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Timothy Skern. Writing Scientific English
Preface
Preface to the second edition
Preface to third edition
How to use this workbook
Contents
Chapter 1An introduction to scientific English
1.1Advantages and disadvantages of English
1.1.1British or American?
1.2Formal English, the language of science
1.2.1Complete sentences
1.2.2Punctuation marks
1.2.2.1The comma
1.2.2.2The semi-colon
1.2.2.3The colon
1.2.2.4The question mark
1.2.2.5The exclamation mark
1.2.2.6Quotation marks
1.2.2.7Brackets
1.2.3Write out all verb forms
1.2.4Avoid starting sentences with “and”, “but”, “because” or “so”
1.2.5Avoid ending sentences with “too”, “also”, “though” or “yet”
1.2.6Avoid “get”
1.2.7Avoid vagueness, sensationalism and exaggeration
1.2.8Using “the” and “a”
1.3Words for writing scientific English
1.4Take-home messages from Chapter 1
1.5References. Books
Websites
1.6Improvements to exercices. 1.6.1Solutions to box 1.2 “Fooling a spellchecker”
1.6.2Improvements to box 1.6 “Practising the use of the articles “the” and “a” in English”
Chapter 2Writing clear scientific English
2.1Eight guidelines for improving your writing technique
2.1.1Make a plan
2.1.2Use a clean and legible layout
2.1.3Use paragraphs
2.1.4Write simple sentences
2.1.5Write positive sentences
2.1.6Write active sentences
2.1.7Omit needless words
2.1.8Read and think about your work
2.2Just to make you feel better
2.2.1An example from a former editor of Nature
2.2.2Reviewers are humans too
2.3Take-home messages from Chapter 2
2.4References. Articles
Books
Websites
2.5Improvements to exercises. 2.5.1Improvements to box 2.1 "Shortening sentences by splitting them into two”
2.5.2Improvements to box 2.2 “Positive and negative sentences”
2.5.3Improvements to box 2.3 “Omit needless words!”
Chapter 3Applying the fundamentals
3.1Summarising the text “Fighting for Breath”
3.2Improving four summaries of “Fighting for Breath”
3.2.1Summary 1 “Fighting for breath”
Improved summary 1
3.2.2Summary 2 “Fighting for breath”
Improved summary 2
3.2.3Summary 3 “Fighting for breath”
Improved summary 3
3.2.4Summary 4 “Fighting for breath”
Improved summary 4 “Fighting for breath”
3.2.5Summary of “Fighting for breath” (Tim Skern)
3.3Writing abstracts for scientific presentations
3.4Improving four abstracts
3.4.1Abstract 1. The fashion of body decoration: risk of disease and psychological effects
Improved abstract 1. The fashion of body decoration: risk of disease and psychological effects
3.4.2Abstract 2. Arachnophobia
Improved abstract 2. Arachnophobia
3.4.3Abstract 3. Acrylamide
Improved abstract 3. Acrylamide
3.4.4Abstract 4. Is DDT a justifiable weapon to fight malaria?
Improved abstract 4. Is DDT a justifiable weapon to fight malaria?
3.4.5Abstract 5
Improved abstract 5
3.4.6Abstract 6. Plant-derived compounds stimulate the decomposition of organic matter in arctic permafrost soils
Improved abstract 6
3.4.7Abstract 7. The moss – a non-vascular plant in the fast lane
Improved abstract 7
Second version of improved abstract 7
3.4.8Abstract 8. Summary of “Detonator of the population explosion” by Vaclav Smil
Improved abstract 8
3.5What is science?
3.6Improving four texts on “What is science?”
3.6.1Text 1 “What is science?”
Improved text 1
3.6.2Text 2 “What is science?”
Improved text 2
3.6.3Text 3 “What is science?”
Improved text 3
3.6.4Text 4 “What is science?”
