In this program, students will develop techniques for communicating in several different genres of technical writing, including technical abstracts, scientific research papers, technical instructions, etc. Students from all branches of the sciences are encouraged to take this program to improve their technical writing skills. We will use several different online collaborative formats to carry out our objectives and all work be submitted and edited online.

Each student will choose a specific topic and read 10 documents related to the topic. Based on these readings and other sources, each student will write a corresponding review paper, an online technical digest and a proposal for future work in the specific area. Students will receive critique from peers and the faculty member. Students will be responsible for editing and critiquing a specific number of papers written by other students in the program. A final collaboratively written assignment will also be undertaken. Clear deadlines for reading and writing assignments will be established for all students at the start of the program to make it easier to stay on track. This program will make it possible for students to further develop written work from research projects carried out in previous studies if they so desire. 

Credit is expected to be awarded in the specific area of research, technical writing and technical editing. Students wishing to enroll in this program for winter quarter only will be welcomed on a space available basis.