Syllabus

Course Code – EN316/416 (Online)

Arcadia University
English Department
Spring 2011
Andy McPhee
Cell: 267-614-0996 (No calls after 10:00 PM, please, or before 10:00 AM on weekends)
Primary e-mail: mcpheea@arcadia.edu
Secondary e-mail: atmcphee@gmail.com
Emergency e-mail: atm@fadavis.com (daytime only)

About the course

The course will introduce the healthcare publishing industry as a potential career and cover
a variety of types of healthcare publications, though we will focus mostly on publications for
consumers, less so on publications for healthcare professionals. Students will become
familiar with research tools, interview techniques, and the integration of graphics to
enhance text. Students will spend considerable time and energy on the mechanics of
translating complex clinical information into readily understandable prose. They’ll learn how
to differentiate between types of content, including clinical, editorial, graphical, and
administrative, and will apply that knowledge in actual writing and editing scenarios.
Succeeding as an online student
To succeed in an online course you need to login regularly (daily if possible) and work
consistently so you can complete your requirements on time. Keep these recommendations
in mind:
• Because we won’t meet face-to-face, you must participate in the discussion board with
your partner, as well as on the phone and in Skype conferences with your instructor.
• Know that the Cyber Cafe is available for you to engage in your community outside the
course.
• Online learners need to be self-motivated and to stay as organized as possible. I suggest
that you develop and stick to a schedule.
• Type all assignments into a Word document. That way you can construct a quality
answer, spell check, and grammar check before copying and pasting the content into the
forum.

Requirements for Discussion Board Sessions

• You are required to respond to a minimum of three other student postings for forums
that require interaction with your peers. I will be looking at the way you analyze the
postings and extend the conversation.
• Please use the discussion boards to share your own experiences. At this level we can all
learn a great deal by sharing our experiences.
• Your postings will be evaluated based upon their
substantive nature and how it addresses the question at
hand. Simple responses such as “I agree” are, well, lame
and therefore unacceptable. Strive to respond at the
analyzing or evaluating levels.
Discussion etiquette
Opinions can vary widely on what makes “good writing.” And
rightly so. I want to encourage open, thoughtful discussion on the
various issues posed during the course and will welcome the
diversity in opinions some issues will inevitably provoke.
However, every student must respect all thoughts and comments posted by their peers. If I
find that inappropriate or offensive comments have been posted, I will remove them from
the forum and address the issue with the author. Please follow these guidelines for posts:
• Never post, transmit, promote, or distribute content known to be illegal.
• Never post harassing, threatening, or embarrassing comments.
• If you disagree with someone, respond to the subject, not the person.
• Never post harmful, abusive, racially, ethnically, religiously offensive, vulgar, or
otherwise potentially offensive content.
Basically just use your head when posting.

Plagiarism policy
Plagiarism is defined as the inclusion of someone else’s words, ideas, or data as one’s own
work. When a student submits work for credit that includes the words, ideas, or data of
others, the source of that information must be acknowledged through complete, accurate,
and specific references, and, if verbatim statements are included, through quotation marks
as well. By placing your name on a work submitted for credit, you certify the originality of all
work not otherwise identified by appropriate acknowledgments. Plagiarism covers
unpublished as well as published sources.
Examples of plagiarism include but are not limited to the following:
• Quoting another person’s actual words, complete sentences or paragraphs, or an entire
piece of written work without acknowledgment of the source. Using another person’s
ideas, opinions, or theory, even if it is completely paraphrased in one’s own words
without acknowledgment of the source
• Borrowing facts, statistics, or other illustrative materials that are not clearly common
knowledge without acknowledgment of the source
• Copying another student’s essay test answers Copying, or allowing another student to
copy, a computer file that contains another student’s assignment, and submitting it, in
part or in its entirety, as one’s own
• Working together on an assignment, sharing the computer files and programs involved,
and then submitting individual copies of the assignment as one’s own individual work
• Students are urged to consult with individual faculty members, academic departments,
or recognized handbooks in their field if in doubt regarding issues of plagiarism.
Required materials
The following books are required for this course (both available in Arcadia’s bookstore):
• Zinsser, On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, Harper Paperbacks,
©2006, ISBN 978-0060891541, $14.99
• Goodman et al, Medical Writing: A Prescription for Clarity, 3rd Edition, Cambridge
University Press, ©2007, ISBN 978-0521858571, $62.00

Other requirements
Because this course is being delivered online, your computer system needs to meet specific
hardware and software requirements.
Software
For this course, you need access to Microsoft Office or software that can author MS Office
formats, such as Google Docs or Open Office. We may use other software packages as well,
but I’ll try to use freeware. The URLs for those programs will be provided later in the course.
Hardware
You will need a headset with a microphone or a built-in laptop microphone.
Prerequisites
EN 416: Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing
Minimum Technical Skills Expected
• The ability to use a modern web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or
Mozilla Firefox, to navigate websites.
• The ability to use your Arcadia e-mail address to send and receive e-mails.
• The ability to learn MyArcadia features found in the Tutorials section of the course, as
needed.
• The ability to use word processing software to read, author, edit, and save documents.
• The ability to use a search engine such as Google to find information online.

