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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
Scientific WritingScientific Writing
http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~izzard/writing.html
Robert Izzard
Argelander Institute for Astronomy
University of onn
!. "ow #and why$ to write
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
What's Coing !odayWhat's Coing !oday
1 How and why to write
2 Presentation of data
3 Plagiarism
This is just a small
selection from the
full course!
There is no substitute for being curious and
learning on your own!
Read, read and read more.
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
Resources: "oo#s 1Resources: "oo#s 1
The Elements of Style
trun and "hite
#on$eniently free %http://www.cs.vu.nl/~jms/doc/elos.pdf
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
Resources: "oo#s $Resources: "oo#s $
Oxford English Dictionary
and &owler's
Modern English Usage
Eloquent Science
chult(
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
Resources: WebResources: Web
http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~izzard/writing.html
)*T you are +uite caable of searching for
resources yourself!
This is the 21stcentury and the internet is your
friend . . .
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
Resources:Resources: %
Please as +uestions!
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
Why learn to write well&Why learn to write well&
-f you want to be a scientist
/ou ha$e to write a reort0thesis and ublish aers!
%&AR&' ()' *I+I%"' ,UI%"
"hy
To communicate with others scientists or not.
Richard M. Davis, Technical Writing: Its Importance in the Engineering Profession and
Its Place in the Engineering Curriculum, AFIT TR 75-5
(Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, !"75#.
ur$ey of engineers
245 of time sent writing
315 of time sent woring with written material
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
Why learn to write well&Why learn to write well&
ace shuttle Challenger
Thus the engineers, who were $ery concerned
since they new the conse+uences of 6the
failure mechanism>, did not resent the data in
a way that showed the trends or that could be
e7lained to a scetical senior 899 manager.They thought they were communicating but
missed one of the fundamental rules of good
communication which is to e7ress your
osition in a way that your customer can
understand.
ee also &eynman, Richard P.9n :utsider;s -nside ??@ 2AB3C.
Prof. Daniel astings! M"T Engineering Systems Di#ision
-mage 899
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
(oid bloodshed)(oid bloodshed)
9$oid
8asty
Dditing!
=and editors@
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
Why learn to write well&Why learn to write well&
Dnjoyable astime!
o$ you communicate affects others.
%e considerate&
&or you
'riting is an essential (art of research.
)our su(er#isor $ill not al$ays *e there for you...
- send about 2E5 of my time roofBreading %
- would refer to send that time doing research!
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
*ow luc#y you are...*ow luc#y you are...
haeseare Foethe
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
*ow luc#y you are...*ow luc#y you are...
Ganell indgren
trindberg
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
*ow luc#y you are...*ow luc#y you are...
iterature is difficult!
/ou do +)&ha$e to learn to write literature!
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
Scientific WritingScientific Writing
cientific writing
-s not literature no more difficult than research!
:ften has a secialist readershi
-ncludes
Iescrition of research
-nterretation and significance
Gust be 0AR, ,R0I%0and )+I%0
)ad style and0or language sills J- your aer!
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
"e clear"e clear
Io not force your reader to guess what you mean Present logical argumentscon$incingly
/ou job is to informand edu1atethe reader
Food style hels Food Dnglish hels too
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
"e +recise"e +recise
There is no room for ambiguity!
)e careful with technical words e.g.
The un $eighs1KL33 g.
#ommunicateexactly
what you mean&
&or our binary models we must also assume a
distribution of stars o$er the binary arameter sace.
&or binary stars we assume a flatBq distribution for mass ratios and a flatBlna
distribution for searations.
)etter
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
"e concise"e concise
Use as few words as possible but as many as you need
The largest assumtion with the theoretical redictions of the ratios is that we
must assume a constant star formation rate and a certain initial mass function
=-G&@, we use the -G& of Jroua, Tout and Filmore =1>>3@.
"e assume the Jroua, Tout and Filmore =1>>3@ initial mass function and a
constant star formation rate.
Gy $ersion
:riginal
/ou are 8:T aid by the number of words you write!
/ou must learn to edit your own wor
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzard
izzard@astro.uni-bonn.deClass 1: Why and how to write
!hin#ing and Writing!hin#ing and Writing
"riting and thining well use the same sills
/ou can already thin M otherwise you would
not be here. o... writing is the ne7t ste.
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzardizzard@astro.uni-bonn.de
Class 1: Why and how to write
SuarySuary
cientific writing is
%traightforward
on1ise
02a1tRigorous
learheaded
on1rete,re1ise
These are the +ualities associated with scientists!
i.e. YOU!
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzardizzard@astro.uni-bonn.de
Class 1: Why and how to write
,ercise 1,ercise 1
ist the inds of writing a scientist is re+uired to roduce
and for $hom.
)ou ha#e fi#e minutes&
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzardizzard@astro.uni-bonn.de
Class 1: Why and how to write
,ercise 1,ercise 1
9nswers include
Iissertations, rogress reorts, laboratory journal,journal aers, conference roceedings, case histories=in medicine@, re$iew articles, roduct0boo re$iews,roject roosals, grant alications, oular sciencearticles, minutes =rotocol@, =lecture@ notes, handouts,ress releases, tweets, =code@ documentation,instructions, letters, +uestionnaires, #
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzardizzard@astro.uni-bonn.de
Class 1: Why and how to write
rticles are linearly +resentedrticles are linearly +resented
Probably alsolinearly edited and
assessed!
d lR di i li
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8/12/2019 ScientificWriting Howto
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzardizzard@astro.uni-bonn.de
Class 1: Why and how to write
Reading is non-linearReading is non-linear
& i &
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Scientific Writing
Robert Izzardizzard@astro.uni-bonn.de
Class 1: Why and how to write
uestions&uestions&
