Academic and Journalistic Writing 2

elective courses

The course is dedicated to graduate students (studenci II stopnia)

Good command of English on the B2 level, both written and oral.

This practical workshop will be devoted to the techniques of writing academic and journalistic texts, particularly to clearly formulating thoughts, the structure of various types of press and academic articles, and using sources appropriately. Students will be asked to write several short pieces in class or as home assignments and two several page long ones (one academic, one journalistic) as homework.

This workshop will be devoted to improving the participants’ techniques of writing, especially clearly formulating thoughts and structuring various kinds of academic and journalistic texts appropriately. This will be done through elements of lectures and instruction, and – principally – through practical tasks. In class, students will be asked to produce short pieces of writing, do some editing exercises, and discuss and edit other participants’ writing. As homework, students will be asked to write two major pieces: an article for the press and an academic argumentative essay, and several minor pieces (a blog post, critique essay, data commentary). These will also be discussed in class.

Some other important aspects of writing which the class will focus on will include: using various kinds of sources; the ethics of using sources, both human and written, and of citing them in an appropriate way to avoid plagiarism; the organization of the writing process; using helpful software, such as Zotero for bibliographies; creating visual materials; preparing work for publication; publishing in academic journals and in the media from politics, society and economy.

Since clear writing is a key ability for university students and in many professions, the class will be helpful for everyone, but especially those considering a career in academia or in the media.

Will be provided before each class (at least 2 weeks in advance); will include textbooks and other material on academic writing as well as sample scientific and journalistic texts for discussion and analysis.

Knowledge

K_W02 - Understands the relationships between various dimensions of societal change, particularly concerning mobility and crises, and is knowledgeable about the scientific approaches to this process across multiple fields and disciplines.

K_W04 - Familiar with the terminology used in social sciences and appreciates its significance in culture. Recognizes the interdependencies between different social disciplines and their connection to cultural research.

K_W08 - Proficient in utilizing advanced new methods for analyzing and interpreting social research data. K_W09 - Knowledgeable about the most important methods for interdisciplinary research.

Abilities

K_U01 - Capable of selecting and critically assessing information from various scientific, popular science, journalistic, and other sources.

K_U02 - Able to use basic numerical methods to organize, interpret, and present data, especially in the context of social research. Aware of innovative data sources, including big data, and can find and use the necessary data for scientific work.

K_U06 - Able to present academic work in an appropriate form, both in writing and orally, while adhering to ethical principles, including those related to copyrights. Knows the rules of using data sources, including digital sources.

K_U08 - Capable of preparing written works of popular science and other types, addressing a wide audience and with functional characteristics.

K_U11 - Capable of planning and organizing group work, defining goals, stages, roles, and selecting methods, and participating in teamwork in various roles.

Social competences

K_K02 - can work in a team as well as in a research team.

Students will be graded on:

- active participation in classes, including in-class assignments and discussion (20%)

- smaller home assignments (20%)

- half-term paper: article for the press written as homework (25%)

- term paper: argumentative essay (35%)

Since this is a workshop, participation in all classes is strongly encouraged. Two absences are permitted without any additional penalties. Any additional absences require a justification, though no more than 5 absences are allowed. Students absent during a class will be able to submit their short written pieces to receive credit.