About us (& the book)
Enhancing scientific writing by helping you give better feedback
Teaching and Mentoring Writers in the Sciences is a brief, evidence-based book that even our indexer found funny and helpful!
Why we wrote this book for you
Writing is essential for science-trained people at all career stages. And yet, we rarely explicitly teach the skills and craft of scientific writing. Moreover, every scientist eventually teaches scientific writing or mentors junior scientists as they develop their writing skills. When they do, they discover that the task is both difficult and remarkably time-consuming!
People looking for help will find many books about how to do scientific writing. There are also books about teaching academic writing. Numerous books can help people become better creative writers. Still other books address teaching more broadly.
However, none of these books focus on teaching writers in the sciences.
In other words, most writing advice books fall into two categories: self-help books (for writers) or writing teaching books (for instructors in K-12 or English department settings, but not science department settings).
Ours is the only book we know of that bridges this gap and provides evidence-based advice tailored to science instructors/mentors about how to teach/mentor writing in the sciences.
Meet The Team
Bethann Garramon Merkle, MFA
Professor of Practice,
University of Wyoming
Bethann studies and leads national efforts to enhance science communication training. She is also an essayist, poet, and multi-media artist. Learn more at her website.
Read Bethann's blog School of Good Trouble for more resources and tips about writing, science communication, creativity in and beyond science, and making academia better.
Stephen B. Heard, PhD
Honorary Research Professor,
University of New Brunswick
Steve studies all sorts of things, ostensibly with a focus on insects. He is also the author of several other books. Learn more at his website.
Read Steve's blog Scientist Sees Squirrel for more resources and tips about academic writing, as well as science history, humour in science, and much more delightful nerdery.
For any media inquiries, please contact Nicholas Lilly at University of Chicago Press :
For any media inquiries, please contact Nicholas Lilly at University of Chicago Press :