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