Scientific Writing, HRP 214 Weekly Quiz. Scientific Writing, HRP 214 A. We studied the affects of the gene on signaling. B. We studied the effects of.

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Weekly Quiz

Scientific Writing, HRP 214

A. We studied the affects of the gene on signaling.

B. We studied the effects of the gene on signaling.


A. We studied the affects of the gene on signaling.

B. We studied B. We studied the effectsthe effects of the gene on of the gene on signaling.signaling.


A. She commented on the clearly defined mutant traits.

B. She commented on the clearly-defined mutant traits.


A. She commented on the A. She commented on the clearly definedclearly defined mutant traits.mutant traits.

B. She commented on the clearly-defined mutant traits.


A. I like books, chocolate, and coffee.

B. I like books, chocolate and coffee.


A. I like books, chocolateA. I like books, chocolate,, and coffee. and coffee.

B. I like books, chocolate and coffee.


A. She was self-employed.

B. She was self employed.


A. She was A. She was self-employedself-employed..

B. She was self employed.


A. 65 people were saved.

B. Sixty-five people were saved.


A. 65 people were saved.

B. B. Sixty-fiveSixty-five people were saved. people were saved.


A. She was the best-read scientist in the lab.

B. She was the best read scientist in the lab.


A. She was the best-read scientist in the lab.

B. She was the B. She was the best readbest read scientist in the scientist in the lab.lab.


A. The previously-reported data were suspect.

B. The previously reported data were suspect.


A. The previously-reported data were suspect.

B. The B. The previously reportedpreviously reported data were data were suspect.suspect.


A. That was pre-SARS.

B. That was pre SARS.


A. That was A. That was pre-SARSpre-SARS..

B. That was pre SARS.


A. He cited the widely-believed fallacy.

B. He cited the widely believed fallacy.


A. He cited the widely-believed fallacy.

B. He cited the B. He cited the widely believedwidely believed fallacy. fallacy.


A. She was a well-known scientist.

B. She was a well known scientist.


A. She was a A. She was a well-knownwell-known scientist. scientist.

B. She was a well known scientist.


A. She was well-known.

B. She was well known.


A. She was well-known.

B. She was B. She was well knownwell known..


A. He counted six pies.

B. He counted 6 pies.


A. He counted sixsix pies.

B. B. He counted 6 pies.


A. His favorite breakfasts were cinnamon oatmeal, French toast, and ham and eggs.

B. His favorite breakfasts were cinnamon oatmeal, French toast, ham, and eggs.


A. His favorite breakfasts were cinnamon oatmeal, French toast, and ham and , and ham and eggs.eggs.

B. His favorite breakfasts were cinnamon oatmeal, French toast, ham, and eggs.


A. Many of the clinic’s patients die from complications of diabetes.

B. Many of the clinic’s patients die of complications of diabetes.


A. Many of the clinic’s patients die from complications of diabetes.

B. Many of the clinic’s patients B. Many of the clinic’s patients die ofdie of complications of diabetescomplications of diabetes

understanding mnemonic: die (as a result) of

word pattern mnemonic: dIEIE OOf


Lecture Six:

Methods and Materials,

Results,

Tables and Figures

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Scientific Manuscripts

Scientific Manuscripts (original research)

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Scientific Manuscripts: outlineTitle

Authorship

Abstract

Introduction

Materials and Methods

Results (includes figures and tables)

Discussion

Acknowledgements

References

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Methods

Materials and Methods

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Methods and MaterialsMaterials and Methods Overview:• Give a clear overview of what was done

• Give enough information to replicate the study (like a recipe!)

• Be complete, but minimize complexity!1. Break into smaller sections with subheads

2. Cite a reference for commonly used methods

3. Display in a flow diagram where possible

• You may use jargon and the passive voice more liberally in the M&M section

Scientific Writing, HRP 214MaterialsMaterialsDrugs

generic name, manufacturer, purity, concentration, amount administered, etc.

Culture media, bufferscomponents and concentrations, temperature, pH

Experimental materialscell line, molecule, tissue, etc.

Animalsstate that the research was approved by the appropriate committee at your institution

Human subjectsstate that the research was approved by the appropriate committee at your institution

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Materialse.g., Human subjects

“Details of the study and testing procedures were explained to each subject, and a written, informed consent was obtained. The experimental protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of Stanford University, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Michigan, the Helen Hayes Hospital, and Massachusetts General Hospital.”

