Professor Mark Goulian on Writing in Physics
About the Professor
Dr. Goulian received his B.A. and Ph. D. from Harvard University. He is a Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor in the Department of Biology and the Department of Physics. In the department of physics, he teaches the Biological Physics course that is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.
Personal Writing Tips
Dr. Goulian jokingly describes his writing process as a struggle that he overcomes. He typically does not use outlines, although he recommends that students should learn how to pre-write effectively. He writes his draft in one day with few breaks and goes through numerous revisions, often under the guidance of his writer wife. When he finds the time, he tries to incorporate some sort of prose into his writing, although this is harder to do during collaborations.
Types of Writing
As a principal investigator, Dr. Goulian writes grant proposals, academic articles published in scientific journals, and letters of recommendations.
Writing Tips
Given the word and structural limits of assignments and publications, Dr. Goulian recommends writing effectively – that is, each paragraph must serve a purpose, with the first sentence stating the purpose of the paragraph and the last sentence summarizing and providing transition. He also notes that students should ensure that their information is written in the correct section of the publication (e.g. results vs. discussion). He recommends that the students should use office hours to seek additional help with writing.
Links
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