Transcript Document

Clear and Concise
Scientific English
Duncan Wright
2015
Writing a research
article, thesis,
dissertation…
…where to start?
DATA
(Generated from hypothesis-driven,
innovative, and appropriately-controlled
experiments, and analyzed using
appropriate techniques).
Analyze and plot your
data as they are
generated. Start
writing as soon as you
can.
(Don’t wait until you
want to publish!)
Tip:
- Set aside 15 minutes/2
days to write. Don’t think
too much, just write!
- Set aside 15 minutes/ 2
days (different days!) to
edit. Don’t be afraid to
delete your hard work!
RESULTS
1) Make figures.
2) Describe the figures.
Only present data ONCE –
figure, table, or in the text
18
16
Time (s) A
14
12
10
A
8
B
C
6
4
2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
B
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
C
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
1
2
4
8
16
32
64
128
0
1
2
3
4
5
At 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 seconds, A exhibited values
of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively.
18
16
14
12
10
A
8
B
C
6
4
2
0
1
2
3
4
5
Results text: draw the reader’s attention to key findings or describe
general trends:
- A and C increased over time, in a linear and exponential manner,
respectively; on the other hand, B exhibited an inverse relationship with
time. 
Don’t make a simple list of the values:
- At 1 second, A was 1, B was 8, and C was 1; at 2 seconds, A was 2, B
was 7, and C was 2; at 3 seconds, A was 3, B was 6, and C was 4…
Use the past tense when describing results.
e.g., B decreased over time.
Use the present tense when referring to
figures and tables.
e.g., Figure 1 shows the changes in A, B, and
C over time.
Use titles and headings to advance the story.
e.g., Comparison of A, B, and C. 
→ A, B, and C exhibit differential changes
over time. 
METHODS
Brief as possible: cite earlier studies.
Western blot was performed as
described by X et al. (1998).
Use past tense.
Samples were centrifuged at 10,000g for
5 minutes.
If you have a long list (DNA/peptide
sequences, experiments with multiple
parameters, etc.), consider including it as a
table.
Try to avoid using numbers or lower case
letters (mRNA etc.) at the beginning of a
sentence. If you must, write the number
(and any unit) in full.
10 μl of the supernatant were added. 
Ten microliters of the supernatant were
added. 
INTRODUCTION
GENERAL
SPECIFIC
RECENT FINDINGS
QUESTIONS
HYPOTHESES
INTRO
DATA
ABSTRACT
DISCUSSION INTERPRETATION
FUTURE
Paragraphs:
One main point/idea for each
paragraph.
- Topic sentence
-Supporting sentences (support;
expand; refute)
Fill in the gaps.
Expression of X was decreased in mutant cells.
Therefore, we examined apoptosis in the
mutant.
Expression of X was decreased in mutant cells.
As X regulates apoptosis, we examined
whether this process was disrupted in the
mutant.
DISCUSSION
Match the word with the strength of your
data.
Present tense is ‘stronger’ than past
tense.
‘Demonstrate’ and ‘indicate’ are strong.
‘Appears’ and ‘suggests’ are weaker.
‘May’ makes the sentence weaker still.
Do not just describe the results (OBSERVATIONS and
INTERPRETATIONS).
Do the findings support your hypotheses?
Are there alternative explanations?
Consistent with earlier studies?
What are the implications of your findings?
Propose a model integrating your findings and those
of earlier studies.
Propose ideas for future studies – get cited!!!
TITLE
Concise.
Key words first.
e.g., Effects of added calcium on salinity tolerance of tomatoes.
→
Calcium improves salinity tolerance of tomatoes.
Avoid non-standard abbreviations.
Avoid terms like ‘a study into’, ‘exploring’, ‘results’
and ‘investigation’.
e.g., An investigation into the relationship between X and Y →
X regulates Y.
Avoid subjective evaluations.
e.g., an innovative method → a rapid method.
Avoid ambiguity.
- may occur when nouns are used as
adjectives
e.g., enzymatic activity suppression.
This has two possible meanings:
a) Suppression of enzymatic activity
b)Suppression by enzymatic activity
GENERAL
ADVICE
Communicate actions using verbs.
We subjected the samples to quantification. →
We quantified the samples.
Verb
(Noun)
Incorrect verb
determine (determination) determinate
recombine (recombination) recombinate
imagine
(imagination)
interpret (interpretation)
imaginate
interpretate
Keep articles as short as possible.
Ensure your article is accessible to researchers
outside of your sub-field:
- Introduce each new concept.
- Explain abbreviations.
- Do not assume knowledge.
Avoid redundancy.
Be careful when using pronouns (she, he,
it, they, etc.).
Drug X affected process Y. It controls cell
division.
Ambiguous: is ‘it’ drug X or process Y?
Do not use i.e. or e.g. together with etc.
i.e. id est that is (in other words)
e.g. exempli gratia for example
etc. et cetera and the rest
The Serial Comma
,
(Oxford/Harvard Comma)
Translation requires two ribosomal subunits, mRNA and
tRNA.
tRNA?
mRNA?
Translation requires two ribosomal subunits, mRNA, and
tRNA.
mRNA
2
tRNA
1
The Serial Comma
The serial comma is used to resolve ambiguous sentences
e.g., ‘we invited the vice-directors, Professor Y and Professor Z’.
Prof. Y
Prof. Z
Vice-directors
‘we invited the vice-directors, Professor Y, and Professor Z’.
Prof. Y
Prof. Z
Vice-directors
The Serial Comma
HOWEVER!
In some situations, the serial comma may create confusion and
should be removed.
e.g., I invited my mother, Professor Y, and the speakers.
Prof. Y
is your
mother
Speakers
I invited my mother, Professor Y and the speakers.
Mother
Prof. Y
Speakers
*
* An Outline of Scientific Writing: for researchers with English as
a foreign language. Jen Tsi Yang. ISBN-13 978-981-02-2466-0.
Copyright © 1995 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
* Writing Scientific Research Articles: Strategy and Steps.
Margaret Cargill and Patrick O’Connor. ISBN-13 978-1405186193.
Copyright © 2009 Wiley-Blackwell.
* Common Errors in English Usage. Paul Brians. ISBN-13: 978-
1887902892. Copyright 2002. Franklin, Beedle & Associates Inc.
* Getting Published in the Life Sciences. Richard J. Gladon,
William R. Graves and J. Michael Kelly. ISBN: 978-1-1180-1716-6.
John Wiley and Sons Inc.
* The Science of Scientific Writing.
George Gopen, Judith Swan.
American Scientist. Nov-Dec 1990.
* The Elements of Style. William Strunk, Jr. ISBN-13: 9780205309023.
Thank you for your attention!
ICOB Editing Service
Duncan Wright
Room 429
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 2789-9539