reflect on and apply some rhetorical patterns in popular science texts and press statements written in Swedish.
• show ability to describe and contrast some common text structures in popular science genres and press statements written in Swedish and English.
• show ability to contrast Swedish and English popular science and science writing by identifying some differences between genres in the two languages - both at the level of the text and in terms of sentence structure.

Competences and Skills

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• show ability to reflect on a writing process where science is communicated to the public (draft, revision, proof-reading)
• show ability to analyse, discuss and develop writing strategies related to popular science genres and press statements from the perspective of the participant’s discipline and informed by rhetorical models and peer discussions.
• show ability to give constructive peer response on peers’ texts – both in writing and in speech.

Judgement and Approach

For a passing grade the doctoral student must demonstrate willingness to engage in collegial discussions on writing and text structures.

Course Contents

The course is aimed at water researchers with an interest in developing their ability to communicate science results to a public audience. The course comprises several reading and writing assignments. Discussions of rhetorical structures compose a central part of the course as well as reflections on potential structural differences between Swedish and English science and popular science texts. Peer-response activities and process-oriented writing are applied.

Course Literature

Klepke, B. & Rydell, S.: Skriv populärvetenskapligt. Liber, 2013. ISBN 9789147114399.

Instruction Details

Types of instruction: Lectures, seminars, exercises

Examination Details

Examination format: Written assignments. Compulsory attendance in all seminars; written assignments; peer response
Grading scale: Failed, pass
Examiner:

Admission Details

Assumed prior knowledge: 3 completed semesters of full-time Phd studies; Swedish proficiency in speech and writing.
Selection criteria: Priority is given to PhD students with the earliest admittance dates to their PhD studies

Further Information

The course is a part of Water Research School and involves 3 compulsory meetings in Lund. To apply for the course, e-mail Magnus Persson magnus.persson@tvrl.lth.se. Course directors: Michael Cimbritz: michael.cimbritz@chemeng.lth.se, Marinette Hagman: marinette.hagman@chemeng.lth.se, Lene Nordrum: lene.nordum@englund.lu.se

Course Occasion Information

Contact and Other Information

Course coordinator: Michael Cimbritz <michael.cimbritz@ple.lth.se>