BIOCHEMICAL COMMUNICATION
Introduction to written and visual communication of biochemical research, both to other scientists and to general audiences, including: how to recognize and adapt work to different audiences; how to construct a scientific argument and the different strategies used for research reports, reviews, and proposals; and how to create figures and posters that clearly convey scientific data and concepts. Learn about the peer review process and revision of scientific writing. An intensive writing component, which requires multiple written and visual documentation on topics related to thesis research.
Prerequisites & course information
Requisites: Declared in Biochemistry PhD program Course Designation: Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Fall 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Differentiate different types of scientific writing, including the goals, audience and components of research papers, review articles, and proposals Audience: Graduate 2. Analyze the structure of scientific arguments Audience: Graduate 3. Write about their own research and field of science, both retrospectively (research papers and review articles) and prospectively (proposal), utilizing the strategies previously identified to synthesize data or the literature, organize the work, and construct a convincing scientific argument at the appropriate level for the target audience to demonstrate mastery of these concepts Audience: Graduate 4. Create figures that clearly, accurately, and concisely convey scientific information to support the written words Audience: Graduate 5. Revise their scientific writing to improve clarity, organization, language, and to better achieve the rhetorical goals of the piece Audience: Graduate 6. Develop a scientific poster to visually and orally communicate scientific data and results Audience: Graduate 7. Compose one piece targeted to non-scientists Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Differentiate different types of scientific writing, including the goals, audience and components of research papers, review articles, and proposals Audience: Graduate 2. Analyze the structure of scientific arguments Audience: Graduate 3. Write about their own research and field of science, both retrospectively (research papers and review articles) and prospectively (proposal), utilizing the strategies previously identified to synthesize data or the literature, organize the work, and construct a convincing scientific argument at the appropriate level for the target audience to demonstrate mastery of these concepts Audience: Graduate 4. Create figures that clearly, accurately, and concisely convey scientific information to support the written words Audience: Graduate 5. Revise their scientific writing to improve clarity, organization, language, and to better achieve the rhetorical goals of the piece Audience: Graduate 6. Develop a scientific poster to visually and orally communicate scientific data and results Audience: Graduate 7. Compose one piece targeted to non-scientists Audience: Graduate
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027