Scientific Writing, HRP 214MethodsMaterials and Methods Overview:

• Be complete, but minimize complexity!1. Break into smaller sections with subheads

2. Cite a reference for commonly used methods

3. Display in a flow diagram where possible


1. Break into sub-sections with informative subheadings

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Methodse.g., Ksiazek et al. A Novel Coronavirus Associated with Severe Acute Respiratory SyndromeNEJM 348:1953-1966, May 15, 2003

METHODS

•General Approach

•Biosafety

•Isolation of Virus

•Serologic Analysis

•Pathological and Immunohistochemical Studies

•Molecular Analyses

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Methodse.g. Jonsson et al. Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 in Oncogenic Osteomalacia and X-Linked Hypophosphatemia NEJM 348:1656-1663; April 24, 2003.

METHODS

Peptide Synthesis and Antibody Production Generation of Recombinant FGF-23 Development of an ELISA for the Detection of FGF-23 Study Subjects


The Journal of Cell Biology, Volume 161, Number 3, 521-533Proprotein convertase cleavage liberates a fibrillogenic fragment of a resident glycoprotein to initiate melanosome biogenesis

Joanne F. Berson1, Alexander C. Theos1, Dawn C. Harper1, Danielle Tenza2, Graça Raposo2 and Michael S. Marks1

Methods and materials•Cell culture and transfections•Antibodies•Plasmids•Recombinant virus production and infection•Metabolic labeling and immunoprecipitation•Immunoblotting•Subcellular fractionation•Electron microscopy

Scientific Writing, HRP 214MethodsFor clinical studies:

1. Study design

2. Setting

3. Patients/subjects

4. Interventions or predictors (independent variables)

5. Primary outcome (dependent variable)

6. Secondary outcomes

7. Statistical analysis

8. Sample size and power calculations, if available


Subsections for a clinical study: Study design

randomized trial, prospective cohort, case-control, case-series etc.

Settingclinic, hospital, or general populationlocations

Participants eligibility criteria (inclusion, exclusion)

Independent variables how were predictors measured or interventions assigned and administered?

Primary outcomescase definitions/measurement

Secondary outcomes

Scientific Writing, HRP 214MethodsStatistical aspects Sample size

How sample size was determined

Explanation of any interim analyses and stopping rules.

Statistical methods

Statistical methods used to compare groups for primary outcome(s);

Methods for additional analyses, such as subgroup analyses and adjusted analyses.


Additionally, for a Randomized Clinical Trial:Randomization Scheme Sequence generation

Method used to generate the random allocation Details of any restriction (e.g., blocking, stratification).

Allocation concealmentMethod used to implement the random allocation sequence Was the sequence was concealed until assignment of interventions?

ImplementationWho generated the allocation sequence?Who enrolled participants?Who assigned participants to their groups?

Blinding (masking) Were participants, those administering the interventions, and those assessing the

outcomes blinded to group assignment? Was the success of blinding evaluated?

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Methods2. Cite a reference for commonly used methods or previously used methods rather than explaining all the details…


Each peptide was covalently coupled to agarose (AminoLink Kit, Pierce Chemical), and 30-to-200-ml quantities of each crude polyclonal antiserum were affinity-purified with the use of the appropriate

immobilized peptide, as previously described.13

Immunoprecipitations, SDS-PAGE on 10% polyacrylamide gels, and phosphorimaging analysis were performed as described previously (Berson et al., 2000).


3. Use flow diagrams to help simplify explanations of methods!

From:

Oral topiramate for treatment of alcohol dependence: a randomised controlled trial

Johnson et al. The Lancet. Volume 361;17 May 2003

Week Morning dose Afternoon dose Total daily dose

1 0 mg 1x25 mg tablet 25 mg

2 0 mg 2x25 mg tablets 50 mg

3 1x25 mg tablet 2x25 mg tablets 75 mg

4 2x25 mg tablets 2x25 mg tablets 100 mg

5 2x25 mg tablets 1x100 mg tablet 150 mg

6 1x100 mg tablet 1x100 mg tablet 200 mg

7 1x100 mg tablet 1x100 mg and 2x25 mg tablets 250 mg

8 1x100 mg and 2x25 mg tablets 1x100 mg and 2x25 mg tablets 300 mg





Schedule is similar to that provided in the Physicians' Desk Reference (2000). The placebo and topiramate groups received the same number of tablets; placebo tablets were inactive.

