ERIC Number: EJ820278
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Jul
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Chemical Research Writing: A Preparatory Course for Student Capstone Research
Schepmann, Hala G.; Hughes, Laura A.
Journal of Chemical Education, v83 n7 p1024-1028 Jul 2006
A research writing course was developed to prepare chemistry majors to conduct and report on their capstone research projects. The course guides students through a multistep process of preparing a literature review and research proposal. Students learn how to identify and avoid plagiarism, critically read and summarize a scientific article, outline and prepare a first draft, revise and edit their paper, and conduct a peer review. In addition, students are taught how to prepare and deliver an oral presentation. Current and former students, as well as their faculty advisors, were surveyed to determine if the course met its goals. The majority of students noted that the course increased both their confidence in their scientific writing skills and their understanding of their research project. Faculty indicated that students showed significant improvement in the comprehension and oral reporting of their projects and moderate improvement in their scientific writing ability. The success of this course has led the department to convert it to a two-term sequence to provide students time to practice mock presentations as well as to introduce research ethics issues. (Contains 2 tables.)
Descriptors: Content Area Writing, Chemistry, Scientific Research, Student Research, College Science, Writing Improvement, Majors (Students), Required Courses, Course Content, Instructional Effectiveness, Course Evaluation
Division of Chemical Education of the American Chemical Society. Subscription Department, P.O. Box 1267, Bellmawr, NJ 08099-1267. Tel: 800-691-9846; Tel: 856-931-5825; Fax: 856-931-4115; e-mail: jchemed@egpp.com; Web site: http://www.jce.divched.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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Author Affiliations: N/A