Complete with usage notes that address lawyers most common errors, this wellorganized book is both an invaluable tool for practicing lawyers and a sensible grounding for law students. We use cookies to offer you a better experience, personalize content, tailor advertising, provide social media features, and better understand the use of our services. Expectation and context readers do not simply read. Provides an excellent discussion of general principles. This is the most widely disseminated piece of writing advice, promulgated by most books and in most classrooms across this country and over time. The seminar is based on the concept that in order to improve writing, it is first necessary to understand the process of reading. The goal of your paper is to answer the question you posed as your topic. Inquire about writing groups for postdocs by contacting kristine glauber, program director for the duke office of research initiatives, at kristine. Gopen and swan provide some examples of bad writing, and it is well worth the read. Most people assume that its difficulties are born out of necessity, out of the extreme complexity of scientific concepts, data and analysis. This is the last version authored solely by joseph williams. Gopen presents a different approach to writing one that focuses on what a reader is likely to glean from your writing.
And as a 21time bestselling author, ive read plenty. Writing clear and precise prose is a most difficult task even. Its wellwritten and entertaining, and i still use it to this day as a reference. By exploring and explaining the perceptive patterns that readers of english follow in their writing from the readers perspective. Plain english is the writing style that 1 all legal writing textbooks. Reflecting on the authors decades of experience as an international writing consultant, writer, and instructor, the sense of structure teaches writing from the perspective of readers. The wac clearinghouse, colorado state university open press, and university press of colorado are collaborating so that these books will be widely available through free digital distribution and low. This methodology of reader expectations is founded on the recognition that readers make many of their most important interpretive. I think i learned as much from seeing how he managed to turn a nonfiction book into a pageturner as i did from his explicit advice on writing. Gopen writing seminars held annually in octobernovember, writing from the readers perspective is a full day seminar that focuses on writing from the readers perspective.
This text demonstrates that readers have relatively fixed. This instructor resource approaches the teaching of writing by focusing on readers expectations, explaining the perceptive patterns that readers follow in their interpretive process. By dean clark managing editor a friend and i, a few years back, debated how to search for truth. Writing from the readers perspective 9780205296323 by gopen, george and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at. Thus, he assumes you are writing to communicate with another person, rather than simply to please yourself. Doug butler thoughts on learning you never really learn anything until you have to teach it to someone else. Lest the reader think that there is nothing unique about writing from a legal perspective, professor gopen quickly points out that legal writing does differ from most other writing in at least one fundamental respect. Resources if you want to learn more about the ideas presented here, there are lots of books and articles. Teaching writing from the readers perspective 9780205296170 by gopen, george and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at. The sense of structure emphasizing reader expectations, this composition text provides an insightful guide to writing clearly and effectively. In fewer than ten pages, the authors deliver a bouquet of rhetorical principles and techniques that can ensure clarity while avoiding. Detailed chapters cover every type of science writing, from routine forms, such as laboratory notes, abstracts, and memoranda, to the more complex. Ten lessons in clarity and grace, by joseph williams. How to write a book in 2020 a stepbystep guide for new.
Numerous courses and books on scientific writing in english reference a classic, the science of science writing, by george d. Swan this article was originally published in the novemberdecember 1990 issue of american scientist. Emphasizing reader expectations, this composition text provides an insightful guide to writing clearly and effectively reflecting on the authors decades of experience as an international writing consultant, writer, and instructor, the sense of structure teaches writing from the perspective of readers. Since my friend was an attorney, he cited jurisprudence as the optimum path. Rather than laying out grammatical rules, the text focuses on how readers make decisions concerning what a given. This exceptional book encompasses the entire range of writing skills that todays experimental scientist may need to employ. Emphasizing reader expectations, this composition text provides an insightful guide to writing clearly and effectively. Science for scientific writing handout duke university. Purdues resource on clarity in writing uses many of the same principles as gopen and swan, and the scientific writing resource. It is a writing guide that goes beyond grammar and bibliographic formats, by demonstrating in detail how to compose the sections of a scientific paper. Science teachers and students will find useful training materials to help improve scientific writing ability. The author, george gopen, is a professor of rhetoric and a consultant to many firms about writing. The science of scientific writing if the reader is to grasp what the writer means, the writer must understand what the reader needs george d.
By exploring and explaining the perceptive patterns that readers of english follow in their interpretive process, this rhetoric approaches the task of teaching writing from the perspective of readers. What to expect from the gopen writing seminars duke. Writing from the readers perspective thursday, march 16, 2017 this technique allows writers to predict with great accuracy how. It does not matter how pleased an author might be to have converted all the. Science of writing university of california, san diego.
