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Writing in Biology - Writing in Biology -

Writing in Biology - - PowerPoint Presentation

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Writing in Biology - - PPT Presentation

Writing scientific papers Understanding how to do science is a powerful insight Communicating science is critical to success and progress in science Good writing comes from clear thinking Precision in writing language is critical to communication ID: 459844

methods writing biology section writing methods section biology materials results word paper unusual clear good scientific science wab study

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Slide1

Writing in Biology -Slide2

Writing scientific papers Understanding how to do science is a powerful insight

Communicating science is critical to success and progress in science

Good writing comes from clear thinking

Precision in writing (language) is critical to communicationSlide3

Good writing starts with a well organized lab/data notebook

Keeping the laboratory notebook:

goals and objectives – clear statements grounded in clear rationale (record questions and uncertainties)

a well thought through experimental approach that is clearly laid out serves as the basis for planning the experiment – flow charts, time-line, equipment, leads to paragraphs of text

the procedure should be laid out in check list format to ensure that laboratory work will be done quickly and accurately

a record of data – if in doubt write it down

the lab notebook becomes the starting place for scientific writingSlide4

Keys to successful writing in biology – from WAB

‘There is no easy way to learn to write in biology or in any other field. It helps to read a lot of good writing and not just in biology. … But mostly you just have to work hard at writing – and keep working hard at it, draft after draft, assignment after assignment. That will be much easier to do if you have something in mind that you actually want to say

.’ (page 4,

Pechenik

2013)Slide5

More keys to successful writing in biology – from WAB‘All good writing involves 2 struggles: the struggle for understanding and the struggle to communicate that understanding to readers. Like the making of omelets or crepes, the skill improves with practice. There are no shortcuts and there is no simple formula that can be learned and then applied mindlessly to all future assignments

.’ (page 4,

Pechenik

2013)Slide6

Rules for writing from George OrwellPolitics and the English Language:

“I think the following rules will cover most cases:

(

i

) Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

(ii) Never use a long word where a short one will do.

(iii) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

(iv) Never use the passive voice where you can use the active.

(v) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

(vi) Break any of these rules sooner than say anything barbarous.”Slide7

Basic structure of a scientific paper

In order:

Abstract

Introduction

Methods (Materials and Methods)

Results

Discussion

Literature cited

Tables

FiguresSlide8

Materials and MethodsSlide9

When writing the paper, don’t begin at the beginning, start with the materials and methods• It is the least complicated section, though it is quite detailed.

• Careful reconstruction of what was done brings freshly to mind the whole of the study.

• It is often tightly linked to the Results section, and it may be beneficial to begin a

rough

draft or at least an outline of

the results

section as

Methods section

is written.Slide10

Repeatability is: a fundamental feature of science

what makes science so powerful

would not be possible with a weak Methods sectionSlide11

The Methods section contains subsections:•

Materials

- describe the plant or animals used in the study (you may subtitle it as

Plant Material

or

Animal Materials

, etc

.) (rather unusual today, unless specifying a specific strain)

Use Latin names for species, designating strains where appropriate

Make it clear how they were maintained and prepared

May also provide a list of unusual or necessary equipmentSlide12

Methods - for each experimental manipulation used in the study, make a separate subtitled section (eg

.

Pulse Rate Measurement

or

Determination of Photosynthetic Rate

,

etc.)

Assists a reader in locating a method while reading Results

Details are introduced in context

When a protocol from another paper is followed exactly, cite that paper and then note any deviations, if appropriate

The source - manufacturer of any supplies or instrumentation should be notedSlide13

Example Methods Sectionfrom Allison 2002Slide14

What not to include:Unnecessary detail about how to run instrumentation

The room number where the experiment was done

How to prepare a solution (unless it is

highly

unusual)

Words that can be abbreviated (see p.

11 & 268

WAB) (but never begin a sentence with an abbreviation)

How statistics or measurements were performed (unless

highly

unusual) – but useful to mention name

of

computer program

Any unnecessary detail (such as how samples were numbered)