This module will give you an excellent grounding in critical thinking, scientific writing and the communication of research to specialist and non-specialist audiences alike. We will teach you how to read, evaluate and critically review the scientific literature and how to write about research for specialist and lay audiences. We will also give you training in oral communication. Importantly, this will enable you assess critically your own research and be able to present it effectively to an engaged audience.

This module aims to provide you with many transferable skills that will improve your assessment results in other MSc or MRes modules, as well as provide you with skills that are pivotal to a career in biomedicine and many other professions.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

The aims of this module are to provide you with:

1. Key transferable skills for a career in biomedicine including the skills to communicate your work and appraise your own research and research presented by others

2. A better understanding of the scientific method, good and bad experimental design, experimental bias and issues surrounding research integrity

3. Critical thinking skills that are central to many kinds of careers, enabling you to evaluate data, conclusions and viewpoints presented in the scientific literature or popular press.

4. Focussed guidance for improving your scientific writing

5. Familiarisation with the common modes of written and oral science communication

6. The skills to be a far better communicators yourselves

Who is this module for?

This is an optional for the MSc Cell and Gene Therapy, MSc in Personalised Medicine and MRes Child Health.

Teaching and Learning Methods

This module is largely taught through face-to-face lectures and workshops, complemented by excellent online resources. You will have opportunities for formative exercises in oral presentation, lay summary writing and creating science blogs, making use of constructive feedback from your fellow students to enhance your learning.

Selected Reading List

du Prel, J. B., Röhrig, B., & Blettner, M. (2009). Critical appraisal of scientific articles: part 1 of a series on evaluation of scientific publications. Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 106(7), 100-5.

Salita, J.T., 2015. Writing for lay audiences: A challenge for scientists. Medical Writing, 24(4), pp.183-189

Ben Godlacre. 2000. Bad Science. Available from: https://www.badscience.net/

Why Science blogging matters. Nature, 2018. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-01414-6

University of Birmingham. A short guide to signposting in essays. Available from:

https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/skills/asc/documents/public/Short-Guide-Signposting.pdf

 