Table 1: Topiramate dose-escalation schedule

From:



Other tables and figures that can help illustrate methods:

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2003; 35(5):826-831 Copyright © 2003 Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. All

rights reserved Published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Methods

Transcription of antisense RNA leading to gene silencing and methylation as a novel cause of human genetic diseaseCristina Tufarelli et al.Nature Genetics - Published online: 5 May 2003, doi:10.1038/ng1157

Methods


Report methods in past tense (“we measured”),

But use present tense to describe how data are presented in the paper (“data are summarized as means SD”)

Writing methods:verb tenses

1. Passive (point of view of the experiment):“Blood samples were drawn.”

Passive voice, but emphasizes the method or variable

2. Active (point of view of the experimenter):“We drew blood samples.”

Active voice, more lively, but sacrifices having the topic as the subject of the sentence

Requires creativity to avoid starting every sentence with “we”:

e.g., “Because the layers did not stick well, we processed them as small pellets.”

“After fixing the surface layers, we then…”

Writing methods:passive vs. active voice

For sequencing, amplicons were purified with ExoSAP-Codes. The partial nucleotide sequences of the polymerase gene were aligned with published coronavirus sequences, using CLUSTAL W for Unix (version 1.7).

From: Ksiazek et al. A Novel Coronavirus Associated with Severe Acute Respiratory SyndromeNEJM 348:1953-1966, May 15, 2003

Writing methods:passive voice and jargon

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Methods: passive voice

Peptides were synthesized by the Biopolymer Core Facility, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. Peptides representing portions of the FGF-23 precursor — [Cys70]FGF-23(51–69)amide,

[Tyr185] FGF-23(186–206)amide, [Tyr223]FGF-23(206–222)amide, and [Tyr224]FGF-23(225–244)amide — were coupled to keyhole limpet hemocyanin, emulsified with complete Freund's adjuvant, and used for subcutaneous immunization of eight goats (with approximately 100 µg per animal); each…

From Jonsson et al. Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 in Oncogenic Osteomalacia and X-Linked Hypophosphatemia NEJM 348:1656-1663; April 24, 2003.

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Results

Results


Results are different from data!

Results=the meaning of the data

Most data belong in figures and tables


Results:

•Report results pertinent to the main question asked

•Summarize the data (big picture); report trends

•Cite figures or tables that present supporting data


Does it belong in the text or in a table or figure?

*text is used to point out simple relationships and describe trends

Examples:

“Over the course of treatment, topiramate was significantly more effective than placebo at improving drinking outcomes on drinks per day, drinks per drinking day, percentage of heavy drinking days, percentage of days abstinent, and log plasma -glutamyl transferase ratio (table 3).”

“The total suicide rate for Australian men and women did not change between 1991 and 2000 because marked decreases in older men and women (table 1) were offset by increases in younger adults, especially younger men.7”


Hints:

•Use subheadings

•Include negative and control results

•Give a clear idea of the magnitude of a response or a difference by reporting percent change or the percentage of difference rather than by quoting exact data

•Reserve the term “significant” for statistically significant

•Do not discuss rationale for statistical analyses

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Writing Results: tense

Use past tense, except to talk about how data are presented in the paper.

e.g.:We found that…Women were more likely to…Men smoked more cigarettes than…

BUT:Figure 1 shows…Table 1 displays…The data suggest


Example:Information was available for 7766 current cigarette smokers. Of these, 1216 (16%) were classified as hardcore smokers. Table 1 gives characteristics of all the smokers. The most striking difference was that hardcore smokers were about 10 years older on average and tended to be more dependent on tobacco. Significantly more hardcore smokers had manual occupations, lived in rented accommodation, and had completed their full time education by the age of 16 years. There was no difference

by sex.

FROM:Jarvis et al. Prevalence of hardcore smoking in England, and associated attitudes and beliefs: cross sectional study BMJ 2003;326:1061 (17 May)


Use active voice:

-more lively

-since you can talk about the subjects of your experiments, “we” can be used sparingly while maintaining the active voice.