Scientific writing from the readers perspective with dr. The most comprehensive writing guide available for science students and professional researchers this exceptional book encompasses the entire range of writing skills that todays experimental scientist may need to employ. As a result, students learn how to write with conscious knowledge of readers expectations. The fall 2019 gopen writing seminar will be held on monday, november 18, 8. The most common purposes in academic writing are to persuade, analyzesynthesize, and inform. None writes in a style that is clear, direct, and plain. Swan, published in the novemberdecember 1990 issue volume 78 of american scientist. Gopens reader expectation approach to the english language book. Undergraduate classes on scientific writing and public speaking researchfocused career published 150 articles and invited book chapters given 300 presentations on scientific topics love for teaching more than 50 workshops on dna topics written five books so far on forensic dna typing. Isbn 0829921230 writing clear and precis prose is a most difficult task even under ideal conditions, but the lawyer faces the worst of all conditions, a hostile audience. The fundamental purpose of scientific discourse is not the mere presentation of information and thought but rather its actual communication. Dec 05, 2007 numerous courses and books on scientific writing in english reference a classic, the science of science writing, by george d. This text demonstrates that readers have relatively fixed expectations of where certain words or grammatical constructions will appear in a unit of discourse.
By exploring and explaining the perceptive patterns that readers of english follow in their writing from the readers perspective duke. His book, the sense of structure completely changed how i write. This article gives you a stepbystep process to make writing your book far easier. Detailed chapters cover every type of science writing, from routine forms, such as laboratory notes, abstracts, and memoranda, to the more complex writing required in dissertations, journal articles, and grant proposals. It is encouraging, at least to me, because it indicates. Pdf on apr 20, 20, nelleke bak and others published guide to academic writing find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate.
Translation of notes on the cosmic bestiary of the edda and the rig veda 1959 by georges. All three lawyers write in a style that is vague, indirect, and inflated. The search text of this pdf is generated from uncorrected ocr text. The wac clearinghouse, colorado state university open press, and university press of colorado are collaborating so that these books will be widely available through free digital distribution and lowcost print editions. Gopen is the scientific writing from the readers perspective scientific writing from the readers perspective with writing. Gopens video series, the reader expectation approach to the english language. I felt this was completely wrong because, in a criminal trial, the two people who. This article demonstrates why it is also the single worst piece of advice. As writing is an iterative process, these activities do not occur in a fixed order. Butler 2015 advanced topics in forensic dna typing. Gopen will demonstrate that readers take most of their clues for the interpretive process not from word choice nor from word meanings, but rather from the structural location of words in a sentence. This eminently practical volume demystifies legal writing, outlines the causes and consequences of bad writing, and prescribes straightforward, easytoapply remedies that will make your writing readable. Gopens writing from a legal perspective, 1981 duke l.
It discusses nominalization, active voice, and transitional words. Reflecting on the authors decades of experience as an international writing consultant, writer, and instructor, the sense of structure teaches writing. The lawyers guide to writing well by tom goldstein, jethro k. Complete with usage notes that address lawyers most common errors, this wellorganized book is both an invaluable tool for practicing lawyers and a. Gopen is a duke iupui center for teaching and in this issue. The lawyers guide to writing well by tom goldstein. I was blown away by the clarity of his presentation and how simple he made writing become. How to write, publish, sell and promote your own book. I have been a big fan of gopens work since i first read the science of scientific writing. Home scientific writing libguides at duke university. Writing from the readers perspective, and writing from a legal perspective, and more on. The 12 best books on writing ive ever read jerry jenkins. Organise working 4 days a week and use the 5th for writing find some way of earning money that is not selling your books until you make it, otherwise your writing becomes stressful and there is pressure to write the next piece that will make a few dollars, as opposed to focusing on your book every morning and night in between working. His book is basically the same thing as the lecture.
Writing from the readers perspective by george gopen. San diego my father has written a dozen books covering his field of horseshoeing and started his own school after teaching at three different universities. An exception is the article the science of scientific writing by george d. Gopen writing seminars held annually in octobernovember. Teaching writing from the readers perspective updated edition by george d. Teaching writing from the readers perspective 9780205296170 by gopen, george and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. The writing samples within this workbook appear onscreen throughout the series but some viewers may wish to follow along by printing out their.
Writing from the readers perspective 9780205296323. There is also a new version of this book that costs about 3 times as much, coauthored with gregory colomb. Writing from the readers perspective 9780205296323 by gopen, george and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. It isnt just the clarity of exposition, but often the depth and breadth of the later paper that leads to broader readership. This depth and breadth can emerge from an effort to clearly communicate. Gopens reader expectation approach to the english language is part of the thinkaha series, whose slim and handy books contain 140 wellthoughtout ahamessages.
Jan 18, 2004 emphasizing reader expectations, this composition text provides an insightful guide to writing clearly and effectively. Complex, sophisticated prose cannot be written effectively without. Gopen presents a different approach to writingone that focuses on what a reader is likely to glean from your writing. Of course, writing is hard work and no one writes perfectlycertainly not i. Over the past few years, ive written a threepart series of. Gopen videos lectures on video youtube writings books articles. Discover book depositorys huge selection of george d gopen books online. Teachingwriting from the readers perspective,pearson longman,2004. Swan, first published in american scientist novdec 1990, volume 78, 550558.
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