LSci 195W: Writing Skills for Language Science

Mondays, Wednesday, & Fridays, 12pm
in SSPB 2214 or on Zoom
Zoom class link available (click here) on Canvas
Professor: Lisa Pearl, Department of Language Science
Office hours: By appointment and TBD
in SSPB 2219 or at the Zoom link (click here) on Canvas
Email is the best way to reach her to schedule an appointment not during this time.

This class has a Canvas coursesite to facilitate communication about the course administrivia and content. You may especially find the discussion thread where you post questions about current assignments helpful. (This is where you can earn extra credit by helping your classmates out as well.)

Welcome to the class webpage!
Note: All assignments, all lecture notes, and most reference readings can be found by clicking on the relevant links in the Canvas coursesite or the schedule section.

The reference materials are often helpful as sources of advice, formatting, or both for science writing. Accompanying reference material for each day's materials is in the "Reference Material" column in the schedule section.

This course focuses on written technical communication skills in language science. Topics include the scientific publication process (focusing on research abstracts), how to write for pieces of different lengths, and writing for different audiences. Through class demonstrations, discussions, and hands-on skills practice, the course equips students with the tools and confidence needed for effective written communication in language science.

After completing this course, successful students will be able to do the following:

  • Demonstrate knowledge of concise, clear scientific writing aimed at audiences with different scientific knowledge backgrounds.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of peer review techniques for scientific writing.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of current software for formatting scientific writing and collaborating on scientific writing.