The Craft of Scientific Writing

AEE 804 ANR Communication Strategies Spring 03 Reese & Woods

Scientific Writing
In science the credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not to the man to whom the idea first occurs.
- Sir Francis Darwin

Presentation Objectives
Importance of Scientific Writing

Key Principles

audience occasion purpose

Impact of Career

How well you communicate affects your career

Successful scientist spent 25% of work week writing (Davis 1997) Professional scientists found writing their most useful subject (University of Wisconsin) MSU CANR Alumni need most work on their writing (Suvedi, 2001)

Impact on Others

Explosion was caused by failure of O-rings in the solid rocket boosters Engineers knew of O-ring problems well before fatal launch Engineers failed to communicate seriousness of problem

Space Shuttle Challenger (January 28, 1986)

A Matter of Difference
1. Subject Matter 2. Writing Constraints
audience
occasion purpose

3. Purpose of Writing
To inform

4. Writing Style

To persuade

Communication Needs
Reports Articles Proposals Web Pages Conferences Lectures Meetings Posters

specific technical audiences

general technical audiences

non-technical audiences

Writing Stages
1. Getting in the Mood
2. Writing the First Draft

3. Revising, Revising, Revising

4. Finishing

In the Beginning

Begin by analyzing your constraints

Audience

Who they are What they know Why they will read How they will read Format Formality Politics and ethics Process and deadline To inform To persuade

Occasion

Purpose

Aspects Affecting Reader

Content

Style

Form

Style What You Control

Illustration Structure

words wordswords wordswordswords wordswordswordswords wordswordswords wordswordswords wordswordswords wordswordswords

Language

Broad Content Issues

Check your use of supporting evidence. Check your use of sources. Check to see that you achieve your purpose. Check your attention to audience. Check for overall impression.

Organization & Presentation

Check the overall organization. Check sentence structure and style. Check paragraph structure. Check format. Check documentation.

20 Most Common Errors

1. Missing comma after an introductory element.
Frankly, we were baffled by the findings. In fact, agricultural education Determined to get the job completed, we worked all weekend. Though I gave advice for revising, his draft only became worse.

20 Most Common Errors

2. Vague Pronoun Reference

Transmitting radio signals by satellite is a way of overcoming the problem of scare airwaves and limited how, they are used.
the airwaves
a policy

Company policy prohibited smoking, which many employees resented.

20 Most Common Errors

3. Missing comma in a compound sentence
We wish dreamily upon a star,and then we look down to find ourselves standing in mud. The words I do may sound simple but they , mean a life commitment.

20 Most Common Errors

4. Wrong word
their The Pacers played there best, but that was not good enough. Paradise Lost contains many illusions to allusions classical mythology.

20 Most Common Errors

5. Missing comma(s) with a nonrestrictive element.
Susan,who was the president of the club,was first to speak. Johns first doll,Malibu Barbie,is still his favorite.

20 Most Common Errors

6. Wrong or missing verb ending
Ernesto use feline imagery throughout the uses poem. dropped The United States drop two atomic bombs on Japan in 1945.

20 Most Common Errors

7. Wrong or missing preposition.
We met in Union Street at San Francisco. in on off Who called the game yesterday?

20 Most Common Errors

Comma Splice

for I was strongly attracted to her, she had special qualities. Having They always had ham for Easter, this was a family tradition.

20 Most Common Errors

9. Missing or misplaced possessive apostrophe.

AEE is pleased to announce its new its graduate students.

20 Most Common Errors

10. Unnecessary shift in tense

Abby laughs until she cried during the class. cries

Brian is in charge of finance; he will always keep his office locked. keeps

20 Most Common Errors

11. Unnecessary shift in pronoun

When one first sees a painting by Cathy, you are impressed by a sense of power. one is

20 Most Common Errors

12. Sentence fragment was

The old aluminum boat sitting on its trailer.

We returned to the drugstore. Where we waited for out parents.

20 Most Common Errors

13. Wrong tense or verb form
Luke Reese has broke many soccer records. broken had By the time Jim arrived, Mikel left.

20 Most Common Errors

14. Lack of subject-verb agreement

A central part of my life goals have been to has go to graduate school.

20 Most Common Errors

15. Missing comma in a series

AEE Graduate students study mostly teaching, methods, writing , and other research activities.

20 Most Common Errors

16. Lack of agreement between pronoun and antecedent

Neither Nadja nor Kari felt that they had she been treated fairly.

20 Most Common Errors

17. Unnecessary comma (s) with a restrictive element.

People, who wanted to preserve wilderness areas opposed the plan to privatize national parks.

20 Most Common Errors

18. Fused sentence
He The current was sift.he could not swin to shore.

20 Most Common Errors

19. Misplaced or dangling modifier.

She had decided she wanted to be an agriscience teacher when she was ten years old.
When she was ten years old, she had decided she wanted to be an agriscience teacher.

20 Most Common Errors

Its/Its confusion

its Its The car is lying on . its side in the ditch. . a Its white 2000 Audi.

Select a Writing Mentor

Review Journals for writing style. Identify a writing mentor to assist with thinking through and reviewing paper.

Final Thought

Our greatest battles are that with our own minds. - Jameson Frank Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire. - William Yeats There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come. - Victor Hugo