Ask yourself the following questions when you evaluate the level of detail in a paper: The reader should be able to easily follow your methodology, results, and logic without being distracted by irrelevant facts and descriptions. Include as much detail as is necessary, but exclude extraneous information. Writing “experimental subjects were assaulted with a wall of sound” does not convey the precise meaning of “experimental subjects were presented with 20 second pulses of conspecific mating calls.” It’s difficult for a reader to objectively evaluate your research if details are left to the imagination, so exclude similes and metaphors from your scientific writing. Figurative languageįigurative language can make for interesting and engaging casual reading but is by definition imprecise. Although repetition of words or phrases often happens out of necessity, it can actually be beneficial by placing special emphasis on key concepts. This applies even when you must be repetitive to maintain precision: repetition is preferable to ambiguity. When presented with a choice, a more specific and less ambiguous phraseology is always preferable. For example, the phrase “writing of an investigative nature” could refer to writing in the sciences, but might also refer to a police report. This same idea also applies to choice of phrasing. If you mean “correlated,” then use the word “correlated” avoid substituting a less precise term when a more precise term is available. In scientific writing, it is typically not enough to simply point out that two variables are related: the reader will expect you to explain the precise nature of the relationship (note: when using “correlation,” you must explain somewhere in the paper how the correlation was estimated). But in scientific writing, “correlated” conveys a precise statistical relationship between two variables. In some contexts, “correlated” and “related” have similar meanings.

Word choice 2: “population density is positively related to disease transmission rate”.

Word choice 1: “population density is positively correlated with disease transmission rate”.

Often several words may convey similar meaning, but usually only one word is most appropriate in a given context. There are a few strategies for avoiding ambiguous, imprecise writing. Therefore, scientists must use precise, concrete language to evaluate and explain such theories, whether mathematical or conceptual. Theories in the sciences are based upon precise mathematical models, specific empirical (primary) data sets, or some combination of the two.

Objectivity: any claims that you make need to be based on facts, not intuition or emotion.

Clarity: concepts and methods in the sciences can often be complex writing that is difficult to follow greatly amplifies any confusion on the part of the reader.

Precision: ambiguities in writing cause confusion and may prevent a reader from grasping crucial aspects of the methodology and synthesis.

Several key elements allow scientific writers to achieve these goals: The reader should be able to easily follow both the methods used to generate the data (if it’s a primary research paper) and the chain of logic used to draw conclusions from the data. Regardless of the genre, though, all scientific writing has the same goal: to present data and/or ideas with a level of detail that allows a reader to evaluate the validity of the results and conclusions based only on the facts presented.

Literature review articles (summarizing and synthesizing research that has already been carried out)Īs a student in the sciences, you are likely to spend some time writing lab reports, which often follow the format of peer-reviewed articles and literature reviews.

Grant proposals (you can’t do science without funding).

Peer-reviewed journal articles (presenting primary research).There are several different kinds of writing that fall under the umbrella of scientific writing. Readers of this handout may also find our handout on scientific reports useful. This handout details the most critical aspects of scientific writing and provides some strategies for evaluating and improving your scientific prose.

The major difference between science writing and writing in other academic fields is the relative importance placed on certain stylistic elements. Nearly every element of style that is accepted and encouraged in general academic writing is also considered good practice in scientific writing.

Easy writer 3rd edition