Evaluation
All assignments are due in my MyArcadia inbox by 11:59 PM of the day cited in this
document. Without my expressed permission, late entries will be marked down 10 percent.
The following grids provide the overall grading rubrics for this course.
PERCEN
ITEM T
Final Newsletter Project 20%
Newsletter Articles 20%
Blogs 10%
Discussion Boards 10%
Activities including
quizzes 20%
Reader Responses 15%
Market Analysis 5%
TOTAL 100%

GRAD
E SCORE
A 90% to 100%
B 80% to 89%
C 70% to 79%
D 60% to 69%
Failure to
F complete required
work

File Naming Conventions

When submitting an assignment of other item as a Microsoft Word or RTF document, please
use the following file naming conventions.
1. No spaces
2. All words with initial cap
3. “Unit” plus unit number as two digits
4. Assignment name
5. Underscore, then your last name
6. Date submitted using this format
• Month as two digits
• Day as two digits
• Example for February 12: 0212
7. Examples
• For a student named Jones, a read-and-react assignment called E-mail Interviews for
Unit 4, and submitted February 3: Unit07EmailInterviews_Jones0212
• For a student named Smith, an assignment called, oh, say Fred and Ethel for Unit 8,
and submitted March 17: Unit08FredAndEthel_Jones0317

Course Start Date: January 18, 2011

Objectives
By the end of this course, the student will be able to:
• Write accurate, compelling, well-organized, and well-researched health-related articles
with a keen understanding of numerous healthcare markets.
• Craft clear, compelling, and professional queries to publishers.
Unit schedule

Unit 1 Introduction and Parts of a Publication

Start Date: January 18
Objectives
By the end of this section, the student will be able to:
• Explain the relevance of each of the following terms as it applies to writing for a
healthcare publication: folio, trim size, leading, kerning, title page, masthead, subtitle
page, ISBN, copyright page, disclaimer, serif, sans serif, front matter, back matter.
• Explain the difference between a preface and a foreword and between an
acknowledgment and a dedication.
• Identify editorial, design, and administrative elements of a healthcare publication.
• Describe how editorial content differs from clinical content.
• Describe how graphical content differs from editorial content.
Materials
• Unit 1 Healthcare Publication Basics (PowerPoint)
• Various newsletters in PDF (Newsletter samples.PDF)
Readings
• http://www.patmcnees.com/the_difference_between_a_preface__foreword__and_introduct
ion_52536.htm
• Guide to Front and Back Matter
• Publishing Glossary (for reference only)
Assignments
• Complete an Interview Introduction
• Start a Writer’s Blog and make initial entry
• Complete Healthcare Publication Basics quiz
• NEWSLETTER PROJECT: Determine target healthcare institution
Due Date: January 25

Unit 2 Know Your Market

Start Date: January 25
Objectives
By the end of this section, the student will be able to:
• Describe importance of knowing the market
• Describe at least 10 key areas to examine when investigating a new market
• Analyze one healthcare market in detail
Materials
• Unit 2 Outline Know Your Market
Readings
• Zinsser
• Chapter 15, Science and Technology, pages 147–164
Assignments
• Market Analysis
• Read and React: The Writer’s Humanity
• Complete online survey Market Analysis-Undergrad or -Graduate Student, as appropriate
• NEWSLETTER PROJECT: Decide on a newsletter theme
Due Date: February 1

Unit 3 Writing for a Particular Publication

Start Date: February 1
Objectives
By the end of this section, the student will be able to:
• Analyze the various options of the I/you/he/she/it issue.
• Describe three elements taken into consideration by readability calculators.
• Explain three keys to writing to a specific reading level.
Materials
• Unit 3 Outline Writing to a Particular Publication
• PowerPoint: Writing to a Reading Level
• Document: Using MS Word Readability Calculators
Readings
• Goodman/Edwards
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: The Malaise of Medical Manuscripts
Assignments
• PowerPoint: Read through Writing to a Reading Level
• Document: Change Your Own Reading Level
• Discussion Board: Respond to the Discussion Board topic You’re the Publisher: I, You,
He/She/It
• NEWSLETTER PROJECT: Submit rough draft of Table of Contents
Due Date: February 8

