By now you have read texts in several different scientific communication genres, and you have discussed several themes in science and medical writing. One thing that you have discovered, I hope, is that science crosses paths with the public through all sorts of venues and media--not just in published articles and books, but also films, radio and television broadcasts, theatrical performances, Internet websites, doctors' offices, and product packaging. The purposes of science communication are as diverse as its genres: to inform, to mystify, to sell, to delight, to warn.
The final project gives you the opportunity to do some meaningful public science writing of your own. You will propose, research, and create a "science document" for some segment of the public. Select a science- or medicine-related topic that you believe is poorly understood by the public because of misinformation or lack of information or both. Choose a topic for which specialized information exists, but is not currently "translated" well for public consumption. Or choose a topic that people do not normally associate with science, but which would be better understood from a scientific perspective. Choose an appropriate genre, voice, style, organization, and other dimensions of the rhetorical situation.
Of course, the project should be something that actually calls for sustained research into a science-related topic, not just a summary of material readily available in a single resource. As discussed in the Project Two assignment, your research may involve readings of primary scientific documents, readings of secondary sources, and interviews with specialists. Do what research you need to do to communicate effectively and fairly. Document your sources in accordance with whatever reference format is appropriate for the genre.
I'm willing to hear your suggestions about genre, but here are some possibilities to get you thinking:
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"How a Marshmallow Works" (why does it puff up? why does its exterior blacken?) |
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"How a Quasar Works" |
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"How the Smallpox Vaccine Works" |
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A feature article for Edge magazine (ECU's faculty research magazine) on an ECU researcher's recent invention (check with the ECU Office of Technology Transfer for ideas) |
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A feature newspaper article or television news story on the development of new wood treatment chemicals to replace cyanide-based "pressure treated" lumber compounds |
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the implications of recent research on diet and nutrition for the elderly |
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the risks (or not) of eating beef containing certain growth hormones |
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a thirty-minute lesson plan (with handouts/displays) designed to teach fourth-graders how to identify migrating songbirds (to be presented at a nature center or in a school classroom) |
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By Week Six, you should submit a proposal detailing your project idea (I'll provide additional information about this proposal as the time draws near). The final project will be due by the final week of class.
You are, of course, encouraged to develop your own topic for this project. But I have a suggestion: consider not only big topics but little ones as well.
When selecting a topic, it's tempting to dive into the hottest current issue, the most prominent new discovery, or the most controversial problem: something like "human cloning" or "the asteroid threat" or "the threat of smallpox as a terrorist weapon." These "big topics" certainly compel readers' attention.
But a myriad of "little topics" may be equally compelling to some people, even if they're not necessarily going to interest millions of readers. And you're less likely to be competing with hundreds of other writers if you tackle one of these little topics. Whereas the people interested in the "big topics" will have their choice of interesting reading, with the little topics you'll be performing an important service for those people who otherwise would have no access to the topic that you choose.
Some examples of little topics (drawn from a smattering of the science writing that I have recently read):
The point is that if you hunt around for a truly intriguing or quirky topic rather than just skimming the science news headlines for the biggest recent story, you'll probably find a topic that's both interesting and significant to some small segment of the public. It is enough to do a very good job writing to that small audience.
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