MET533 Academic Writing and Research Communication

• Topics

  AI innovation and global sustainability challenges are transforming how researchers clearly and compellingly communicate the importance of their work to diverse audiences both within and beyond academia. Mastering the tools of engaging and persuasive research communication has never been more essential. This course is designed to equip participants with advanced skills in academic writing and research communication, enabling them to persuasively convey their research ideas, findings, and relevance across different formats, including written texts and multimedia presentations. Participants will develop an understanding of how linguistic and argumentative strategies within their discipline can be consciously utilized to persuade peers and broader audiences of the significance of their research questions, the validity of their interpretations, and the credibility of their claims. The course places particular emphasis on transitioning participants’ academic writing from classroom quality to standards suitable for publication in scholarly journals. In addition to developing academic writing techniques, students will also explore broader aspects of research communication, such as creating compelling video abstracts, concise and compelling research presentations, and digital content aimed at both academic and lay audiences.

  The course will critically examine the role of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in academic writing and research dissemination, exploring how AI can assist in idea generation, text development, revision, and editing processes, while also reflecting critically on ethical considerations related to AI use. A significant component of the course will also address the importance of linking research to sustainability challenges, enabling students to effectively communicate how their work contributes to addressing global sustainability goals. Participants will learn strategies for clearly connecting their research to broader societal impacts while communicating these connections compellingly to diverse audiences. An integral part of the course is a final, full-day interactive workshop where students collaboratively develop a text from initial concept through to a polished, persuasive research communication piece.

  Topics covered include:

  • Academic writing as persuasion
  • The concept of discourse communities and audience awareness
  • English as the dominant language for international research
  • Cultural differences in academic writing across disciplines and languages
  • Characteristics and conventions of academic and research communication genres
  • Argumentation and linguistic strategies for effective researcher-reader interaction
  • Interacting with and positioning research within existing scholarly discourse
  • Developing and projecting a strong writer and researcher identity
  • The academic publication process
  • Communicating research through multimedia audio and video formats
  • Utlizing AI for enhanced academic writing and research communication
  • Connecting research communication to sustainability and societal impact

• Learning outcome

  Upon completion of the course the candidate:

  Knowledge

  • can identify the main differences between language use in everyday contexts and language use in research communication
  • can apply relevant linguistic concepts and terms to analysis of academic texts
  • can account for the main genre characteristics and functions of the various parts of a research article
  • can explain the social constructionist and rhetoric of science traditions in academic writing

  Skills

  • can reflect on his/her own writing practices
  • can target a text to the intended audience
  • can reflect strategically on publication issues
  • can evaluate and responsibly integrate AI tools into research communication
  • can effectively communicate how research addresses sustainability goals

  General competence

  • is able to communicate research in ways that are appropriate for the text genres used in his or her targeted international academic community
  • is able to adapt and communicate complex research clearly and engagingly to diverse, non-specialist audiences beyond academia, such as the general public and policy-makers.

• Teaching

  The course will be taught through 5 physical lectures at NHH, each lasting 3 hours, and a workshop lasting 5 hours. The lectures will take place in the period September - October/November.

• Restricted access

  • PhD candidates at NHH
  • PhD candidates at Norwegian institutions
  • PhD candidates at other institutions
  • PhD candidates from the ENGAGE.EU alliance

• Required prerequisites

  Students must have produced a research-based text (minimum: master thesis)

• Credit reduction due to overlap

  MET513

• Compulsory Activity

  • Presentation Video
  • Submission of draft thesis section for discussion in class
  • Reflection Text
  • Attendance and active participation in all 5 lectures and workshop is expected; minimum attendance requirement is 4 full lectures and final workshop participation.

  Compulsory activities (work requirements) is valid for one semester after the semester they were obtained.

• Assessment

  Individual term paper 6-8 pages (3 weeks).

• Grading Scale

  Pass/Fail

• Computer tools

  None

• Literature

  A selection of articles and book chapters in Leganto

• Retake

  Re-take is offered the semester after the course was offered for students with valid compulsory activities (work requirements). Additionally, the students must fulfill one of the two requirements listed below in order to be eligible for re-take:

  • Students who, at the original exam failed or got a grade below C
  • Students who were sick on the day of the exam and has provided a valid sick note ("sykemelding")