1_EffectiveWriting
Short Summary:
This online lecture introduces effective science writing for graduate students. Key points emphasize clear communication, concise writing, and the iterative process of drafting and editing. The professor, Alison Helps, stresses that good writing is a learned skill, not innate talent, achievable through practice and feedback. Specific examples include rewriting a lengthy, wordy sentence to improve clarity and conciseness. The lecture encourages active reading of scientific literature as a model for writing and emphasizes the importance of peer review and self-editing to refine writing style. The process of writing is discussed, including the importance of pre-writing activities like talking through ideas and outlining before beginning to write.
Detailed Summary:
The lecture is divided into several sections:
Section 1: Introduction and Defining Effective Writing: Professor Helps introduces herself and the course, emphasizing its role in fulfilling the Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR). She posits the central question: "Can you be a good writer?" Her answer is a resounding "yes," with the caveat that it requires practice, tips, and tricks. She highlights the importance of clear and effective communication of ideas, stating that elegant writing comes from editing, not the initial draft. She emphasizes the importance of clear thinking and planning before writing begins.
Section 2: What Makes a Good Writer?: The professor debunks the myth that good writing is solely innate talent. She lists several common misconceptions, including the belief that it requires years of English classes, advanced degrees, or even alcohol/drugs. Instead, she argues that good writing stems from having something to say, logical thinking, and learning stylistic techniques. She stresses that good writing is a learned skill.
Section 3: The Writing Process and Self-Reflection: Students are prompted to pause the video and reflect on their own writing processes, documenting their steps in a notebook or Google Doc. This self-reflection is intended to help them understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Section 4: Improving Your Writing: The professor shares her own writing process, emphasizing the importance of reading scientific and non-scientific literature, and discussing her ideas with others to organize her thoughts. She highlights the crucial role of conversation in clarifying one's thinking before writing. She also mentions the importance of finding a good editor and not getting too attached to one's own words during the editing process. The concept of a "shitty first draft" is introduced, encouraging students to simply get words on paper before refining them. She warns against waiting for inspiration, advocating for consistent effort.
Section 5: Avoiding Common Writing Pitfalls: The professor discusses common issues in science writing, such as unclear sentences, wordiness, and the use of passive voice. She emphasizes the importance of conciseness and directness. A long quote is shared, highlighting the need to strip sentences to their essential components and avoid unnecessary words and complex sentence structures. The professor notes that more educated writers often fall prey to these issues. The importance of conveying ideas, not just words, is stressed.
Section 6: Example and Conclusion: A lengthy, wordy sentence from a scientific paper is presented as an example. Students are asked to rewrite it for conciseness. The professor then provides her own shorter version, reducing the word count significantly while retaining the original meaning. This demonstrates the practical application of the lecture's principles. The lecture concludes with a reiteration of the importance of practice, editing, and not being discouraged by the difficulty of writing. The professor shares a personal anecdote about a friend who is a successful science writer but still struggles with the writing process.