Open AccessAdvocating for Science Writing Cooperatives in Graduate Programs
Author(s) -
Beers Aidan T.,
Potter Teal S.,
Churchill Amber C.,
Faist Akasha M.,
Golden Elizabeth S.,
Filkins Hannah R.,
Hicks Julia J.,
Barger Nichole N.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the bulletin of the ecological society of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2327-6096
pISSN - 0012-9623
DOI - 10.1890/0012-9623-94.3.245
Subject(s) - quality (philosophy) , writing process , publication , scientific writing , professional writing , graduate students , grant writing , publishing , process (computing) , academic writing , psychology , medical education , computer science , mathematics education , pedagogy , political science , linguistics , library science , medicine , philosophy , epistemology , law , operating system
Pressure to publish “early and often” and secure grant money for research is an immediate and urgent goal upon entering a graduate program. How we respond to these pressures and our ability to meet such expectations determines our future success as scientists. As graduate students we feel that the pressure to produce high-quality science writing is not matched with the training necessary to succeed as a professional writer. Acknowledging this discrepancy between training and expectations, we formed a peer writing group for developing science writing skills. This experience so profoundly altered our approach to writing that we feel similar groups would be beneficial for every graduate student. Here, we suggest a solution for fostering superior student writing in graduate programs with minimal time investment by establishing science writing cooperatives.