Unit 4 Healthcare Interview Part 1

Start Date: February 8
Objectives
By the end of this section, the student will be able to:
• Describe how to conduct an effective healthcare interview.
• Develop coherent question base for interview.
• Place interview questions into meaningful sequence.
• Take a stand on whether to conduct a healthcare using e-mail alone.
Materials
• Unit 4 Outline Healthcare Interview
• Can We Tape Guide
• Consent to Interview and Its Limits
• Inbox Journalism
• Interviewing Techniques
• Recording Laws for Tri-State Region
• Surreptitious Recording
Readings
• Can We Tape Guide
• Consent to Interview and Its Limits
• Inbox Journalism
• Interviewing Techniques
• Recording Laws for Tri-State Region
• Surreptitious Recording
Assignments
• Activity: Forming a Question Base
• Read and React: E-mail Interviews
Due Date: February 15

Unit 5 Healthcare Interview Part 2

Start Date: February 15
Objectives
• Recite at least five useful interview questions or phrases
• Explain how to form three kinds of interview questions
• Explain how to wrap up an interview
Materials
• Unit 5 Outline
• Rules to Interview By
• 13 Simple Journalist Techniques for Effective Interviews
Readings
• Interviewing Techniques
• Rules to Interview By
• Zinsser
• Chapter 12, Writing About People: The Interview, pages 100–115
Assignments
• Successfully complete Newsletter Project using student-conducted interviews of
healthcare professionals
• Read and React: Zinsser on Interviewing
Due Date: February 22

Unit 6 Content Concepts in Healthcare Writing, Part 1

Start Date: February 22
Objectives
By the end of this section, the student will be able to:
• Identify global concepts, segmental concepts, and clinical concepts in a healthcare
article
• Use outlining techniques to build overall article structure
• Explain the usefulness of similes and metaphors in healthcare writing
• Build concepts in logical sequence
• List items in logical sequence
Materials
• PowerPoint: Content Concepts in Healthcare Writing, Part 1
• Document: Metaphors In Health Care.pdf
Readings
• 316 and 416 students
• Metaphors In Health Care
• Zinsser
• Chapters 1 through 4, pages 3–23
• Chapter 10 (pg 67–91)
• 416 students only (though 316 students are certainly welcome to read this as well)
• Goodman/Edwards: Chapter 3, pg 25–44
Assignments
• Blog: Write about the use of similes and metaphors in your own writing
• Due March 1, 2011
• Complete Newsletter Assignment by due date
• NEWSLETTER PROJECT: Submit draft of secondary news articles
Due Date: March 1

Unit 7 Content Concepts in Healthcare Writing, Part 2

Start Date: March 1
Objectives
By the end of this section, the student will be able to:
• Effectively introduce new terms to reader in healthcare article
• Explain new clinical concepts clearly
• Identify concept gaps in healthcare article
• Build pre-interview question bank based on concept gaps
• Build logical, well-sequenced content bridges
• Employ use of transitional words and phrases and other methods to build content
bridges
Materials
• PowerPoint: Content Concepts in Healthcare Writing, Part 2
Readings
• Zinsser
• Chapters 5 through 9, pages 24–66
• Goodman & Edwards
• Chapter 4, pages 45–94
Assignments
• Complete Newsletter Project by assigned due date
• Read and React: Your Pet Peeves
• Blog: Entry on topic chosen from list of Zinsser’s Bits & Pieces (Chapter 10)
Due Date: March 8

Unit 8 Research for the Healthcare Writer

Start Date: March 8
Objectives
By the end of this section, the student will be able to:
• Describe six key pieces of a research article
• Define and describe the importance to research of the following terms:
• Incidence
• Prevalence
• Incidence rate
• Morbidity
• Mortality
• Co-morbidity
• Confidence interval
• Meta-analysis
• Control-group study
• Double-blind study
• Randomized study
• Simplify a complex medical graph so that a lay person could understand it
Materials
• Goodman and Edwards
• About Prevalence and Incidence Statistics:
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/admin/preval.htm
• CONSORT 2010 Statement (PDF)
Readings
• About Prevalence and Incidence Statistics:
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/admin/preval.htm
• CONSORT 2010 Statement
• Goodman and Edwards
• Chapter 6, Imprecise Words and Phrases, pages 104–115
• Chapter 15, Drawing Clear Graphs, pages 193–202
Assignments
• Simplifying the Data
• NEWSLETTER PROJECT: Submit draft of main newsletter article
Due Date: March 22

Unit 9 All About Graphics, Part 1

Start Date: March 22
Objectives
By the end of this section, the student will be able to:
• Demonstrate understanding of effective use of three types of graphics in a healthcare
publication
• Implement an engaging graphical presentation using solid page layout and design
principles including the group of design principles commonly given the acronym C.R.A.P.
• Employ commonly used design terminology in analyzing graphical layouts
Materials
• PowerPoint: All About Graphics, Part 1
Readings
• Magazine Layout by Randy Torrecampo: http://www.scribd.com/doc/9259625/Magazine-
Layout-by-Randy-Torrecampo
Assignments
• Blog: Write about how well, if at all, Randy Torrecampo’s PowerPoint slides stayed true
to the principles he describes in them?
• Discussion Board
• Topic: When, if ever, is the design more important than the words?
• Complete Newsletter Assignment by assigned due date
Due Date: March 29

