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This fall, the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences is launching a new PhD course in research communication – MNKOM9010 Communicating Science. A total of 40 PhD candidates applied before the deadline in mid-August. Of these, 25 candidates have been admitted and are ready to start the course at the end of November.
The faculty is very excited that so many candidates want to learn more about research communication, and we believe that the new course will be important for their development as young researchers.
In MNKOM9010, the candidates will learn how to analyze and discuss different forms of research communication like research articles, presentations, popular science and how visual effects can be used in their communication. The teaching will include plenty of reading, writing and discussions, and the course aims to challenge the participants to rethink the value of research communication for their own careers. For that reason, the reading list includes a selection of examples of good research communication in many different genres, as well as a selection of articles and books that provide a theoretical foundation for the topics covered in th course.
One of the leading textbook authors within academic writing in the natural sciences is Professor of Microbiology Joshua Schimel. He has extensive experience in writing engaging research articles and research applications. In the book “Writing Science” he shares his best tips on how to structure good texts and lift the academic language so that even more people can benefit from new scientific discoveries. The book is the starting point for several discussions and writing exercises in MNKOM9010.
Through the various examples and theories, the PhD candidates will acquire versatile strategies in the work of disseminating their own and others' research. In addition to a classic view of good writing in the natural sciences, participants will also use perspectives from completely different disciplines.
One of the outside perspectives comes from Randy Olson. He was a professor of marine biology, but quit his job and moved to Hollywood to become a filmmaker. In recent years, he has held hundreds of courses for researchers who want to become better storytellers, based on his own experiences in meeting with the film industry. In the book “Houston, we have a narrative”, he presents the “And – But – Therefore” model as a universal structure for all storytelling, including research communication.
The two books help to broaden the perspectives on how to conduct good research communication. In the teaching, the PhD candidates will find that the models from the two books can be used to describe and produce both research articles and popular science texts. The aim of the course is to provide a deeper understanding of research communication, in order for the PhD candidates to be well equipped to meet new communication challenges in the future.
MNKOM9010 is taught in English over an intensive two weeks teaching period at the end of November. This autumn's course is fully booked, but it will be possible to apply for a new admission next fall.
Joshua Schimel. “Writing science: how to write papers that get cited and proposals that get funded”. Oxford University Press, 2011.
Randy Olson. “Houston, we have a narrative: why science needs story”. University of Chicago Press, 2015.