On Writing for SoTL

My notes from Michael Potter’s talk…

#1 tip: You are writing for the benefit of other people! Consider interdisciplinary, international audience. What do they need from me? What can you assume (little!)? Think of your reviewers and assume they’re going to be demanding.

Referenced Glassick, Huber, & Maeroff (1997): see here. Summary of their key points:

#1: Have a clear goal for your paper, what you want learners to know.

#2: Adequate preparation — ground both your discipline and SoTL literature, the balance of which will  change depending on the journal.

#3: Have (appropriate) methods and situate what you’re doing and why. Explain them (keeping in mind the interdisciplinary audience.)

#4: Your results should be linked to your conclusion. Conclusion can’t come from different planet from results.

#5: Effective presentation (know your audience).

#6: Reflective critique. May be unique to SoTL (depending on your home discipline). At end, common to see some reflective attempts to generalize, predict, move discussion forward based on your work. This format tends to be common in social science.

“If you’re a poet, write for a scientist. If you’re a scientist, write for a poet.”

Coming in from humanities will be an extra challenge. The bias is coming from social science. Upcoming special issue of CJSoTL on role of humanities in SoTL.

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