BIOL6201 Big Questions in Biology

The purpose of a blog post is to give your opinion of something of interest. Blogs are often focussed arguments from which you want the reader to take a simple message or an argument for a particular course of action. They are a form of persuasive writing. You need to first persuade the reader to actually read your blog and then persuade them of your view. You will be given a general prompt within which there is freedom to choose a topic which can be based on, or extend, course material. Blogs are a more personal form of writing where you are expressing your own opinion. Blogs are written in a different style from a Critical Thinking Piece because your aim is to excite interest or convince your reader of your view, rather than explore ideas and clarify your own thinking. Your blog should begin with an attention-grabbing title and a short introduction that clearly states your topic or issue. You should have one main message, with some evidence for your view or why your message is important. It is important to explain to the reader why this is important to you so a blog can be quite personal – why have you chosen to educate people about this particular issue? What is the evidence that supports your argument? You can include similar types of supporting evidence to the CTP: e.g., lecture material, text books, scientific literature, popular media and personal experiences. Blogs are usually succinct with short paragraphs, even single sentences per paragraph. When planning your blog, it’s a good idea to write an outline first to ensure your writing remains focussed on the message. Once the structure is clear, then you can fill in the text. Blog 2 Blog Guidelines: The audience for your blog are your tutors and lecturers. As with the CTP, they are aware that responses will vary between students and as such they don’t ‘judge’ ideas or thoughts. Your writing should reflect a good understanding and presentation of your chosen topic and a persuasive approach. Tips to Blog Writing 

Structure: Your intro should grab attention, provide context for the issue, highlight why it’s topical, and suggest what your argument will be. The main body of the piece should outline your arguments in a logical way and provide evidence. Your conclusion should summarise your argument, ideally linking back to your intro in some way.

Paragraphs: Should have just one clear point. Keep them short.

Links, but no references: our pieces don’t include references, but hyperlinks can be incorporated (include appropriate link in the text of your submission). The following should be backed up by a link: direct quotes; figures; and references to research, government documents, opinion pieces, or books. 

Have a point you want to make: sounds obvious, but many potentially good pieces are undone by not being clear about the point the writer wants to make. Your piece should have a clear argument.Word choice: Wording should be appropriate for an informed general audience. Overly academic and jargonistic words should not be used. Additional tips ? Think carefully about the headline – does it excite interest? ? The headline and introduction should tell the reader what the blog is about. ? Have a clear message ? Ensure all text is relevant to your message ? Structure your blog into several clear points ? Avoid big blocks of text ? Be useful and informative, with evidence to support your argument ? Develop your own voice and style (why is this issue important to you?) ? Edit and polish – eliminate extra words. Blog 3 Blog Marking Rubric A blog is a piece of persuasive writing so you will be assessed on how effective your blog is in attracting interest and then delivering a clear message. Please read through the blog guidelines to lead you through your writing. You will be assessed on the following criteria:

1. Clarity: Is the message clear and the argument well structured?

2. Interest and persuasiveness: How well have you attracted attention with your headline and introduction (which should continue to be persuasive throughout the entire blog)?

3. Relevance and evidence: Does the blog address an issue of relevance to the course and the given prompt? What evidence did you include to support your argument?

4. Writing style: Can we hear the writer’s voice clearly and is the writing grammatically correct?