The Craft of Scientific Writing AEE 804 ANR Communication Strategies Spring 03 Reese & Woods
Dec 23, 2015
The Craft ofScientific Writing
AEE 804ANR 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
purpose
occasion
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
4. Writing Style
2. Writing Constraints
audience
purpose
occasion
3. Purpose of Writing
To inform
To persuade
Communication Needs
specifictechnicalaudiences
non-technicalaudiences
generaltechnicalaudiences
ReportsArticlesProposalsWeb Pages
ConferencesLecturesMeetingsPosters
Writing Stages
2. Writing the First Draft2. Writing the First Draft
4. Finishing4. Finishing3. Revising, Revising, Revising3. Revising, Revising, Revising
1. Getting in the Mood1. Getting in the Mood
In the Beginning
Begin by analyzing your constraints Audience
Who they are What they know Why they will read How they will read
Occasion Format Formality Politics and ethics Process and deadline
Purpose To inform To persuade
Aspects Affecting Reader
Content
Style
Form
Style What You Control
Structure
Illustration wordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswords
wordswordswords
wordswordswordswordswordswordswords
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 ReferenceTransmitting radio signals by satellite
is a way of overcoming the problem of scare airwaves and limited how, they are used.
Company policy prohibited smoking, which many employees resented.
the airwaves
a policy
20 Most Common Errors
3. Missing comma in a compound sentenceWe 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 wordThe Pacers played there best, but that
was not good enough.Paradise Lost contains many illusions
to classical mythology.
their
allusions
20 Most Common Errors
5. Missing comma(s) with a nonrestrictive element.Susan who was the president of the
club was first to speak.John’s first doll Malibu Barbie is still
his favorite.
, ,
, ,
20 Most Common Errors
6. Wrong or missing verb endingErnesto use feline imagery throughout
the poem.The United States drop two atomic
bombs on Japan in 1945.
usesdropped
20 Most Common Errors
7. Wrong or missing preposition.We met in Union Street at San
Francisco.
Who called the game yesterday?
on inoff
20 Most Common Errors
Comma SpliceI was strongly attracted to her, she
had special qualities.
They always had ham for Easter, this was a family tradition.
for
Having
20 Most Common Errors
9. Missing or misplaced possessive apostrophe.AEE is pleased to announce it’s new
graduate students. its
20 Most Common Errors
10. Unnecessary shift in tenseAbby laughs until she cried during the
class.
Brian is in charge of finance; he will always keep his office locked.
cries
keeps
20 Most Common Errors
11. Unnecessary shift in pronounWhen one first sees a painting by
Cathy, you are impressed by a sense of power.one is
20 Most Common Errors
12. Sentence fragmentThe old aluminum boat sitting on its
trailer.
We returned to the drugstore. Where we waited for out parents.
was
20 Most Common Errors
13. Wrong tense or verb formLuke Reese has broke many soccer
records.
By the time Jim arrived, Mikel left.
hadbroken
20 Most Common Errors
14. Lack of subject-verb agreementA central part of my life goals have
been to go to graduate school.has
20 Most Common Errors
15. Missing comma in a seriesAEE Graduate students study mostly
teaching, methods, writing and other research activities.
,
20 Most Common Errors
16. Lack of agreement between pronoun and antecedentNeither Nadja nor Kari felt that they
had been treated fairly. she
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 sentenceThe current was sift he could not swin
to shore..He
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/It’s confusionThe car is lying on it’s side in the
ditch. Its a white 2000 Audi..its
.It’s
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