When you enter a Ph. D. program, you are not only training to become a research expert. You are also becoming a professional communicator.

None of us take a Ph. D. thinking that we will become professional communicators, but our successful completion of the Ph. D. requires that we produce scientific communication across multiple genres or formats - peer-reviewed research articles, conference papers, public presentations, course lectures, and our final defence. Unfortunately, many Ph. D.s do not fully develop their skills as professional communicators, which is why many of us find writing or public speaking about our research difficult.

Luckily, we can improve our skills in scientific communication by learning about Rhetoric. Rhetoric is a theory on how to effectively communicate and can be applied to both writing and oral communication. Rhetoric involves thinking about the logic of the arguments we are presenting, ensuring that we act as a credible information source and use credible information, and forming appropriate connections with out intended audience. By becoming familiar with Rhetoric, and learning how to think rhetorically, we can improve our communication skills for both writing and public speaking.

The Rhetorical Triangle provides key questions that you should ask and answer about your work to improve the Logic (Logos), Credibility (Ethos), and Audience Connection (Pathos) when preparing your scientific communications.

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You can download a fillable PDF of the Rhetorical Triangle for Composing Scientific Writing by clicking on the link below
Rhetorical Triangle for composing science writing.pdf