PhD in Communication and Language – Scientific writing beyond academia

PhD position with a focus on scientific communication across and outside academic disciplines

Information about the project and the division
While research so far has investigated writing for publication and academic scientific writing, the communicative practices of scientists who write for non-academic readers, or via non-academic genres, is less explored. We are inviting a PhD candidate to propose a study that investigates the writing practices of scientists in one or more of the three broad areas of inquiry envisioned in this project. The project is intended to be interdisciplinary, combining genre studies and theories of learning (for example self-regulated learning, metacognition), to understand how scientists approach these varied communicative situations, and to gain knowledge that can be applied to the training of communicative skills in future scientists.

The details of the project will be developed in collaboration between the PhD student and the supervisor, but the general outline for the project has been developed to give it a sense of direction. Three areas of investigation are proposed, and we are inviting applicants to formulate a project plan in one or more of the following areas on the basis of their own disciplinary background and individual interests/expertise:

1. Writing for the public dissemination of scientific knowledge, beyond academia. The proposed project could identify and describe the variety of genres that scientists are currently producing by analyzing their scientific communication output, such as magazine articles and popular science chapters, that aim to popularize or disseminate scientific knowledge. In addition, specific researchers or groups of researchers that are actively involved in these writing practices could be the focus of investigation, with the aim to probe the thinking that scientific writers do when they compose texts within these genres.

2. Writing for a hybrid audience. Many scientists in STEM conduct research that has immediate impact on professional practices, policy making, or industrial applications. As a result, they face the challenge to communicate the results of their work to “hybrid” audiences, addressing different groups of readers in their scientific publications and producing a variety of genres besides scientific articles. However, we know little about how scientists approach these kinds of writing situations, nor what kind of genres they use. The investigation here could focus on the writing practices of scientists that work in close connection with the industry and professional organizations and could be grounded in literacy/sociocultural theories of writing, genre theory, or have a more cognitive focus.

3. Learning to write in interdisciplinary fields. Many scientists nowadays work in fields that combine expertise from a variety of scientific fields to address global challenges such as environmental impact, sustainable energy, climate change, etc. This potentially poses a rhetorical challenge for doctoral students and young researchers who need to publish on these interdisciplinary topics. Thus, this part of the project could explore these challenges from a learning perspective, and possibly extend to pedagogy that can effectively promote the development of writing abilities for these future scientists.

Major responsibilities
Your major responsibility as a PhD student is to pursue your own doctoral studies related to the project. This includes developing scientific concepts and communicating research results both verbally and in writing. Your research activities will contribute to enhanced knowledge in the scientific field, in particular by presenting your results in scientific journals and at international conferences. In addition to the research project, you will also enroll in courses at the advanced level within the graduate school. The position also includes departmental duties, such as teaching, corresponding to approximately 20% of your working time.

Qualifications
We are looking for a candidate who meets the following qualifications:
- A Master’s degree (preferably a research-oriented master) in a field that is relevant to the research project, for example, Applied Linguistics, Educational Linguistics, TESOL, Composition and rhetoric, Educational Sciences, Learning Sciences, Educational Psychology, or a Master's degree in Engineering with a strong interest in and documented experience of self-regulated learning, metacognition, and/or scientific writing theories and methods.

- A research-oriented mindset in tandem with a strong desire to learn about scientific genres and theories of learning to write. Ideally, the PhD candidate has some background knowledge either in theories of genre and genre pedagogy, academic literacy, scientific writing, and/or in theories of learning such as self-regulated learning and metacognition (for example as part the master thesis or previous publication).

- Good knowledge of, and interest in, qualitative research methods; knowledge of quantitative research methods is a merit. The applicant should ideally have previous experience in conducting research, especially qualitative or text-based research (interviews and surveys ethnographical methods, etc.).

- Fluency in English is required; additional proficiency in Swedish and other languages is considered advantageous due to the multilingual nature of the research environment and the nature of the project itself.

- An ability to work independently as well as cooperatively. Because of the independence required by the work, the applicant should have excellent organizational capacity and attention to detail as the candidate will be completing challenging data collections.

Application deadline: 20 March, 2020

Read more and apply here

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***