Publishing and presenting research or innovations has always been a critical part of an engineer's professional life.   Engineers today, however, face special communication challenges in that the audiences to whom they write and speak are increasingly varied and often include non-technical specialists (regulators, community members, etc.), as well as technical experts in their field.

This course offers engineering graduate students the opportunity to accomplish the following:

• communicate effectively with a variety of audiences
• communicate effectively in several media: written, oral, visual
• manage the process of collecting, synthesizing, and presenting data and information
• manage the process of writing and publishing scholarly work
• produce a portion of their thesis or dissertation or a complete scholarly paper

Each of you will use your own graduate work as the technical  content about which you  write and speak.  Using writing samples, peer review, student revisions, and multi-media lectures, the course will address these specific communication issues:

Written: 

Structuring a thesis, a dissertation, a journal article, a technical  report
Managing the writing process
Designing and using figures/tables
Discovering the relationship between writing and research

Oral:

Preparing a presentation
Delivering the information effectively  to different audiences
Handling nervousness
Designing and using visuals

Visual:

Constructing clear and readable graphs and tables
Constructing and labeling series of figures for maximum ease of comprehension
Creating complex figures to display complex data 

The main objective is for you to complete a publishable piece of work by the end of the course (several chapters of a thesis, at least one chapter of a dissertation, or a scholarly paper for a journal in your field).

Required Texts

• Valiela, Ivan. 2001. Doing Science: Design, Analysis, and Communication of Scientific Research, Oxford University Press.
• Harris, M. (2003). Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage, 5th ed., Prentice Hall, NJ.
• Hart, H. and Lawler, D. 1999. A Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations in Science and Engineering. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Austin.  Private hardcopy only.

Grades
Your final grade will be determined by the following method:

All writing will be graded for content and form.  Content includes appropriate and complete data, logical argument, and adequate supporting evidence. Form includes appropriate style, organization, tone, and clarity at the section, paragraph, sentence, and word levels.  Design of the document counts.  With each assignment handed back, you will receive a completed "grading criteria" form.  Please read the comments on these forms carefully; they are your key to improving your writing and building on your strengths.

1. Make sure the top, bottom, and side margins of all pages are approximately one inch.

2. Number each page , except the title page and any cover letter or memo.

3. Staple or paper clip each assignment's pages together (except for the final assignment).

4. One-and-a-half-space or double-space all writing except memos, letters, and abstracts. 

Your final oral presentation will be graded for content, organization, and delivery.  At the end of the session, you will receive a packet of evaluations by the other students and me.  We will all use the same form on which to write our evaluations.  The oral progress report is considered a warm-up, so it is evaluated thoroughly but graded more loosely than the final presentation. 

Note:  There is no final examination given in this course.

Lateness
Your assignments are due during class on the date due.  See me if you're having special problems, but, generally, late assignments will be penalized. 

Academic Integrity
Both faculty and students at world-class universities must maintain high standards of academic integrity.  According to the UT General Information Catalog, "Since the value of a university degree depends on the absolute integrity of the work done by each student for that degree, a student must maintain a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work" (p. 96).  The Catalog also states that "all written work handed in by [students] is considered to be their own work, prepared without unauthorized assistance" (p.69).  Unless your project is a co-authored paper, I expect that you are the sole author of all your written work.  Please let me know if you are working on a co-authored paper. 

We will also discuss research and publication ethics in class.  For more information on academic integrity and scholastic dishonesty, please see the Student Judicial Services website.

 "The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic adjustments for qualified students with disabilities.  For more information, contact the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4241 TDD, or the College of Engineering Director of Students with Disabilities at 471-4382."

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