Course

Popular Science Writing - 1.5 ECTS

Organised by Wageningen School of Social Sciences (WASS)
Date

Thu 20 May 2021 until Thu 8 July 2021

Duration Registration deadline: 6 May 2021
Room Online via Virtual Classroom in Brightspace

Science for Impact is the motto of WUR. Likely, your PhD project will be interesting for an audience broader then the academia. Your results can be brought to a societal audience in many ways, such as blogs, newspaper articles, popular magazines, etc. But there is a clear distinction between writing for science and writing for society. In the course Popular Science Writing you will be trained in attractive and engaging writing and learn how to reach your targeted audience.

The course Popular Science Writing exists of six two-hour online sessions. During the course participants will write on articles, after the course these articles can be ready for publishing. For each session there will be an assignment that will be discussed during the session. The lecturer will give feedback and will explain how a story can be made more attractive for a bigger audience.

Schedule

Session 1 20-5-2021 10.00-12.00
Session 2 27-5-2021 10.00-12.00
Session 3 10-6-2021 10.00-12.00
Session 4 17-6-2021 10.00-12.00
Session 5 1-7-2021 10.00-12.00
Session 6 8-7-2021 10.00-12.00

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this course, participants are expected to be able to:

  1. understand the importance of writing for science for a bigger audience

  2. learn what is interesting and relevant for a bigger audience, and what is not

  3. set up a writing plan: from idea to text plan

  4. balance between complexity and cleareness

  5. formulate actively and animated

  6. structure clearly

  7. apply popularisation techniques

  8. approach an editorial office, and get them on board

Lecturer

Your trainer, Arend Hulshof is a journalist, writer and trainer. He has been chief editor of Wordt Vervolgd, the journalism magazine of Amnesty International. Since 2019 he is also editor of the Dutch journal Trouw.

Besides, he also provides trainings to professionals on accessible and enganging writing. In 2016 he published his first novel Rijpstra’s Ondergang, about mayors dilemmas in times of War. He is currently working on his second book, a biography on Darja Collin (one of the best Dutch Ballerina’s).

Target group and min/max number of participants

This course is intended for PhD candidates, preference will be given to PhD candidates of WUR, PhD candidates from other universities will only be admitted when places remain available; 11 min/15 max participants

Course fee 

WGS PhDs with TSP € 250
a) All other PhD candidates b) Postdocs and staff of the above mentioned Graduate Schools € 500
All others € 750

NB: for some courses, PhD candidates from other WUR graduate schools with a TSP are also entitled to a reduced fee. Please consult your Education/PhD Programme Coordinator for more information

Cancellation conditions:

The participants can cancel their registration free of charge 1 month before the course starts. A cancellation fee of 100% applies if a participant cancels his/her registration less than 1 month prior to the start of the course.

The organisers have the right to cancel the course no later than one month before the planned course start date in the case that the number of registrations does not reach the minimum.

The participants will be notified of any changes at their e-mail addresses.