Abstract
The interdisciplinary field of “Literature and Medicine” aims to reintroduce the reflective study of literature into the scientific, data-driven world of healthcare. This broad subject allows for a range of teaching methodologies, often constructed in accordance with an instructor’s research or literary interests, which serve to make classes distinct. Notably, however, the language of “Literature and Medicine” course descriptions, which represent the most concise summaries of courses, often feature similar terms, concepts, and, at times, authors. This is not surprising when one considers that these carefully constructed descriptions must effectively bridge two very different subjects. Therefore, this research project evaluates the language of “Literature and Medicine” course descriptions in order to examine how instructors choose to represent these classes in undergraduate and graduate curricula. The study includes courses from a 20-year span that fall into two categories: “Literature and Medicine” and “Special Topics in Literature and Medicine.” Using data visualization and word frequency programs, this research considers how these course descriptions use select terminology to link the disparate fields of medicine and literature. Through this research, the project intends to answer the following questions:
- What are the most common terms, concepts, and authors featured in a “Literature and Medicine” course description and what do these terms convey about the content and particularity of “Literature and Medicine” courses?
- What changes have occurred in the language of course descriptions over the past 20 years and what do these changes suggest about the field generally?
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Edwin Stieve
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-4-2014 1:00 PM
End Date
4-4-2014 5:30 PM
Literature and Medicine Courses: Examining Descriptions, Making Connections
Alvin Sherman Library
The interdisciplinary field of “Literature and Medicine” aims to reintroduce the reflective study of literature into the scientific, data-driven world of healthcare. This broad subject allows for a range of teaching methodologies, often constructed in accordance with an instructor’s research or literary interests, which serve to make classes distinct. Notably, however, the language of “Literature and Medicine” course descriptions, which represent the most concise summaries of courses, often feature similar terms, concepts, and, at times, authors. This is not surprising when one considers that these carefully constructed descriptions must effectively bridge two very different subjects. Therefore, this research project evaluates the language of “Literature and Medicine” course descriptions in order to examine how instructors choose to represent these classes in undergraduate and graduate curricula. The study includes courses from a 20-year span that fall into two categories: “Literature and Medicine” and “Special Topics in Literature and Medicine.” Using data visualization and word frequency programs, this research considers how these course descriptions use select terminology to link the disparate fields of medicine and literature. Through this research, the project intends to answer the following questions:
- What are the most common terms, concepts, and authors featured in a “Literature and Medicine” course description and what do these terms convey about the content and particularity of “Literature and Medicine” courses?
- What changes have occurred in the language of course descriptions over the past 20 years and what do these changes suggest about the field generally?
