Communication in Science

Code:

DP/CTT1001

Acronym:

DP/CTT1001

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Personal Development and Transversal/Transferable Skills

Instance: 2024/2025 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	https://moodle.up.pt/course/view.php?id=462
Responsible unit:	Department of Physics and Astronomy
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Engineering Physics

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
L:B	0	Official Study Plan	3	-	3	24	81
L:CC	3	study plan from 2021/22	2	-	3	24	81
			3
L:EF	66	study plan from 2021/22	1	-	3	24	81
L:F	47	Official Study Plan	1	-	3	24	81
L:G	2	study plan from 2017/18	2	-	3	24	81
			3
L:M	3	Official Study Plan	2	-	3	24	81
			3
L:Q	0	study plan from 2016/17	3	-	3	24	81

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The UC sensitizes students to the importance of developing personal skills in Science Communication and works in particular on the preparation of scientific reports, the preparation and execution of oral communications, and the preparation of scientific articles.

The objectives are:

• draw attention to the importance of effective communication;
• disseminate resources and tools for improving personal written and oral expression skills.
• know the structure of scientific documents (reports, articles, theses, ...)
• know the process of  scientific communications dissemination: paper submission, review, poster presentation and oral communication

Learning outcomes and competences

The acquired skills will be immediately used in the course's UCs and in the students' professional future.

In particular:

• techniques for improving oral and body expression in public;
• use of bibliographic, text editing, graphic composition and other communication support tools;
• graphical representation of experimental data;
• ability to summarize the communication of an article in a short abstract;
• organization and production of oral communications and multimedia support material;
• techniques and resources for improving written expression;
• strict compliance with submission deadlines.

Working method

Presencial

Program

 

• Communication in science
• stages of the scientific process
• the circulation of information in science (logbook, data, report, conference, proceedings, article / patent, ...)
• the structure of scientific documents: report, article, thesis
• techniques and resources for improving written expression.
• support tools for scientific writing
• scientific text editing
• search and management of bibliographic references
• Complementary elements in science communication

• schematics production and its importance
• data/measurements representation
• Measurements and Error Bars (Random and systematic errors)
• Mean and standard deviation
• Numerical representation
• the role of graphics and nuemrical fits.
• tools for processing experimental data
• measurement and experimental errors
• Oral scientific communication
• Poster
• oral presentations
• Analysis of types of oral presentations, audiences and personal style of the speakers with emphasis on objectives, language, structure and means;
• Preparation techniques and presentation structure;
• Exposure techniques.
• Projection of complementary image / video information (tools, powerpoint’s and don’ts, ...)
• techniques for improving oral and body expression in public
• Other relevant documents
• memo
• curriculum vitae
• motivation letters

Mandatory literature

Luis Adriano Oliveira; Escrita Científica: da folha em braco ao texto final, lidel edições técnicas, 2018. ISBN: 9789897523403
Strunk Junior William; The elements of style. ISBN: 978-0-14-311272-3
Tobias Oetiker; Uma não tão pequena introdução ao LATEX 2ε, http://mirrors.ctan.org/info/lshort/portuguese/pt-lshort.pdf
Garr Reynolds; Presentation Zen, https://www.presentationzen.com/

Complementary Bibliography

Zinsser William Knowlton; On writing well. ISBN: 9780060891541
Lagendijk Ad; Survival guide for scientists. ISBN: 978-90-5356-512-4
Berendsen Herman J. C.; A student.s guide to data and error analysis. ISBN: 9780521134927
Bureau International de Poids et Mesure; The International System of Units (SI), https://www.bipm.org/en/measurement-units

Comments from the literature

Addional information is available in the Moodle webpage for the curricular unit.

Teaching methods and learning activities

The curricular unit is composed of theoretical-practical classes, and practical classes in a computer lab.

Theoretical-Practical classes(TP):

Exposure and collective discussion of the topics under analysis, and practical examples, constantly encouraging the participation of students in the discussion of the examples of communication under analysis.

Laboratory Practices(PL):

Students have access to the tools presented in the course; specific tasks are carried out to develop the target competences in the production of scientific documents. The PL begin out of phase of TPs so that students have a quick learning curve of using text, bibliographical and graphic production tools.

Software

Latex
JabRef
SciDAViS
BibTeX
Python
LyX
Inkscape
Mendeley Desktop
Jupyter notebook
TexStudio

keywords

Natural sciences
Physical sciences
Technological sciences

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Prova oral	30,00
Trabalho escrito	50,00
Trabalho prático ou de projeto	20,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	24,00
Frequência das aulas	24,00
Trabalho escrito	30,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	3,00
Total:	81,00

Eligibility for exams

The achievement of frequency is guaranteed by the cumulative fulfillment of:

1. Attendance, not exceeding 25% of absences from Laboratory Practice classes, in accordance with the Regulamento de Avaliação do Aproveitamento dos Estudantes;
2. be formally identified as an author in a scientific mini-article submitted by a group of students, respecting the submission deadline, and in accordance with formal UC requirements;

Students who have already attended the UC in previous years can request exemption from classes, not being exempt from carrying out the 2 assessment activities that will be carried out in practical classes (PL), according to the calendar published at the beginning of term.

Calculation formula of final grade

Student Classification considers the following components:

• NA - Classification of the mini-article, submitted in groups (0 to 10)
• NO - Classification of oral presentation (0 to 6, with a minimum score of 2 points)
• NP - Classification of the two assessment activities to be carried out in practical classes (0 to 4)
• ND - Bonus obtained through participation and performance in activities promoted throughout the semester in TP classes (0 to 2)

Final Classification
The base classification (C) results from the sum of the 3 components:

• C=NA+NO+NP (scale 0-20 values)

The final classification (NF) will be obtained from:

• NF = Min (C + ND, 20)

Examinations or Special Assignments

The final assessment contains individual work components and group work components.

• The individual component evaluates the learning of the proposed work tools.
• The group work focuses on the communication of a theme, as a scientific article and oral communication.

The topic proposals to be covered in the mini-article, the work calendar and the rules and deadlines for submission will be published via Moodle.
Students must register their working groups, consisting of 3 students, and choose a topic, via Moodle, by October 14th, requiring validation by UC professors. Each theme cannot be chosen by more than 3 groups.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

does not apply

Classification improvement

The only component subject to classification improvement is the mini-article, and the opportunity for improvement is created during the UC's work, in the current academic year, and according to the scheduleo of the mini-article task: the working groups receive from teachers a detailed review of the submitted mini-article, having the opportunity to submit a new, improved version.

Observations

Jury: 

• Carla Carmelo Rosa  (ccrosa_at_fc.up.pt)
• Catarina Lobo (clobo_at_fc.up.pt)