1. SCIENTIFIC WRITING and its SPECIAL CONVENTIONS

2. Science vs. Scientific Science Writing n science is subject n “about” science n creates secondary or tertiary information resource n Scientific American, Science News, Popular Science Scientific Writing n science is context n reporting discovery n creates primary information resource n Science, Nature, American Journal of Human Genetics

3. SCIENTIFIC WRITING DESCRIBES OBSERVATIONS AND RESULTS AND THE MANNER BY WHICH THEY ARE DERIVED THROUGH EXPERIMENTAL OR NONEXPERIMENTAL METHODS, INCLUDING CLASSIFICATION, STATISTICAL ANALYSIS, MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS, AND COMPARATIVE STUDIES.

4. CONVENTIONS OF SCIENTIFIC WRITING

5. 1. EMPHASIZE MESSAGE PRESENT FACTS OBJECTIVELYPRESENT FACTS OBJECTIVELY (NO PERSUASION) MAKE LANGUAGE THE MEANS TO THE END, NOT THE ENDMAKE LANGUAGE THE MEANS TO THE END, NOT THE END

6. 2. REPORT FACTUAL INFORMATION REQUIRES VERIFICATIONREQUIRES VERIFICATION REQUIRES SPECIFICREQUIRES SPECIFIC AND CONCRETE WORDSAND CONCRETE WORDS REQUIRES PRECISE DETAILS (MEASUREMENTS, DIMENSION, SPEEDS, CONCENTRATIONS, ETC.)REQUIRES PRECISE DETAILS (MEASUREMENTS, DIMENSION, SPEEDS, CONCENTRATIONS, ETC.) REQUIRES CLEAR (TO THE POINT) AND CONCISE (ECONOMICAL) WRITINGREQUIRES CLEAR (TO THE POINT) AND CONCISE (ECONOMICAL) WRITING

7. 3. USE OBJECTIVE TONE TONE=ATTITUDE TOWARD TOPIC, AUDIENCE, & SELFTONE=ATTITUDE TOWARD TOPIC, AUDIENCE, & SELF OBJECTIVITY=CONCRETE, SPECIFIC, PRECISEWORDSOBJECTIVITY=CONCRETE, SPECIFIC, PRECISEWORDS WORDS WITH SPECIIC DENOTATION AND NEUTRAL CONNOTATIONWORDS WITH SPECIIC DENOTATION AND NEUTRAL CONNOTATION STEED VS. NAG VS. HORSE

8. 4. EMPHASIZE ACTION NOT AGENT WHEN REPORTING METHODS “I measured the sample, then I weighed it and then I heated it to 310 C. The sample was measured, weighed, and heated to 310 C. The sample was measured, weighed, and heated to 310 C. precise & concise: facilitates understanding and reproducibility

9. 5. NURTURE YOUR PERSONA CONVEYS INTEGRITY, INSPIRES READERS’ CONFIDENCE, IMPROVES RESEARCH CREDIBILITYCONVEYS INTEGRITY, INSPIRES READERS’ CONFIDENCE, IMPROVES RESEARCH CREDIBILITY AUTHORITY (done homework, so…) AUTHORITY (done homework, so…)  POSITION (status, so…)POSITION (status, so…) EDUCATION (degreed, so…)EDUCATION (degreed, so…) EXPERIENCE (done it, so…)EXPERIENCE (done it, so…) REPUTATION (known, so…)REPUTATION (known, so…)

10. 6. Use analogies, not metaphors ANALOGY: comparison between things or events to clarify or explainto clarify or explain “Spider silk is elastic like rubber.” METAPHOR: an unfamiliar or strange comparison to evoke “Spider silk is the perfect ink of a blind draftsman’s unruled pen.”

11. 7. Use Facts & Inferences, Not Judgements. FACT:statement recognized as true and descriptively adequate about worldFACT:statement recognized as true and descriptively adequate about world INFERENCE: reasoned interpretation of factsINFERENCE: reasoned interpretation of facts To pass class, you must pass final.To pass class, you must pass final. Joe did not pass final.Joe did not pass final. Therfore Joe did not pass classTherfore Joe did not pass class JUDGEMENT: assessment based on opinionJUDGEMENT: assessment based on opinion BMWs are my favorite car.BMWs are my favorite car. BMWs are the best cars.BMWs are the best cars.

12. 8. Use true and correct language TRUE LANGUAGE conforms to world as known or perceived CORRECT LANGUAGE conforms to rules of grammar “Flying pigs sing orchids to sleep on submarines.” LIMITATIONS: “The sun came up this morning.” “The sky is blue.”

13. 9. Satisfy the two essential criteria of scientific writing. EMPIRICALLY TRUEEMPIRICALLY TRUE(VERIFIABLE) LOGICALLY CONSISTENT (Reasonable, Agreeable) All copper conducts electricity. This wire is copper. Therefore, this wire conduct electricity. All chickens speak French. This creature is a chicken, Therefore, this creature will speak French.

14. Be empirically true and logically consistent In the littler scheme of things: n descriptions n comparisons n phrases, clauses n word choice In the BIG scheme of things: n data, measurements, materials methods n conclusion and discussion