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

Advanced 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.P610
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 builds on foundational writing skills and focuses on advanced research communication in physics. It is recommended for doctoral students or those preparing research manuscripts for publication.

Through peer review, critical discussion, and structured writing assignments, students will develop strong scientific arguments, interpret and discuss physical results, and position their research within the physics literature. Emphasis is placed on logical structure, precision in technical language, and persuasive scientific writing suitable for journal publication.

Course description and aims

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Analyze and interpret experimental results in clear and concise written English.
2) Develop well-structured scientific arguments.
3) Critically evaluate scientific concepts and research findings.
4) Synthesize and present research in a logically organized and persuasive manner.

Keywords

Developing strong scientific arguments; interpreting and critically discussing results; placing research within the existing literature; refining clarity, precision, and logical structure

Competencies

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

Class flow

This course is organized into stages that refine each section of a research paper. The IMRaD structure is reviewed and applied at an advanced level, with emphasis on developing strong scientific arguments, interpreting results, and improving logical organization and clarity. Students will analyze well-written physics papers and revise their own writing, with particular focus on strengthening Introductions and Discussions.

By the end of the course, students should be able to produce a well-organized, publication-ready research article in English using LaTeX.

Course schedule/Objectives

	Course schedule	Objectives
Class 1	Review of technical writing for physicists	Review the basics of writing a scientific article. Explain the importance and properties of the introduction, body, and conclusion.
Class 2	Writing a Methods section	Understand how to formulate and write a Methods section. Discuss structure, justification, topic sentences, and compiling of information.
Class 3	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 4	Peer review exercises (no lecture)	Peer-learning and writing of a Methods section in English.
Class 5	Introduction to LaTeX	Understand how to create a LaTeX document that is suitable for publication in physics journals and conference proceedings. Review how to create and maintain a LaTeX bibliography.
Class 6	Technical writing exercise (no lecture)	Writing a standard document in English using LaTeX.
Class 7	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 8	Discussing and evaluating data	Review 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 9	Peer review exercises (no lecture)	Peer-learning and writing of a Results section in English.
Class 10	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 11	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 12	Peer review exercises (no lecture)	Peer-learning and writing of a Discussion section in English.
Class 13	Writing an Introduction section	Understand how to formulate and write an Introduction section. Discuss structure, tense, voice, pronouns, and linking.
Class 14	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 15	Finalizing and sharing your academic work	Review the processes for submitting unpublished work to academic journals and conference proceedings.
Class 16	Peer review exercises (no lecture)	Peer-learning and writing of Introduction and Abstract sections 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.

Published: a guide to literature review, outlining, experimenting, visualization, writing, editing, and peer review for your first scientific journal article
Deetjen, Thomas (2020); ISBN: 978-1734493108

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

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.P410 ： Basic Writing in Physics

Prerequisites

Students must have successfully completed PHY.P410 or have equivalent knowledge.

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.