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Writing Results: point of view

Comparison with Californian estimates

Using the same definition of hardcore smoking as adopted in the Californian study, we found a prevalence of 17% across all age groups and 19% among smokers aged 26 compared with a figure of 5% for this group in the US study. When we added the Californian requirement of 15 cigarettes a day to our criteria we found a prevalence of 10% among smokers aged 26, still twice the prevalence in California

FROM:Jarvis et al. Prevalence of hardcore smoking in England, and associated attitudes and beliefs: cross sectional study BMJ 2003;326:1061 (17 May)

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Writing Results: point of view

Differences in attitudes and beliefs by level of dependence

To test whether it was appropriate to exclude a measure of cigarette dependence from our criteria for defining hardcore smoking, we

compared attitudes and beliefs by dependence in hardcore and other smokers (table 4). For most items, beliefs were similar in low and high dependence hardcore smokers but strikingly different from those of other smokers. For example, almost 60% of both low and high dependency non-hardcore smokers agreed that improved health would be a major benefit from quitting whereas among hardcore smokers only 27% of low dependency and 32% of high dependency smokers agreed. Similar differentiation in beliefs by hardcore smoking status, but not dependence level, emerged for other items, especially those related to health.

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Tables and Figures

Tables and Figures


Editors (and readers) look first (and maybe only) at titles, abstracts, and Tables and Figures!

Like the abstract, figures and tables should stand alone and tell a complete story.

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Tables

Tables

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Table Titles and Footnotes

Titles:

•Identify the specific topic or point of the table

•Use the same key terms in the title, the column headings, and the text of the paper

•Keep it brief

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Table Titles and Footnotes

Footnotes:

•Use superscript symbols to identify footnotes, according to journal guidelines:

•A standard series is: *, †,‡,¶,#,**,††, etc.

•Use footnotes to explain statistically significant differences

•E.g., *p<.01 vs. control by ANOVA

•Use footnotes to explain experimental details or abbreviations

•E.g., EDI is the Eating Disorder Inventory (reference)

•Amenorrhea was defined as 0-3 periods per year

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Table FormatsFormat:

Model your tables from already published tables! Don’t re-invent the wheel!!

•Use three horizontal lines: one above the column headings, one below the column heading, and one below the data

•Use a short horizontal line to group subheadings under a heading

•Follow journal guidelines RE:•roman or arabic numbers;•centered or flush left table number, title, column, headings, and data; •capital letters and italics;•the placement of footnotes; •the type of footnote symbols

Tables: baseline, descriptive data

Table 1. Base-Line Characteristics of the Women Who Underwent Radical Mastectomy and Those Who Underwent Breast-Conserving Therapy.

Veronesi et al. Twenty-Year Follow-up of a Randomized Study Comparing Breast-Conserving Surgery with Radical Mastectomy for Early Breast Cancer NEJM 347:1227-1232; October 17, 2002

Three horizontal lines

Tables: baseline, descriptive data

Standard deviation

n

Women’s health Initiative, JAMA, 2002

TABLE 1. Clinical and biochemical characteristics of control subjects and patients with anorexia nervosa From: Stoving: J Clin Endocrinol Metab, Volume 84(6).June 1999.2056-2063

Tables: To illustrate a point…

Tables: To illustrate a point…

From: nurses health study

Tables: to illustrate a point

NEJM: Shain et al. 340 (2): 93, January 14, 1999

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Figures

Use the fewest figures and tables needed to tell the story

Do not present the same data in both a figure and a table

Scientific Writing, HRP 214FiguresThree varieties of Figures:

1. Primary evidence • electron micrographs, gels, photographs, etc.• indicates data quality

2. Graphs• line graphs, bar graphs, scatter plots, histograms, boxplots, etc.

3. Drawings and diagrams• illustrate experimental set-up

• indicate flow of experiments or participants

• indicate relationships or cause and effect or a cycle

• give a hypothetical model

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Figure Legends

**Allows the figure to stand alone.

Contains:

1. Brief title

2. Experimental details

3. Definitions of symbols or line/bar patterns

4. Statistical information

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Figures: Primary Evidence


NEJM Zucca et al. 338 (12): 804, Figure 1 March 19, 1998

Figure 1. Histologic Patterns in the Evolution from Chronic Gastritis to Gastric Lymphoma.

Esposito, Paul W. MD. Trampoline Injuries. Clinical Orthopaedics & Related Research. 1(409):43-52, April 2003.


Graphs• line graphs

• scatter plots

• bar graphs

• individual-value bar graphs

• histograms

• box plots

• relative risks

• survival curves

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Graphs

Exercise:

Which graphs work and why?

Which graphs confuse and why?