Improved text 4
3.7The five most common commands and comments from improved texts in Chapter 3
3.8Take-home messages from Chapter 3
3.9References. Articles
Books
Websites
Chapter 4Constructing a scientific manuscript
4.1The process of publishing original data in a scientific manuscript
4.2Planning a scientific manuscript
4.3Writing a scientific manuscript
4.3.1Prepare the figures and tables
4.3.2Describe the figures and tables
4.3.3Write a first draft of the “results”
4.3.4Write a first draft of the “discussion”
4.3.5What about writing a combined section entitled “results and discussion”?
4.3.6Write a first draft of the “introduction”
4.3.7Write a first draft of the “title”, the “abstract” and the “keywords”
4.3.8Write a first draft of “materials and methods”
4.3.9List and sort the references
4.3.10Write the “acknowledgements”
4.3.11Write the “abbreviations”
4.4Assembling and improving the model manuscript
4.4.1First draft of the model manuscript. Inactivation of influenza virus by a Protea repens extract (1)
Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
Acknowledgements
Figure Legends
4.5Editing and refining a scientific manuscript
4.5.1Improved model manuscript. A Protea repens extract inactivates influenza virus
Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
Acknowledgements
References
Figure Legends
4.6Take-home messages from chapter 4
4.7References. Articles
Books
Websites
Chapter 5Practising writing and improving scientific manuscripts
5.1Improving the quality of bread
5.1.1A pyramidal bread box keeps bread fresh longer. Abstract
Introduction
Material and Methods
Results and Discussion (13)
5.1.2A pyramidal bread box keeps bread fresh longer. Abstract
Introduction
Material and Methods
Results
Discussion
5.2Your views on human activity and global warming
5.2.1Global warming
5.2.2Global warming. Abstract
5.3Measuring biodiversity
5.3.1Biodiversity of bacteria in rainforests
5.3.2Biodiversity of bacteria in rainforests. Abstract
5.4Stereotypic Man
5.4.1Stereotypic Man: is the author of this article male or female?
Arguments for a male author (I call him James):
Arguments for a female author (I call her Linda):
My personal decision
5.4.2Stereotypic Man: is the author of this article male or female?
Arguments for a male author (I call him James):
Arguments for a female author (I call her Linda):
My personal decision
5.5Searching for the best firewood to reduce global warming
5.5.1Finding the best firewood to make fire. Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
5.5.2Finding the best firewood to make fire. Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
5.6Is there a connection between eating organic food and cigarette smoking?
5.6.1Fogged Minds. Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
5.6.2Fogged minds. Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
5.7The six most common commands and comments from improved texts in Chapter 3
5.8Take-home messages from Chapter 5. Ten essential editing commands
5.9References. Articles
Books
Websites
Chapter 6Easing the pain: writing whilst researching
Chapter 7On your own
7.1Resources. Dictionaries
Thesauri
Resources for writing
Resources for writing and speaking scientific English
Resources for finding and handling references
Background to the English Language
7.2The comments that I use to correct texts in my course
7.3A reading list to improve your vocabulary and your scientific writing
On scientists
On becoming a scientist
On exploring worlds
On observing worlds
On mathematics
On biology: Evolution and the environment
On virology
On the philosophy of science
Books on my desk
7.4Some tips for oral presentations
7.5References. Books
Chapter 8The scientific vocabulary of this book
8.1Linking words
8.2Words from the basic scientific lexicon. Verbs
Nouns
Adjectives and adverbs
8.3Words that extend the basic scientific lexicon
8.4Exercises using texts from Nature and Science
1. Cocaine and Freud (Rousseau, 2011)
2. Detonator of the population explosion (Smil, 1999)
3. Redacting with Mr. Darwin (Nickalls, 2009)
4. Teatime for Science (Finn, 2001)
5. Physics takes the biscuit (Fischer, 1999)
6. Red wine procyanidins and vascular health (Corder et al., 2006)
7. Mr. Bayes goes to Washington (Wang and Campbell, 2013)
8. Smooth Operator (Anon, 2105)
8.5References. Articles
8.6Words that you wish to add
… an attempt to support students in their understanding of virology
