Scientific Writing and Communication

There are many different genres, or types of writing, used in science. These different forms of communication have unique and specific styles and organization. It is important to understand that peer-reviewed scholarly articles, conference posters, review articles, grant proposals, non-technical articles in popular science magazines, lab reports, field notebooks, etc., all have specific audiences and objectives, and therefore specific stylistic and organizational forms. They also vary between scientific disciplines. Understanding the conventions and purpose of each type of writing is an important step as we grow as scientists. This semester we are going to focus on scientific papers and how to write up the results of your research.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

Research papers are typically written for a narrow audience, specifically discipline experts. The purpose of this type of writing is to present your original research and highlight the importance of the work in light of what is already known. It is not a review of the literature or a report on a topic. It is your opportunity to persuade the reader (broader scientific community) of the importance and quality of your work and thinking. It should be a well-structured, concise, and clear presentation of your assumptions, methodologies, results, and interpretations.

WRITING PROCESS

Writing is a process. Good writing results from continually reading, evaluating, and revising your work. Often the final product is quite different in substance and organization from the early drafts. New ideas, questions, and interpretations often arise and develop through this writing process.

This semester we are going to polish your scientific writing skills with three approaches

Breaking up your scientific paper into sections and writing them one at a time
Peer Review: reading and editing your fellow students’ work
Rewriting: using multiple drafts to achieve a better product.

_{1. Taken from A Guide to Reading and Writing in Science by Anthony Graziani}