**Does the graph tell a simple story?


Graphs• line graphs

*Used to show trends over time or age

(can display group means or individuals)

Figure 3. Hypertension Prevalences in 6 European and 2 North American Countries, Men and Women Combined, by Age Group

JAMA Vol. 289 No. 18, May 14, 2003

Figure 3. Effect of Weight Loss on Serum Leptin Concentrations and Expression of the ob Gene in Seven Obese Subjects, Expressed as a Percentage of the Initial Value. Considine et al. NEJM 334: 292; February 1, 1996

From:




Figure 2: Change in self-reported drinking outcomes from baseline (week 0) by study week


Graphs• bar graphs

*Used to compare groups at one time point

*Tells a quick visual story


FIGURE 2- Relationship between BMC of the forearm/heel and time since menarche. *Significantly different than forearm BMC of group 1 (< 1 yr since menarche); BMCA: forearm BMC; BMCH: heel BMC.

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2003; 35(5):720-729

Figures: bar graphs

Figure 1. Bone mineral density of amenorrheic (gray bars) and eumenorrheic athletes (black bars). Asterisk indicates P<.01; error bars indicate SE. From: Rencken: JAMA, Volume 276(3).July 17, 1996.238-240

Comparison of the total loads accumulated in Tour and Vuelta. Phases I, II, and III are intensity phases below the ventilatory threshold (VT), between VT and the respiratory compensation point (RCP), and above RCP, respectively…. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2003; 35(5):872-878


Graphs• scatter plots

*Used to show relationships between two variables (particularly linear correlation)

*Allows reader to see individual data points=more information!

Figure 1. The Relation between the Percentage of Body Fat and the Serum Leptin Concentration in 136 Normal-Weight and 139 Obese Subjects.

Considine et al. Serum Immunoreactive-Leptin Concentrations in Normal-Weight and Obese Humans NEJM 334: 292; February 1, 1996

Figure 2. Correlation between Expression of the ob Gene in Adipocytes and the Percentage of Body Fat in 27 Normal-Weight and 27 Obese Subjects. The data are expressed as the ratio of ob cDNA to actin cDNA. There was no difference in the amount of actin cDNA among the subjects studied.

Considine et al. NEJM 334: 292; February 1, 1996

Fig. 4. Individual subject ApEn scores of GH secretion (m = 1; r = 20% sd) and cortisol secretion (m = 1; r = 80% sd) in normal weight women ([white four pointed star]) and in women with AN ([white diamond suit]). Horizontal lines represent the median values. *, P 0.05 (AN vs. controls). From: Stoving: J Clin Endocrinol Metab, Volume 84(6).June 1999.2056-2063


Graphs• survival curves

•Compares probability of failure (or survival) of two or more groups

Cumulative Hazard: WHI

On hormones

On placebo

Hazard ratio = instantaneous

rate ratio

Nominal confidence intervalAdjusted CI;

adjusted for “multiple

comparisons”

Women’s health Initiative, JAMA, 2002


Graphs•Boxplots and histograms

•To show or compare data distributions

Box Plot

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

P O U N D S

maximum (163.9)

interquartile range

whisker

75th percentile (138.6)

minimum (93.9)

25th percentile (115.5)

median (127.0)

A quartile = a quarter of the data

x

Histogram

80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 1600

5

10

15

20

25

Percent

POUNDS

Data are divided into 10-pound groups (called “bins”).

With only one woman <100 lbs, this bin represents <1% of the total 120-women sampled.

Percent of total that fall in the 10-pound interval.

85-95

95-105

105-115

115-125125-135

135-145

145-155155-165


Graphs•Confidence intervals/relative risks

•To show dose-response of a protective or harmful factor

Nurse’s Health Study

Drawings and Diagrams

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Diagrams and Drawings

Figure 2. Relation between altitude and inspired oxygen pressure From: Peacock: BMJ, Volume 317(7165).October 17, 1998.1063-1066

Scientific Writing, HRP 214Diagrams and Drawings

Figure 5. Effect of hypoxia on central nervous system From: Peacock: BMJ, Volume 317(7165).October 17, 1998.1063-1066

NEJM Talan et al. 340 (2): 85;January 14, 1999

Figure 1. Location of Wound Infections in 50 Patients Bitten by Dogs and 57 Patients Bitten by Cats.

Drawings: illustrate cause and effect/relationships

Figure 2: Proposed pathways among disordered eating, menstrual irregularity, and low BMD. Solid lines represent associations suggested by the current study; dashed lines represent associations suggested by previous studies.

Figure 3. Model of the Difference in the Rate of Progression to AIDS between Patients with HLA-B*35-Px and Those with HLA-B*35-PY.

