BIOL 391 Introduction to Biological Research - Scientific Writing PDF

10/22/24 Fundamentals of Scientific Fundamentals of Scientific Writing – Writing – Words and Word Words and Word Location Location Basic scientific writing rules for Ch 2, Hofmann (2025)...

10/22/24 Fundamentals of Scientific Fundamentals of Scientific Writing – Writing – Words and Word Words and Word Location Location Basic scientific writing rules for Ch 2, Hofmann (2025) words and word location. General advice on technical style in BIOL 391 science. Introduction to Biological Research Burman, Fall 2024 1 2 2.1. Individual Words Use simple words Use precise words. 3 4 Omit unnecessary words Omit redundant words 5 6 1  10/22/24 Omit unnecessary phrases Phrases to Avoid 7 8 Avoid too many abbreviations and acronyms List of standard abbreviations and acronyms, eg., Journal of Cell Biology (http://repress.org/jcb/pages/standard-abbreviations). What may be intelligible to experts may be unintelligible to others. If lengthy terms are used often in a document, then it is acceptable to use abbreviations and acronyms. – However, always define acronyms and nonstandard abbreviations on its first appearance (but not in a title or abstract). 9 10 Use correct nomenclature and Misused and confused terms terminology Words are not always what they seem. Use a dictionary if you need. Look up definitions. 11 12 2  10/22/24 2.2 Word Location Main vs Dependent Clause Word location within a sentence can guide and I went out on the bike that Mary gave me influence readers. for my birthday. For the best placement of words within a The main clause of the sentence is “I went sentence, establish importance. out on the bike” — a complete idea that – i.e., decide which information is most important can stand on its own as a complete and should be emphasized. sentence. The words that follow (“that In general, the end position of a sentence is Mary gave me for my birthday”) are a more emphasized than the beginning dependent clause, acting subordinate position, and the main clause is more to the main clause. emphasized than the dependent clause. https://www.merriam-webster.com/ 13 14 Place old, familiar, and short information at the beginning of a sentence. The placement of a familiar word allows the reader to link information back to the topic of a document. Example 2-11a. Bees belong to the genus Apis. 15 16 Place new, complex, or long Thoughtful placement of information. information at the end of a sentence. If information is placed where most readers Readers anticipate new information at expect to find it, it is interpreted more easily. the end of a sentence, where it is Placement of information at the end of a emphasized. sentence can be linked to information at the – Example 2-11b. Bees produce honey. beginning of the next sentence (“jumping word List short items before long or complex location” to create ”flow”). ones in a series. – Example 2-11c. Solitary bees build nests on twigs, in wood, in tunnels, or between rocks in the ground. 17 18 3  10/22/24 Get to the subject of the main Verb-subject-object placement. sentence quickly. Avoid long introductory phrases and Place the verb immediately after the subjects. subject and the object right after the verb. 19 20 Verb-subject-object placement. Verb-subject-object placement. 21 22 2.3 Summary 2.3 Summary Individual words Word location – Use precise words. – Establish importance. – Place old, familiar and short information at – Use simple words. the beginning of a sentence. – Omit unnecessary words and phrases. – Place new, complex or long information at – Avoid too many abbreviations. the end of a sentence. – Use correct terminology and – Get to the subject of the main sentence quickly. nomenclature. – Place the verb immediately after the subject and the object right after the verb. 23 24 4