Unit 10 All About Graphics, Part 2

Start Date: March 29
Objectives
By the end of this section, the student will be able to:
• Analyze graphical layouts using previously learned concepts and principles
Materials
• PowerPoint: All About Graphics, Part 2
Readings
• None
Assignments
• Blog: Write about what you think of the design of the latest newsletter from a hospital
system (StateOfTheHeartNewsletter.pdf)
• Complete Newsletter Assignment by assigned due date
• NEWSLETTER PROJECT: Submit rough newsletter layout
Due Date: April 5

Unit 11 Maintaining Clinical Accuracy and Balance, Part 1

Start Date: April 5
Objectives
By the end of this section, the student will be able to:
• Explain the ten criteria for what consumers need in stories
• Implement all criteria in Newsletter Project articles
Materials
• PowerPoint: Maintaining Clinical Accuracy and Balance, Part 1
• Dialysis Article.pdf
• Kanzius Machine Transcript.pdf
• Making Sense of Health Statistics.pdf
Readings
• Online at Health News Review (HFR) (For full list, see Unit 11 Assignment: Ten Criteria for
Successful Healthcare Writing)
• What is the Total Cost?
• How often do benefits occur?
• How often do harms occur?
• How strong is the evidence?
• Is this condition exaggerated?
• Are there alternative options?
• Is this really a new approach?
• Is it available to me?
• Who’s promoting this?
• Do they have a conflict of interest?
Assignments
• 316 and 416 students
• Complete Unit 11 Assignment: Ten Criteria for Successful Healthcare Writing
• Develop 3–5 questions for HNR expert
• 416 students only
• Unit 11 Read and React (416 students only): Which Story to Tell?
Due Date: April 12

Unit 12 Maintaining Clinical Accuracy and Balance, Part 2

Start Date: April 12
Objectives
By the end of this section, the student will be able to:
• Write objective, accurate, and balanced healthcare news articles
Materials
• Access to web conference
Readings
• None
Assignments
• Blog: Of the ten criteria you read about on HNR, which do you think is most important
and why? Blog about this criterion and how it relates to your own views on healthcare
writing.
Due Date: April 19

Unit 13 Business of Writing

Start Date: April 19
Objectives
By the end of this section, the student will be able to:
• Explain the differences among all rights, first North American serial rights, one-time
rights, reprint rights, and work-for-hire rights
• Explain electronic rights and why publishers and authors both want them
• Describe four methods of charging for writing
• Describe how to negotiate effectively
• Explain kill fees and when they’re used
Materials
• PowerPoint: Unit 13 Outline Business of Writing
• How to Negotiate Freelance Writing Fees (PDF)
Readings
• Looking at negotiations from the editor’s side: Working With Freelance Writers
• How to Negotiate Freelance Writing Fees (PDF)
• Freelance Contracts: Do’s And Don’ts
• Rights 101
Assignments
• Blog: Explain to your readers how freelancers can charge for their work, and give them
a few tips about discussing fees with an editor.
• Discussion Board: What do you fear most about negotiating with an editor?
• NEWSLETTER PROJECT: Submit finished newsletter
Due Date: April 26

Unit 14 Pitching Your Work

Start Date: April 26
Objectives
By the end of this section, the student will be able to:
• Explain how to identify good story ideas
• Describe effective query letter in detail
• Explain advantages of writing good query letter
• Identify four key structural elements of good query letter
• Differentiate between instances when formal query would be more effective than e-mail
query
• Write effective e-mail query letter
Materials
• Unit 14 Outline Pitching Your Work
• Zinsser
• Document: Write a Query E-mail
Readings
• Zinsser
• Chapter 21, Enjoyment, Fear, and Confidence, pages 241–252
• Chapter 22, The Tyranny of the Final Product, pages 253–260
• Chapter 23, A Writer’s Decisions, pages 261–280
Assignments
• Write a Query E-mail
• Read and React: After reading the assigned Zinsser chapters, respond to the following
questions:
• 316 and 416 students
• Zinsser urges his reader to act like “Mr. Stupid” to uncover interesting
information from an interviewee. Should we all play the Mr. Stupid role in all
interviews, or are there times when we should take a different approach? Explain.
• 416 students only
• Most beginning writers don’t know when to trust their writing. They use
punctuation and poorly chosen words to hit the reader upside the head with an
important moment. They don’t yet realize that the reader needs his own
“pleasure of discovery.” When have you successfully trusted your writing? Was it
hard for you to do that?
Due Date: May 2