Running head: PERIODIC PRACTICES 1

Periodic Practices: An Analysis of the Discipline of Chemistry

Luis Larios
University of California, Santa Barbara

ACE Writing 2
Professor Johnson
May 9, 2018
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Abstract
Within the science discourse community, there are several prevalent disciplines. Chemistry is a

discipline within the community and is observed to contain a set of literacy practices that make it

distinctive from other discourses in other areas of study. To distinctively recognize the literacy

practices of chemistry in the academia, lectures at university level were observed, personal

interviews from post-doctoral professors were conducted along with the analyzation of relevant

journals made by researchers within the field of chemistry. Through analysis of the several

sources it could be concluded that objectivity, collaboration and deductive methodology are the

literacy practices that are honored and distinguish the discipline of chemistry.

Keywords: Objectivity, collaboration, deductive methodology, journals, observation,

interview
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Periodic Practices: An Analysis of the Discipline of Chemistry

Science as a discourse community utilizes distinctive conventions to uphold the values

that make the discourse distinct from other communities. The sub-disciplinary area of the

science discourse, chemistry utilizes distinctive conventions called literacy practices. Literacy

practices are what help distinguish discourse communities and their disciplines, the practices are

the framework to which these discourses revolve around. Understanding the practices, allows for

better assessment to the overall function of a discourse, such as for students when considering

chemistry in the academia. Through observations gathered as a general chemistry student at the

undergraduate level, and analyzing scientific journals relevant to the field, I have become aware

of the expectations and conventions used by professors in the chemistry department. I have come

to understand the overall values that framework chemistry in the academia and its expectations

for students. The conventions of a chemistry class reflect objectivity, collaboration and deductive

methodology. These literacy practices can be seen across a multitude of platforms across the

discipline: within the classroom, from professors and within researcher’s journals and reflect the

chemistry discipline entirely.

Objectivity is a practice that many professors in the chemistry community strive for. The

materials presented in lecture are purely objective, and are solely based on the information that is

already prevalent in the field. I have observed within my general chemistry class, chemistry 1C,

that concepts and theories made by credible chemist, are valued and amplified throughout

lecture. The chemists are mentioned only to be given credit for establishing a concept or theory,

but what is truly valued is the concept or theory itself. The person is thus, detached from the

concept when presented in class, so that the lecture mainly focuses on the concept itself. My

professor makes it so she induces no bias when lecturing. She does so by, obtaining material
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from several textbooks relating to the concept being lectured, so that concepts are easily

attainable to students (B. Kunkel, personal interview). The concepts reflect information from the

8th edition Chemical Principles textbook. From observation what is said during lecture almost

completely corresponds with what the text book says. The information within the text book has

been established for several years, and utilizing the book as a structure for class minimalizes the

personal input that a professor may feel towards a concept or theory. The lecture is then

completely objective, by presenting the material how it is established, and works towards

outlining concepts, and presenting quantitative and qualitative relationships between them.

Objectivity can be seen in the field of chemistry as well, when researchers report their

findings in journals. The researchers must remain completely objective, so that these newly

formed ideas seem factual and unbiased, or seemingly altered where they may be assumed as

false. Researchers do so by using passive voice, which omits inputting themselves from the

scientific journal. Charles Marzzacco and Clayton Baum (2011), use passive voice when

discussing VSEPR models in their scientific journal article, “Computational Chemistry Studies

on the Carbene Hydroxymethylene,” stating, “The predicted bond lengths and bond angles

resulting from density functional theory are in excellent agreement with those using the coupled-

cluster method” (pg.1670). The researchers remove themselves from this statement to make it

sound more credible, as well as to amplify the importance of the concept itself, and less about the

researchers making these discoveries. The researchers could have instead stated, “the bond

lengths we predicted and bond angles…”, but as soon as an active voice is used the writing is

now subjective, and doesn’t coincide with the literacy practices of chemistry. When the writing

is subjective, the research seems more about the researchers’ accomplishments rather than the

topic of chemistry. The use of passive voice is seen in other chemistry journals as well, such as
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in the chemists Kunkel, Peoples, Yung and Scott (2011) did in their journal article “Catalyzed

Cracking Leads to Suppressed Flammability in Clay-polyolefin Nanocomposites”, they state

“Clay–polyolefin nanocomposites were prepared via in situ polymerization…” (pg.1076), again

the researchers remove themselves from the actual findings to amplify the concept. The same is

done with students during the lab portion of the chemistry class; discussions are required to be

passive, and the students are asked to remove themselves from the experimentation, and solely

talk about the experiment.

