SCBM497���Science Writing: Introduction

Laran T. Jensen Department of Biochemistry

Faculty of Science Mahidol University

laran.jen@mahidol.ac.th

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Humans are not actually capable of multi-tasking

Instead, we switch tasks - even though we may do this rapidly

*It will take you more time to finish a task if you switch between it and another job than if you just do one job at a time

*You will make more errors if you switch between tasks than if you do one at a time

*If the task you are doing is complicated, then the time and error penalties increase

*If you do a lot of task-switching in a day you can lose up to 40% of your productive time

Stay focused when writing

Completing your writing will take longer than you expect

There will be many unexpected roadblocks to your writing

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Comparing Instead of Creating If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write Reading manuscripts from other people can aid in helping you to write better

Persistence not Perfection

The first draft is you telling the story to yourself. The only purpose of this draft is to get the story down on paper.

The second (and third and fourth and seventh) drafts are where you move paragraphs, fix language issues, and all the other stuff

You will never finish it if you do not get started http://audrarussellwrites.com

Tell as story with your writing

Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 97(4)

Framing a scientific paper The structure of a paper mirrors that of an hourglass, opening broadly

and narrowing to the specific question

Effective papers widen again in the discussion and conclusion, connecting the study back to the existing literature and explaining

how the current study filled a knowledge gap

Finding a Title for your manuscript

The Abstract for your manuscript

• What: Topic of project, goals, objectives. What do you intend to do?

• Why: Problem/Issue to be addressed. Why is the work important?

• How: Brief Methods, procedures. How are you going to do the work?

Abstract  should  answer  The Abstract should answer

Structure of the Abstract

If you need to write the introduction first to set the stage for your own thinking, resist the temptation to perfect it

The introduction will likely need substantial modification by the time you have finished the rest of the paper

The introduction is one of the more difficult portions of the manuscript to write

Many writers prefer to write their introductions last

It can difficult to balance the general context and specific focus required for a good introduction

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It is important to decide how your research compares to other studies of its kind by familiarizing yourself with previous research on the topic.

Perform a thorough literature search and ask the following questions: What do we know about the topic? What open questions and knowledge do we not yet know? Why is this information important?

Research how your work fits into existing literature

The Introduction sets the tone of the paper by providing relevant background information and clearly identifying the problem you plan to address

The literature search will provide critical insight into the structure and style that others have used when writing about the field and communicating ideas on this specific topic

It will also help you up to make a compelling story, as you will begin writing with precise knowledge of how your work builds on previous research and what sets your research apart from the current published literature

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When you first start a writing project, make an outline of the major headings

List the key ideas to be covered under each heading

Organize your thinking and the logic of your arguments

Separate out the three tasks of: (1) Figuring out what you want to say (2) Planning the order and logic of your arguments, and (3) Crafting the exact language in which you will express your

ideas

Use an outline to organize your ideas and writing

The Introduction should not just be a statement of the problem

Why should they care about your paper?

What is the problem Why should anyone care? (Why was this work done?)

Deal with these questions briefly, interestingly, and as simply as possible.

Indicate the motivation to solve the problem

Motivate the reader to be interested

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A well-written introduction should persuade the reader to continue reading the text

For an introduction to work properly the reader must feel that the research question is

Making the Introduction work

Clear Concise

Worthy of study

The purpose of science writing is not explaining what you did or what you learned, but rather what you want your audience

to understand

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The introduction defines the scope and limitations of the work

Three-part introduction

2. Present findings from other publications that will be challenged or expanded

3. Specify the question that the paper addresses and how

1. State the general field of interest

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Concisely present what is already known about the subject of your investigation

Reference the most important publications

Do not try to mention everything but be thorough

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3 1. State the general field of

interest

Three-part introduction – Part 1

Explain how you are hoping to extend or modify what is already known or believed

Clearly state the problem/ knowledge gap planning to address and how your work will fill this gap

Provide support for your argument

The discussion and conclusion should answer the knowledge gap

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Three-part introduction – Part 2

2. Present findings from other publications that will be challenged or expanded

Knowledge gap

This paragraph is often phrased in hypothesis form

Follow the knowledge gap

Indicate your experimental approach

Provide 1–2 sentence overview of experimental design but leave the

specific details for the methods section

Point out what is new and important about your work

When appropriate, briefly summarize the answer(s) you found

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Three-part introduction – Part 3

3. Specify the question that the paper addresses and how

Examples of well-stated purposes

Schimel 2012

Clearly state the wider implications of your work for the field of study

Provide enough background information that the reader can under- stand your topic

