From Technical Evidence to Public Action:
Persuasive Writing in the Field of Nuclear Security
Accra, Ghana
On April 25–26, 2016, the African Centre for Science and International Security and the editors of the International Journal of Nuclear Security, sponsored by the University of Tennessee Institute for Nuclear Security (USA), will hold a two-day professional development course designed for all international participants who aspire to write more effectively about nuclear security in a public, professional, or academic forum. Participants will include engineers, technicians, academicians, government regulators and other officials, and communications and media professionals.
The course aims to help participants write persuasively about technical issues and to effect positive action through written communication. It will cover important aspects of writing in several genres, including articles for academic journals, grant proposals, and opinion pieces (op-eds). Special attention will be paid to the goal of producing technically informed publications with policy relevance. This two-day course offers extensive engagement with specialists in the fields of professional and technical communication.
Course Goals & Topics
This course aims to help participants learn how to:
- Tailor writing to meet to the demands of a particular purpose and context,
- Communicate research and technical expertise to a wider audience,
- Write persuasive arguments (in several genres) that articulate a clear, thoughtful position, draw on appropriate support for claims, and address counterclaims and multiple points of view, including international and intercultural perspectives.
Specific topics covered include:
- Tools of persuasion for technical writing with policy relevance
- How to avoid common mistakes in academic writing and increase your chances of getting your article accepted to a peer-reviewed journal
- Identifying the important aspects of a particular discourse community in nuclear security
- Writing high-quality abstracts and thesis statements
- Improving organization and flow of ideas in a document
- Effective integration of others’ ideas into your own writing
- Tips for better writing on the sentence level, including managing jargon; writing with concision, clarity, coherence; and grammatical issues relevant to international audiences
Important information
Venue: Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Science Conference Hall, campus of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission in Accra, Ghana
Dates: April 25-26, 2016
How to participate: Participation in the course is free of charge. Lunches and refreshments will be provided. To apply, please send a CV and a short cover letter outlining your institutional plans or goals for communication in the field of nuclear security to info@africsis.org, by March 31, 2016.
Please direct all inquiries about the course to info@africsis.org.
For more information about the AFRICSIS and previous events,
please visit: africsis.org
Information Brochure
Summary Outcome Report
Survey Report
Presentations
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