CHEM 784/7840 - Literature Review
Semester: Fall 2025
Professor: S. Lee | | Campus: WaterlooDescription
The goal of CHEM 784(0) is the construction of a written scientific literature review / proposal focussing on the thesis research topic of the individual student. Through this process, students will teach themselves the background behind their research project, learn how to acquire and organize this understanding, and develop their interpersonal and written scientific communication skills. The skills practiced in this course are core competencies for further graduate study and future career paths.
Students will learn how to use multiple resources to search and vet scientific literature relevant to their own research. Based on this literature, students will write a review paper (ca. 25 typed pages in length) in which they present and explain scientific concepts and methods, the up-to-date state of research, and the open questions that are relevant to their research field, including reasons and methods for undertaking further studies. Students will submit excerpts of their writing for peer review, participate in peer review of others’ writing, and learn to improve their scientific writing through this iterative feedback process. Preparation of graphic content will be addressed similarly. This course has a hybrid delivery of in-person lectures, online assignments, and independent study. The material of the review will be further developed, presented and defended in the CHEM 794(0) MSc Research Seminar.
CHEM 784(0) is a required one term course for all full-time graduate students who are enrolled for an MSc degree starting from Fall 2020; students must complete the requirements for CHEM 784(0) within their first two terms in the program and are strongly encouraged to take this course in their first term. CHEM 784(0) is offered in Fall and Winter terms.
Materials
The CHEM 784 course website will be hosted on Learn. All course material and information will be posted on this site, including lecture slides, reading and writing assignments, and supporting material.
ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/book/10.1021/acsguide (accessed 2025-08-12)
Alley, M. The Craft of Scientific Writing, 4th ed.; Springer, 2018.
The ACS guide is freely accessible to members of the U. Waterloo and U. Guelph communities. The current (4th, 2018) edition of the Alley book is not available from either of the university libraries, although it can be purchased online. The 3rd edition (1996) of the book, while dated, is available from the U. Waterloo library (and, presumably, the U. Guelph library) as an electronic download.
Also relevant and available for electronic download from the university libraries:
Alley, M. The Craft of Editing: A Guide for Managers, Scientists, and Engineers; Springer, 2000.
Evaluation
The grading scheme given here is preliminary and will be updated in the first few weeks of the term. Likewise, specific details of the assignments, peer review and participation process, and final review paper will be provided in a timely fashion as the course progresses.
Assignments. Shorter writing exercises that will form the basis for the final written review paper, total marks = 15% of final grade. Some submissions will be peer-reviewed by other members of the class and actively discussed during class meetings.
Peer review and participation. Students will evaluate other students’ work in the context of effective scientific writing, total marks = 20% of final grade.
Supervisory committee membership forms. Required for course completion.
Final literature review paper. 65% of final grade, evaluated by the supervisor committee.
Lab/Project
Scientific writing is at the core of CHEM 784, and active engagement is essential for the development of writing skills. To encourage participation, synchronous class attendance will be expected for all enrollees, in person with the instructor in EIT 2053 for U. Waterloo students and on MS Teams for U. Guelph students. If you cannot attend a meeting or, in the case of U. Waterloo enrollees, need to attend remotely, please notify Prof. Lee in advance. Note that meetings for Guelph students may be shifted from Teams to MacN 101 (the link room) if this proves more appropriate for this course
Schedule
- Wed: 7:00 pm - 9:20 pm in EIT 2053