COMMUNICATION IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Department of Biology

RECIPE FOR PRETTY GOOD SCIENTIFIC WRITING


 
INGREDIENT
COMMENTS
INGREDIENT 1:

Knowledge and mastery of subject area

 Before writing (paper or poster), develop an understanding of all aspects of your topic.
  • Carefully read relevant reference materials (journal articles and other technical references).

    •  
  • Take notes and clarify important points of confusion.  
INGREDIENT 2:

Use of a working outline

Example to download: outline.doc

 Before you start writing, make a tentative outline of your project. Continue using (and revising) this outline as you complete your project. Thus, your outline will not be static. It will be a living document that changes as you complete your project.
  • Suggestion: Use the outlining function in word processing software.


    • For example, MS Word has terrific outlining features. Headings can be moved to different parts of the outline, promoted, demoted, etc. by doing "point and click" and dragging with your mouse. To access this feature in Word, go to "View" in the menu bar and select the outline function.
     

  • As you prepare your outline, write and rewrite your hypotheses/objectives until they are simply and clearly stated. 
INGREDIENT 3:

Consistent focus on your hypotheses or objectives

Example

 It is important to maintain an unwavering focus on your objectives or hypotheses throughout your writing. This is an obvious point, but one that is often difficult to follow. All material in your document should logically lead to, or follow from, your hypotheses or objectives.

As you write, always think, "Does this directly pertain to my hypotheses or objectives?"
INGREDIENT 4:

Well-written paragraphs

Example

 Each paragraph should start with a clear topic sentence that introduces the general topic that is covered in the paragraph.

The remaining sentences should be logically connected to the topic sentence and should maintain a logical flow of ideas.
INGREDIENT 5:

Understanding and mastery of key technical words and phrases

Example

 When writing for a professional audience, use key technical words and phrases, including those found in technical literature and journal articles.
  • Avoid using terminology that sounds good to you but is not used in your technical references. 
INGREDIENT 6:

Avoidance of glib superlatives, colloquial expressions and awkward phrases

 Other examples

 Examples to avoid: 
    "Fantastic"
    "Very"
    "Terrific"
    "Since the dawn of history ..."
INGREDIENT 7:

Avoidance of common writing errors

Examples: "The Dirty Dozen and Then Some"

 It is important to avoid common and especially grievous writing errors. Such writing errors include incomplete sentences, mismatched nouns and verbs, improper use of common words, and several other common errors.

Directions:


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