The University of Toledo

Technical Writing - Course Descriptions

ENGL 2950: Scientific and Technical Report Writing

Catalog Description:  Instruction and practice in writing informational and analytical reports to varied audiences in medical, scientific or technical fields. Prerequisite: ENGL 1100 or 1110 English core course.

Focus Areas

The core of this course consists of the following four skill areas.

• Research Skills (using primary and library research to discover information)
• Correspondence Skills (learning the generic conventions of each)
• Explanatory or Demonstrative Writing Skills (to disseminate technical information to either non-technical or technical readers, such as descriptions, instructions, informational handouts, FAQs, etc. [not persuasive, per se])
• Visual and Multimedia Communication Skills (may appear as separate assignments or as components of other assignments)

Significant time will also be devoted to the research process, including discussions on finding, evaluating, and incorporating research into texts, reviewing at least two documentation practices, and establishing ethical practices when researching human participants.

Most ENGL 2950 courses are web-enhanced with Blackboard sites. Expect to post responses to discussion boards, submit papers online, and engage in chatroom discussions and live collaborative sessions as well as meeting in a traditional classroom. Critical reading and a research paper are required.

For more information concerning Composition II courses, please see our Common Syllabi page: http://www.utoledo.edu/llss/english/programs/composition/geninfo/program_goals.html