2026 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Science Department of Physics Graduate major in Physics

Basic Writing in Physics

Academic unit or major: Graduate major in Physics
Instructor(s): Adrean Webb
Class Format: Lecture
Media-enhanced courses: -
Day of week/Period (Classrooms)
Class: -
Course Code: PHY.P410
Number of credits: 200
Course offered: 2026
Offered quarter: 3-4Q
Syllabus updated: Mar 5, 2026
Language: English

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

This course introduces the fundamentals of writing research papers in physics and is recommended for Master’s students or those seeking foundational training in scientific writing.

Through peer review, guided discussion, and short writing assignments, students will learn how to structure a physics paper using the IMRaD format and communicate physical concepts clearly in written English. Emphasis is placed on explaining equations and methods, presenting figures and results effectively, and summarizing research in a clear and organized manner.

Course description and aims

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Summarize scientific concepts and experimental results in written English.
2) Explain physics concepts clearly and accurately.
3) Analyze basic research results and describe them clearly in writing.
4) Evaluate scientific ideas at a foundational level.

Keywords

Scientific writing fundamentals; explaining physics concepts clearly; summarizing methods and results; evaluating scientific ideas

Competencies

Specialist skills
Intercultural skills
Communication skills
Critical thinking skills
Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

This course is organized into multiple stages, each focusing on one section of a standard academic paper. Students will learn how to structure and write an IMRaD paper, consisting of the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion sections, as well as the Abstract.

By the end of the course, students should be able to produce a basic academic article in English using LaTeX.

Course schedule/Objectives

	Course schedule	Objectives
Class 1	An Introduction to Technical Writing for Physics	Understand the basics of writing a scientific article. Explain the importance and properties of the introduction, body, and conclusion.
Class 2	Using citations and references in academic writing	Discuss the role of peer review in physics. Review the basics of generating a bibliography. Discuss various procedures for the efficient gathering and organizing of references.
Class 3	Writing a Methods section	Understand how to formulate and write a Methods section. Discuss structure, justification, topic sentences, and compiling of information.
Class 4	Introduction to LaTeX	Understand how to create a LaTeX document that is suitable for publication in physics journals and conference proceedings. Learn how to create and maintain a LaTeX bibliography.
Class 5	Peer review exercises (no lecture)	Peer-learning and writing of a simple Methods section in English.
Class 6	Writing a Results section	Understand how to formulate and write a Results section. Discuss structure, identification and reporting of trends, as well as appropriate usage of figures, tables, and other visualization methods.
Class 7	Discussing and evaluating data	Understand the scientific method and ethics in research. Discuss the importance of scientific communication, and the various methods and platforms for the distribution of scientific results. Understand the importance of outreach and how to avoid misinforming the public.
Class 8	Peer review exercises (no lecture)	Peer-learning and writing of a simple Results section in English.
Class 9	Writing a Discussion section	Understand how to formulate and write a Discussion section. Discuss structure, error, expressions of proof, casual language, and other concepts.
Class 10	Conducting a literature review	Understand how to discuss published literature in your writing and make comparisons. Understand what to cite, what not to cite, and how to avoid committing academic misconduct.
Class 11	Peer review exercises (no lecture)	Peer-learning and writing of a simple Discussion section in English.
Class 12	Writing an Introduction section	Understand how to formulate and write an Introduction section. Discuss structure, tense, voice, pronouns, and linking.
Class 13	Finalizing and sharing your academic work	Review the processes for submitting unpublished work to academic journals and conference proceedings.
Class 14	Peer review exercises (no lecture)	Peer-learning and writing of simple Introduction section in English.
Class 15	Writing an Abstract	Understand how to formulate and write an Abstract. Discuss structure, identifying main results and applications, as well as summarizing an IMRaD paper.
Class 16	Peer review exercises (no lecture)	Peer-learning and writing of simple Abstract section in English.

Study advice (preparation and review)

Students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for each class and an additional 100 minutes reviewing the material afterward (including assignments).
Preparation and review should make use of the textbook and other course materials.

Textbook(s)

Science Research Writing: For Non-Native Speakers of English, 2nd Edition
Glasman-Deal (2020); ISBN: 978-1786347848

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Scientific Paper Writing - A Survival Guide
Holst, Cham (2015); ISBN: 978-1516886265

Writing for Science and Engineering: Papers, Presentations and Reports, 2nd Edition
Silyn-Roberts (2013); ISBN: 978-0080982854

Active English for Science
ALESS Program, University of Tokyo (2012); ISBN: 978-4130821315

東工大英単科学・技術例文集〈新装版〉
東京工業大学 (2021); ISBN: 978-4327453015

Additional course materials and references will be posted on LMS or Slack as needed.

Evaluation methods and criteria

Students will be assessed on the clarity and effectiveness of their written scientific English.

Written assignments: 90%
Attendance and participation: 10%

Related courses

PHY.P610 ： Advanced Writing in Physics

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites.

Other

Before each class, students should check the course schedule and prepare for the listed topics. Required readings and learning activities should be completed outside of class.