Another practice of chemistry along with objectivity, is the collaboration efforts evoked

across the field. Chemistry is a collaborative field of study, and is a practice largely present in

the lecture hall, as well as in the lab. Students collaborate with one another to solve in class

iclicker questions, to generate a better sense of understanding, and how to work with others. My

professor insists that with the use of iclicker questions, students can engage in discussion and

better understand concepts. Students are able to see different perspectives and also see if they are

able to explain the concept (B. Kunkel, personal interview). Students are often encouraged to

work together and teach each other topics to help retain the concepts learned in lecture. I have

observed such collaborative efforts throughout lecture as well as in tutorial groups for chemistry,

which encourage group work when problem solving. In the introduction prior to the scientific

article, Marzzacco and Baum (2011) say that exercises in which students work together using

computational chemistry methods gives them better understandings of bonding as well as other

topics relating to VSEPR (pg.1667). Collaboration is more evident in the lab portion of

chemistry where it is mandatory that you have a lab partner, which enforces the collaborative

practice that is crucial to the discipline of chemistry. Physical and computational mistakes are

lessened through collaboration, and it allows for better analytical understanding of the concepts
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as well. In almost all practices of work relating to chemistry there is almost always a

collaborative effort, such as within the journals previously mentioned. The process of publishing

and creating a journal requires collaboration amongst chemists. . There are almost always at least

two chemists responsible for a journal on a topic of chemistry. Collaborating on research projects

allows a lower risk factor for error, and establishes more credibility when appealing to a

scientific audience. A journal can sometimes seem more factual, and have less room for bias

when there are a multitude of contributors. Thus, the use of collaborative efforts is an important

practice to consider for researchers and students alike in the discipline of chemistry.

Moreover, chemistry in the academia follows a framework of a form of deductive

methodology. Deductive methods are methods used to gain insight on an object starting from a

macro more general level, and deducing it to a micro level where already formed ideas are

revisited and rethought of (Merriam Webster Dictionary). Through my time spent in class, I

observed a cyclitic structure in which the information was presented, that can be described best

as deductive. For example, a topic presented in lecture such as solutions. The solution is first

broadly explained, examining the various components that make up a solution, and then broken

down as a solute and solvent. The concept is then broken down farther to describe its properties

of boiling point and osmotic pressure, which then is taken down a step further and we discuss

how we find these certain measurements. The concept is then turned to the students through a

given problem that is worked through using the methods that were just taught, to get an answer

(L. Larios, personal lecture notes). The professor uses this methodology to run the course, she

says that usually a concept will be explained, and then decides the number of examples she’ll do

with the class before turning it to the students, and by turning it to the students, she is able to see

whether a concept needs to be revisited (B. Kunkel, personal interview). The presentation of
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knowledge in this manner allows for students to better attain information and has improved the

overall frequency of obtaining the correct answer, during tests and iclicker questions. Based off

in class observations, the deductive method allows for a better flow and presentation of

knowledge throughout the lecture, and is what is utilized in the field of chemistry regularly.

In experimentation for general chemistry courses, deductive reasoning is solely done,

experiments are given to which already have a definite conclusion to it so, there are no further

experimentations to be developed from them. Chemists also structure their journals in a

deductive method, as seen in the journal of Marzzacco and Baum (2011). The structures of their

journal goes deductively; it begins with an introduction, then the structure of the compound

hydroxymethylene is analyzed, then it is deduced into is decomposition factors, such as

transition state and the results are summarized (pg.1667-1670). The new findings are all based on

previous theories that were being rethought about, and similar structures are seen amongst

different chemistry journals. Kunkel et al. (2011) go through a similar process in their journal.

The introduction about the properties of the clay are presented, information that is already

known, to which then experimental and newly found information is presented, and then is

concluded and discussed (pg.1075-1079). Further, more chemists doing research often time also

think inductively and must create new theories because of experimentation, but this is only done

at the research level of chemistry, and as far as general chemistry students are only first required

to draw conclusions deductively. The commencement of research is done deductively for

chemistry such as is the framework for the discipline in its academic discourse.

Overall the chemistry disciplinary area of the scientific discourse community, involves a

set of literacy practices that make it distinct from other areas. Objectivity is valued across the

discipline within, the academia as a way of presenting concepts without being subjective or
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biased, and in the journals of scientists from the field of study. The discipline of chemistry

evokes collaborative efforts to be taken inside and outside of the academic classroom and is

valued by professors and researchers alike. A deductive methodology is what structures the basis

of the discipline in the academia by giving professors a general structure to present information.

Researchers utilized this method to infer new discoveries, and allows them to conclude results

from experimentation through a deductive process. These components are the literacy practices

which distinguish the sub-disciplinary field of chemistry, within the scientific discourse

community, from other discourses. Following the practices which compose the discipline can

allow for better comprehension and assessment of knowledge from the discipline by students,

professors and researchers.

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References

Deductive method. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2018, from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/deductive method

Kunkel, B., Peoples, B., Yung, C., & Scott, S. (2011). Clay‐catalyzed cracking leads to

suppressed flammability in clay–polyolefin nanocomposites. Macromolecular Materials

and Engineering, 296(12), 1075-1080.Retrieved form https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Kunkel, B. Personal Interview. 2018, May 3.

Kunkel, B. (2018, April 23). Properties of Solutions. Addressed at the College of Letters and

Science University of California, Santa Barbara, CA. Retrieved from Larios, L. Lecture

Notes.

Marzzacco, Charles J., & Baum, J. Clayton. (2011). computational chemistry studies on the

carbene hydroxymethylene. Journal of Chemical Education, 88(12), 1667-

1671.Retrieved from https://pubs.acs.org/doi/