In just six weeks, we can significantly improve grad students' approach to scholarly writing

And we should, cuz too many students (are on the edge of) despair over writing.

Writing doesn’t have to be this way…but we have to help grad students experience it differently. (Image: Eight Ladies Writing)

I and many others working in scicomm frequently make a sharp distinction between scicomm and scientific communication. And, that distinction lumps scholarly/academic writing into the latter category, making it a realm that I don’t usually focus on or intervene in.

But, part of my research program directly emphasizes interventions that help grad students get better at scholarly writing. What gives?

Well, there is considerable overlap in the competencies needed for effective, ethical scicomm and being successful as a graduate student. The results collaborators and I are seeing with our intervention-based studies (and the related findings I’m writing up in my forthcoming book) align with prior research¹.

What we’re all finding is that these competencies are indeed transferable, and it is beneficial to students to practice both in order to get better at either.