Astro 736: Writing for Astronomers
           (a.k.a. How to Get Telescope Time, Funding, and Jobs)

Instructor: Michael Liu
Semester: Spring 2010
Time: Mon & Wed, 1100-1200
Duration: January 13 - March 17 [note the compressed timescale]


Along with scientific expertise and technical skills, one of the most
important components of being a successful astronomer is the ability to
communicate effectively. Indeed, a significant portion of your future
success will rely on being able to convey in writing your ideas and
plans to a wide range of audiences. However, in contrast to scientific
and technical knowledge, there are very few structured opportunities for
students to improve their writing. This class will help you to cultivate
the relevant skills through a mix of lectures and practical experience,
working in close contact with the instructor and your peers.

In contrast to most graduate seminars, we will not focus on a single
large term paper. Instead, we will write and re-write a few short pieces
(1-3 pages), since this is the most common length that you will
encounter. We will be writing, editing & reviewing the most common
formats, e.g. personal research statement, telescope proposal, funding
application, and popular article. We will discuss successful and
unsuccessful approaches to writing these types of pieces, including
tips, recipes, and rubrics.

The workload will consistent of one short writing assignment every other
week, intermixed with light reading, editing, and critiquing. The
content of the writing assignments will be based on astronomical review
articles (e.g. Annual Reviews) and journal papers chosen by each
student. Thus, this class will also be a convenient opportunity to do
deeper reading and thinking on a topic of direct interest to you. One
tangible end-product will be content that can be readily applied for
actual professional use. Along the way, the class will also provide some
practical experience in commonly used tools (e.g. Latex) and some
vocational training (e.g. peer review).

Graduate students of all levels are welcome, and indeed senior students
no longer taking classes may find this seminar useful for
their ongoing research. However, the fundamental premise of this class
is LEARN BY DOING, and thus students must be enrolled for credit to
participate - no auditing. Everyone is welcome to come to the first two
sessions to learn more about the class, but after that you must be
enrolled.

No actual telescope time, funding, or jobs will be dispersed as part
of this class.

Topics to be covered:
- Principles of effective science writing
- Style & structure
- Formatting & mechanics
- Popular articles
- Personal research statements
- Observing proposals
- Funding proposals
- Peer review
- Illustrations and visual design