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Chemical Research Writing: A Preparatory Course for Student Capstone Research
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Abstract
A research writing course was developed to prepare chemistry majors to conduct and report on their capstone research projects. The course guides students through a multistep process of preparing a literature review and research proposal. Students learn how to identify and avoid plagiarism, critically read and summarize a scientific article, outline and prepare a first draft, revise and edit their paper, and conduct a peer review. In addition, students are taught how to prepare and deliver an oral presentation. Current and former students, as well as their faculty advisors, were surveyed to determine if the course met its goals. The majority of students noted that the course increased both their confidence in their scientific writing skills and their understanding of their research project. Faculty indicated that students showed significant improvement in the comprehension and oral reporting of their projects and moderate improvement in their scientific writing ability. The success of this course has led the department to convert it to a two-term sequence to provide students time to practice mock presentations as well as to introduce research ethics issues.
Keywords (Audience):
Upper-Division UndergraduateKeywords (Domain):
CurriculumKeywords (Pedagogy):
Communication / WritingKeywords (Subject):
Undergraduate ResearchCiting Articles
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This article has been cited by 3 ACS Journal articles (3 most recent appear below).
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David E. Berry, Kelli L. FawkesJournal of Chemical Education2010 87 (1), 57-61A protocol that emphasizes lab report writing using a piecemeal approach coupled with peer review is described. As the lab course progresses, the focus of the report writing changes sequentially through the abstract and introduction, the discussion, and ...
Teaching and Applying Chemistry-Specific Writing Skills Using a Simple, Adaptable Exercise
Marin S. Robinson , Fredricka L. Stoller , Brad Horn and William GrabeJournal of Chemical Education2009 86 (1), 45Teaching and Applying Chemistry-Specific Writing Skills Using a Simple, Adaptable Exercise
Marin S. Robinson , Fredricka L. Stoller , Brad Horn and William GrabeJournal of Chemical Education2009 86 (1), 45We present a writing task designed to increase students' awareness of chemistry-specfic writing practices. This easy-to-use-and-grade task requires students to evaluate 10 short passages, a table, and a figure, representative of excerpts from Introduction,...
Writing Across the Semester: A Non-Standard Term Paper That Encourages Critical Data Analysis in the Upper-Division Chemistry Classroom
Jennifer Whiles LilligJournal of Chemical Education2008 85 (10), 1392Writing Across the Semester: A Non-Standard Term Paper That Encourages Critical Data Analysis in the Upper-Division Chemistry Classroom
Jennifer Whiles LilligJournal of Chemical Education2008 85 (10), 1392Scientific literacy is an important fundamental skill for scientists. In order for students to improve their writing they require constant feedback throughout the process. They also need to learn the value of the peer review process by experience. ...
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- Received: August 03, 2009
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