Xiaojiang Gao

Gao et al. Effect of a Single Amino Acid Change in MHC Class I Molecules on the Rate of

Progression to AIDS NEJM 344:1668-1675; May 31, 2001

Figure 6. Possible origin of partially committed keratinocyte stem cells, and their specific association. We have demonstrated that the three concentric regions of the hair follicle (ORS, IRS, and shaft) originate from distinct progenitor cells. As discussed in the text, three possibilities can be envisaged for the origin of these cells: (A) they may derive from a totipotent keratinocyte stem cell that is still present and operative in the mature hair follicle; (B) they may derive from a totipotent progenitor cell during development, but exist as independent entities in the mature hair follicle; (C) they may be intrinsically the same, but become committed to differentiate along different pathways in response to stimuli from the local environment. For three progenitor cells to come together and originate a hair follicle, they must either interact specifically with each other (D), or use a specific anchoring mechanism, which could be provided by dermal papilla cells and/or their extracellular matrix (E). This latter mechanism could contribute to the hair-inducing capability of dermal papilla cells (DP), together with the likely, but as yet elusive release of hair-inducing growth factors (GF). From: Kamimura: J Invest Dermatol, Volume 109(4).October 1997.534-540

Scientific Writing, HRP 214 A few more (pseudo) homonyms and commonly

confused words:

1a. ALLUDE v. ELUDE

allude: to reference indirectly She frequently alluded to her distrust of lawyers without

explicitly stating her opinion. He impressed the crowd with his allusions to Greek mythology.

(n.b.: versus “illusion”)

elude: to evade The stealthy cat-burglar eluded the police all winter. The elusive protein, which our team has been trying to

characterize for months, has baffled labs across the country.

Scientific Writing, HRP 214 1b. ASSURE v. ENSURE v. INSURE

assure: to promise, to state with confidence She assured the students that no one would fail the course.

ensure: to make certain Well-planned interventions can ensure better outcomes for

children with diabetes.

insure: to protect against loss, in legal/financial realms The post-docs could barely afford to insure their cars.

Scientific Writing, HRP 214 1c. ARRANT v. ERRANT

arrant: being notoriously without moderation; extreme We are arrant knaves, all; believe none of us. (Shakespeare)

errant: given to travelling; straying outside the proper path or bounds; moving aimlessly or irregularly; deviating from a standard; fallible

The errant toddler found his way into all sorts of mischief.

Scientific Writing, HRP 214 2. AMONG v. BETWEEN

Among: collective and undefined relations (three or more)

• You’re among friends.• Agreement was reached among all four neighbors.

Between: one-to-one relationships of pairs within a group or the sense “shared by.”

• Diplomatic relationships between the United States and France ceased.

• There is close friendship between the members of the club.

Scientific Writing, HRP 214 3. LAY v. LIE

Lay is a transitive verb (takes an object)forms: lay, laid, has laid, is laying

• The hen lays an egg. (laid, had laid, is laying)• “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley.” (“To a Mouse,”

Robert Burns)

Lie is an intransitive verb (does not take an object)forms: lie, lay, has lain, is lying

• The llama lies down.

Q: What about “Now I lay me down to sleep”???

Scientific Writing, HRP 214 4. DISINTERESTED v. UNINTERESTED

Disinterested: impartial.Uninterested: not interested in.

• Let a disinterested person judge our dispute.• This man is obviously uninterested in our dispute.

Scientific Writing, HRP 214 5. e.g. v. i.e. (informal)

e.g. = “for example” • from Latin: exempli gratia = ‘for the sake of an

example’

Many animals (e.g., mountain lions, panthers, etc.) are quite good hunters.

i.e. = “in other words” • from Latin: id est = ‘that is’

That walking boot is synthetic (i.e., not leather or suede).

Scientific Writing, HRP 214For next week

Homework: Read chapter 3-4 of Successful Scientific

Writing Edit peer’s letter to the editor—email to them

by next Tuesday.

3-unit students: Tables & Figures, Results, Methods due next week (can be a “sketch” or in outline form)

Scientific Writing, HRP 214For next week

Next time…

Abstracts, Introductions, Discussions

Scientific Writing, HRP 214 Weekly Quiz. Scientific Writing, HRP 214 A. We studied the affects of the gene on signaling. B. We studied the effects of.

Documents

scientific writing

figures slide

weekly quiz slide

methods materials

wellknown scientist

bestread scientist

methods results

methods overview