Think of your Introduction as the beginning of a funnel

Start wide to put your research into a broad context that someone outside of the field would understand

Then narrow the scope until you reach the specific question that you are trying to answer

Introduction – Organization

Introduction – Organization

Constructing a Hypothesis

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A hypothesis is a testable explanation of an observed event

Hypotheses relate directly to research questions, are written in the present tense, and can be tested through observation or experimentation

Although the terms “hypothesis” and “prediction” are often incorrectly used interchangeably, they refer to different but complementary concepts

A hypothesis attempts to explain the mechanism underlying a pattern, while a prediction states an expectation regarding the results

Writing Style

•  Everyone will acquire his or her own style

•  However, there are some general rules: –  Use short sentences which express single concepts

Sentences should not exceed three lines

–  Use short paragraphs

–  Avoid clever clauses and parentheses

–  Use good grammar and punctuation

–  If in doubt, keep it simple

More on writing styles

•  All documents need to read swiftly

•  No room for ambiguity

•  English may not be the readers 1st language

Clarity is essential for good writing

The key to successful writing is

“Everything���should be made���

as simple as possible���– but not simpler”���

The K.I.S.S principle: Keep It Short & Simple

Common Errors – Try to avoid

More things to avoid

Don’t force your reader to remember new acronyms���– shorten your abstract in other ways

Don’t spell out ubiquitous acronyms unless they are needed

nobody needs to read that DNA is DeoxyriboNucleic Acid

Acronyms and abbreviations:

Do not assume readers/reviewers know the subject as well as you do, but don’t go overboard.

Use the agencies Subject Headings for review criteria! Do not make them hunt for the “Significance.”

The most important rule to keep in mind: Do not annoy the reviewers!

Keep the reader in mind when writing

Putting it all together

A paper needs to flow

The reader should easily be able to move from one concept to another,

Remind yourself of the overarching story when writing

Connect new questions with resolutions and tie new concepts to previously presented ideas

Try to maintain the same subject throughout a section

Remember that words or ideas placed toward the end of a sentence often convey the most importance

No matter how many boards you stack on top of each other, you still need nails to prevent the pile from falling apart

The same logic applies to writing a scientific paper

The flow, structure, voice, and word choice will connect your story, polish your paper, and make it enjoyable to read

Critical Thinking is evaluating ideas

Creative Thinking is producing new ideas

Scientific writing requires understanding concepts Learn to think, not reiterate

Barriers to development of critical thinking skills

The perception that effective learning is characterized by the retention and recall of large amounts of information

Correct information and answers are obtained from the teacher and textbook, and this information should memorized

Critical thinking skills allow the understanding of information at a deeper level

Allows application of concepts to to solve new and unfamiliar problems

Mistaking information for understanding

Levels of thinking

In academic contexts: Criticism refers to an analysis of positive as well as negative features

It is important to identify strengths as well as weaknesses

Good critical analysis accounts for why something is good or poor why it works or fails

It is not enough merely to list good and bad points

Some people assume that 'criticism' means making negative comments

As a result, they refer only to negative aspects when making an analysis

Critical evaluation means identifying positive as well as negative aspects

Both positives and negatives

There can be a natural anxiety about critically analyzing texts or other works by people that you respect

It can seem strange for students who know little about their subject, to be asked to critique works by those who are more experienced

Some students can find it rude or nonsensical to offer criticism of researchers they know to be more expert than themselves

Critical analysis is a typical and expected activity

Researchers and lecturers expect students to question and challenge

even published material

Reluctance to critique experts

Go beyond accepting everything you read or hear as fact

Critical thinking involves critiquing, not criticizing

Know the difference

The word critical is related to criteria – Evaluating something against some criteria

Evaluating is related to the word value – Considering the value of something against some criteria

Be prepared to work ideas into your thinking by active

reading

writing

speaking

and

listening

Develop skills in using evidence, even if drawn from other people's research, to support a detailed line of reasoning

Become an active learner

Critical thinking involves precision and accuracy

Requires good attention to detail

Poor criticism can result from making judgments based on too general an overview of the subject

Insufficient focus and attention to detail

Analysis of relevant and irrelevant information

You are driving a bus at 50 kilometers/hr then stop at a bus station

At a stop 4 passengers board and 2 get off

Next stop 10 passengers board and 5 get off

The following stop 5 passenger board and no one gets off

Questions to answer

What is the name of the bus driver?

How many passengers are on the bus?

What speed is the bus traveling?

Exercise - Evaluate articles about the universe