PHYSICS 4910
Technical Communication and Scientific Judg *ment
    

Schedule: 2:00 - 4:00pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays
Location: 324 JFB

Instructor: Richard Price
E-mail: rprice@physics.utah.edu
Office: 215 South Physics.
Phone: 581-8691

TA: Mariah Cranor
E-mail: mc@physics.utah.edu
Office: 214 South Physics.

An almost universal complaint of technical (and other!) employers is that university graduates do not know how to write and speak effectively. Most graduates entering the workplace have to learn during their first year or so of work. Those who are already facile in technical communication when they enter the workplace have a big advantage. The nature of the problem is not specific to physics, and applies to those going to graduate or professional school, as well as those going directly into the work force. One statistic that shows the magnitude of the problem is given in Figure 1 (page 7) of the American Institute of Physics report The Physics Bachelor's as a Passport to the Workplace. Physics Bachelor's recipients in the private sector and in government rated technical writing as much more frequently used than knowledge of physics or of advanced mathematics. Technical writing was rated as frequently used by around 66% of these workers, while physics knowledge and advanced mathematics were frequently used by only 33% and 25% respectively.

PHYCS 4910 is a course in communication for those who anticipate a career in a technical field. It is intended to give science and engineering students the opportunity to practice the important career skills of writing, speaking, and analysis- skills that are not emphasized in the standard undergraduate science curriculum. As with other writing courses, such as WRTG 3400,  there will be an emphasis on suiting the communication to a specific audience, and on clarity of presentation. PHYCS 4910 will differ from other courses in focusing more narrowly on the type of communication that is used in scientific and technical environments.

The course will teach writing via frequent short assignments, with rewriting after feedback from the instructor. Students will develop skills in oral presentation by giving several brief talks. There will also be a substantial collaborative project, that will involve both oral and written presentations.
In addition to dealing with communication skills, the course will include a segment on scientific judgement, including the uses and abuses of statistical arguments and the analysis of cases of scientific frauds.

A note on the University's Upper Division Writing Requirement:

Physics 4910 is approved for meeting the University's upper division writing requirement. This requirement must be satisfied by all students before graduation. (Because it is a new course, PHYCS 4910 is not yet included in the list of approved courses on the University web site.)

Our book will be the Mayfield Handbook of Technical & Scientific Writing,  a practical and compact resource on the mechanics of writing, with examples taken from science and engineering. This is the text resource used in the MIT writing program. Examples and readings will be taken from additional other sources, but the Mayfield Handbook is the only required book.

Students are expected to have satisfied the University's lower-division writing requirement.

Since this class is intended to help science and engineering students develop necessary professional skills, it is assumed that students will have upper division standing in science, mathematics, and/or engineering. There are no narrowly defined prerequisites, but a typical student will have the background in science and mathematics typical of a junior or senior science/engineering major. Students who are unsure about their preparation for Physics 4910 should contact Richard Price for advice, at the email address noted above.

PHYCS 4910 is one of the new courses being introduced by the Physics Department in connection with the innovative Physics of Modern Technology  (PMT) program. This program is designed for students who may not be planning to become scientists, but who anticipate pursuing careers (patent law, technical management, venture capitalism, technical journalism...) for which a serious scientific background will be a significant asset.