Writing Microbiology Resource Announcements (MRA)

After annotating their phage genomes, students will write a manuscript describing the phage(s) they discovered. The manuscript will be published on the pre-print repository BioRxiv, where it will be indexed and searchable via PubMed and can be readily referenced. Faculty and students can then submit the same manuscript for peer review and consideration for publication in the journal Microbial Resource Announcements (MRA). The resource includes a validated rubric for meaningful assessment of student learning. Learning objectives After completing this module, students should be able to: Write drafts of a manuscript describing characteristics of their phage, including isolation parameters, morphological characteristics, and genetic content. Collaborate with their peers to write a final draft of the manuscript ready for submission to BioRxiv and/or MRA. Understand that scientific writing is an ongoing process from drafting, finalizing, peer review, and final publication. Be proficient in locating suitable resources and using appropriate citations for the publication. How is the module structured to promote student development as a scientist? One of the most important aspects of being a scientist is becoming an excellent writer to communicate the results of projects. Quality writing exemplifies the basic skills expected of a trained scientist: organization, attention to detail, and critical analysis. After annotating their phage genomes, students will initially write a manuscript draft before working collaboratively as a class to develop a final draft. This module will promote peer collaboration, encourage engagement and independence, model scientific thinking, and produce scientific output. Intended Teaching Setting Course level: majors, first-year students, upper-level students, honors students Instructional Setting: In-person classroom or online Implementation Time Frame: 4-5 hours from writing preliminary draft to final draft ready for submission Project Documents Facilitator document: 0 - Genome Announcement Facilitator Guide Learning activity document(s): 1- Genome Announcement Data Collection Template 2- Genome Announcement Template 3- Genome Announcement Faculty Checklist 4- Writing a Genome Announcement Validated Rubric 5- Writing a Genome Announcement Grading Rubric Acknowledgments: HHMI