Rhetoric: rhetoric of science

A list of topics by session is available in the calendar listed below.

"The rhetorical view of science does not deny 'the brute facts of nature'; it merely affirms that these 'facts,' whatever they are, are not science itself. . . Whatever they are, the 'brute facts' themselves mean nothing; only statements have meaning, and of the truth of statements we must be persuaded. These processes, by which problems are chosen and results interpreted, are essentially rhetorical: only through persuasion are importance and meaning established."
- Alan Gross. The Rhetoric of Science. p. 4.

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

This course is an introduction to the history, theory, practice, and implications of rhetoric, the art and craft of persuasion. This course specifically focuses on the ways that scientists use various methods of persuasion in the construction of scientific knowledge.

We will start with discussions about the nature of science and rhetoric. Then, we will turn our attention to texts written by scientists and use rhetorical theory to analyze those texts. We will look at the professional scientific research articles and other genres of scientific writing. Finally, we'll investigate the way that rhetoric plays a role in the everyday life of scientists. Throughout the class, we will wrestle with questions, such as:

Through class discussions, presentations, and written assignments, you will get to practice your own rhetorical prowess. Through the readings, you'll also learn some ways to make yourself a more efficient reader, as you turn your analytical skills on the texts themselves. This combination of reading, speaking, and writing will help you succeed in:

The course work is primarily "front-loaded," and a series of short postings on our MIT server will help you accomplish the two major assignments in this course in a series of steps. Finally, you will notice that there are two conference times this semester with me as well as peer review and data workshops. These are further meant to help you finish the course assignments. Most importantly, you should have fun in this course!

In all academic writing, then, you must give citations each time you use someone else's ideas, someone else's words, someone else's phrasing, someone else's unusual information. Further, you show appropriate respect for other writers and thinkers by giving them credit for their ideas, their structures, their phrasings, and their information. In Western culture, not giving credit is an insult as well as an act of dishonesty. In other words, never take credit for someone else's words, ideas, or style (this prohibition includes material found on the Web). Although the material on the Web is free, you did not create it; someone else thought it, researched it, wrote it-and that someone must be given credit.

There are several guidelines for using sources in your academic writing:

In sum, your essays should always be your own work (although you are encouraged to seek writing advice from the Writing Center and from your workshop groups). Your essays should always be your new work created specifically for this course (do not hand in work written for other courses-neither from this semester nor from previous semesters, and this prohibition includes modifying or adapting your own work from other courses).

If I request, you must hand in hard copies of all the sources that you used for writing an essay, as well as your notes. If you cannot produce these materials when requested, your final course grade will be reduced by one letter grade for each instance that you cannot produce your data. Also, you are responsible for ensuring that others do not copy your work or submit it as their own.

This course requires your attendance, participation, and on-time submission of assignments:

This course is meant to be an intellectual exploration. For that reason, I do not assign grades on individual assignments. Instead, we will use a contract grading system. A contract grading system means that you do not receive grades on individual assignments. Instead, you agree to a certain set of criteria in order to earn a minimum grade in this class. With extra effort and work, you may earn a grade above the minimum for this contract. The easiest way to earn less than the minimum grade is to miss classes and turn assignments in late (or not at all).

Your grade in this class will be based on the following:

You are guaranteed a "C" in this class if you meet the following criteria:

You are guaranteed a "B" in this class if you meet the following criteria:

You are guaranteed an "A" in this class if you meet the following criteria:

You are guaranteed a "F" in this class if you meet the following criteria:

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