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COMM07029 2020 Scientific Report Writing

General Details

Full Title
Scientific Report Writing
Transcript Title
Scientific Report Writing
Code
COMM07029
Attendance
N/A %
Subject Area
COMM - 0031 Comm/Personal Dev
Department
LIFE - Life Sciences
Level
07 - Level 7
Credit
05 - 05 Credits
Duration
Semester
Fee
€
Start Term
2020 - Full Academic Year 2020-21
End Term
9999 - The End of Time
Author(s)
Yvonne Lang
Programme Membership
SG_SPHAD_B07 201900 Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science
Description

The module will help students construct technical reports and will develop skills in clear use of language and grammar to ensure compliance. The module will help students develop skills in literature searching, referencing and critiquing peer reviewed literature including data analysis. The module will help students connect the importance of good report writing skills to the workplace and wider society.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module the learner will/should be able to;

1.

Manage, report and deliver a scientific team project assignment.

2.

Prepare a fully referenced technical report.

3.
Demonstrate awareness of own responsibilities and individual contribution to successful teamwork.
4.

Conduct and synthesize an academic literature search relevant to a proposed topic.

Teaching and Learning Strategies

This module will be delivered to online. This will include live lectures and interactive group discussion sessions. Moodle will be used as a repository of educational resources and as a means of assessment (e.g. quizzes, uploading assignments and journals).

Module Assessment Strategies

Assessment will be on a continuous basis as learning outcomes can only be achieved through active participation in problem based individual and team assignments. Assessment will comprise of two main elements which have been broken down into smaller more manageable assignments following a logical progression to final deliverables.

  1. Delivery of Team Project  - includes the following elements written project plan, verbal project updates, written technical project report.
  2. Develop Scientific Report Writing Skills and Presentation Skills - includes a technical report and verbal presentation.

Repeat Assessments

Repeat Continuous assessment and/or Final Exam.

Indicative Syllabus

Communications for teamwork and verbal presentations

  • Key elements of teamwork  such as (i) managing effective meetings (ii) leadership (iii) listening (iv) assertiveness (v) managing conflict
  • Oral presentations and verbal articulation skills

Project management and writing skills

  • Key elements of project management  including setting goals and objectives, identifying stakeholders, scope, time, quality, resources, costs, people
  • Project design including elements such as work breakdown structure
  • Project communication

Professional writing and referencing skills

  • Sourcing, reading and referencing authoritative scientific information
  • Writing lab reports and data recording templates
  • Standard operating procedures
  • Grammar and punctuation

Coursework & Assessment Breakdown

Coursework & Continuous Assessment
100 %

Coursework Assessment

Title Type Form Percent Week Learning Outcomes Assessed
1 Technical Report and Presentation Coursework Assessment Assessment 50 % OnGoing 2,3,4
2 Group Project Report Coursework Assessment Assessment 50 % OnGoing 1,2,3
             

Online Learning Mode Workload


Type Location Description Hours Frequency Avg Workload
Online Lecture Not Specified Lecture 2 Weekly 2.00
Independent Learning Not Specified Reflection and Self Study 2 Weekly 2.00
Total Online Learning Average Weekly Learner Contact Time 2.00 Hours

Required & Recommended Book List

Recommended Reading
2010-05-25 The Craft of Scientific Communication (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing and Publishing) University of Chicago Press
ISBN 0226316610 ISBN-13 9780226316611
Recommended Reading
2001-01-04 Doing Science: Design, Analysis, and Communication of Scientific Research Oxford University Press, U.S.A.
ISBN 0195134133 ISBN-13 9780195134131

Used book

Recommended Reading
2012-04-28 Communicating Clearly about Science and Medicine Routledge
ISBN 1409440370 ISBN-13 9781409440376

Scientific communication is challenging. The subject matter is complex and often requires a certain level of knowledge to understand it correctly; describing hazard ratios, interpreting Kaplan Meier curves and explaining confounding factors is different from talking about a new car or clothing range. Processes, for example in clinical trials, are laborious and tedious and knowing how much of the detail to include and exclude requires judgement. Conclusions are rarely clear cut making communicating statistical risk and probability tough, especially to non-statisticians and non-scientists such as journalists. "Communicating Clearly about Science and Medicine" looks at these and many more challenges, then introduces powerful techniques for overcoming them. It will help you develop and deliver impactful presentations on medical and scientific data and tell a clear, compelling story based on your research findings. It will show you how to develop clear messages and themes, while adhering to the advice attributed to Einstein: 'Make things as simple as possible...but not simpler.' John Clare illustrates how to communicate clearly the risks and benefits contained in a complex data set, and balance the hope and the hype. He explains how to avoid the 'miracle cure' or 'killer drug' headlines which are so common and teaches you how to combine the accuracy of peer-to-peer reviewed science with the narrative skills of journalism.

Recommended Reading
2009-04-30 The Handbook of Communication Science SAGE Publications, Inc
ISBN 9781412918138 ISBN-13 9781412918138

Long awaited second edition of this classic handbook.

Module Resources

Other Resources

Science Communication Moodle site course resources including:

  • Referencing guidelines
  • Project management communication templates
  • Writing and referencing guidelines