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The Craft of Scientific Writing By Michael Alley

The Craft of Scientific Writing By Michael Alley. Amani Abuhabsah RET 2007 July 12,2007. Words of Wisdom. “ We are all apprentices of a craft where no one ever becomes a master” -Ernest Hemingway. Introduction: Deciding where to begin. l Part I – The Basics (2 topics)

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The Craft of Scientific Writing By Michael Alley

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  1. The Craft of Scientific WritingBy Michael Alley Amani Abuhabsah RET 2007 July 12,2007

  2. Words of Wisdom • “ We are all apprentices of a craft where no one ever becomes a master” -Ernest Hemingway

  3. Introduction: Deciding where to begin • l Part I – The Basics (2 topics) • The science of scientific writing • Reasons why science writing is difficult (4 topics random, intricate, abstract, and language • l Part II – Establishing Constraints ( 4 topics) • Audience - Politics • Format -Mechanics • l Part III – Language (6 topics) • - Precision - Familiarity • Being Concise -Tone • Being Fluid - Clarity

  4. Introduction part 2 • Part IV – Selecting your Stylistics Tool (3 topics) • Structure • Language • Eliminating Zeros

  5. One- liners we have used for writing • Use synonyms for variety • Never use the first person • Always write in the active voice

  6. The science of scientific writing • What is the formula for scientific writing? • There is no formula or law • Scientific writing is not a science • It does not contain laws obtained through experiments Cook Book for Scientific Writing

  7. Reasons why writing is so difficult • Random • Turbulent flow • Intricate • Double helix structure of DNA • Abstract • Quantum Orbits of electrons • Language • Is not the expressions you find in the morning paper • “Frequency-doubled” • Math Symbols and equations

  8. Establishing Your Constraints • The audience • Who are they? • What is their background? • Why are they reading the paper? • Inform: Present the most information in the least amount reading time. • Persuade: Present well organized logical arguments. • How will they read the document? • Formats • Typeface, references, length of document • Don’t worry about format, you have no control over it, just follow it. • Worry about your style, that is what you can control.

  9. Formatting Scientific Writing

  10. In scientific writing, formats vary to serve different purpose

  11. Choose a style that is easy to read

  12. More Constraints • Politics • Be honest? • Satisfy additional constraints • Mechanics • Follow the rules of punctuation and grammar • Keep up with recent change • 1900: X rays • 1950: X-rays • 1995: x-rays C & E News (1985): the 1980’s (plural) C & E News (1995): the 1980s (plural)

  13. Not all rules are constant

  14. The most important aspect of grammaris understanding what a sentenceis Sentence: A sentence is group of words with a subject and a verb that expresses a complete thought. Fragment: A fragment being a group of words that either is missing a subject or a verb or does not express a complete thought. Run-on: A run-on is two or more independent clauses that are not joined properly, for instance, a common mistake is to have a comma between the clauses.

  15. Which are sentences, fragments or run-ons? • Rubidium has no majoruses, however,it is more common in the earth than zinc, copper, or nickel. • Although carbon dioxide occurs naturally, man has dramatically increased its concentration this past century. • Several systems can detect plastic explosives. For example, thermal neutron activation systems, nitrogen sniffer systems, and enhanced x-ray systems.

  16. Selecting Your Stylistic Tools • Structure • Organization of details • Transition between details • Depth of details • Emphasis of details

  17. Precise Clear Forthright Familiar Concise Fluid word word word word word word word word word word wordwordwordword wordwordwordword word word word wordwordwordword wordword word word word word word Language:the way we use words Short words are the best, and short words when old are best of all. Winston Churchill

  18. Eliminate Writing Zeros Vibration measurements made in the course of the Titan flight test program were complicated by the presence of intense high-frequency excitation of the vehicle shell structure during the re-entry phase of the flight. Vibration measurements made inthe Titan flight were complicated by intense high-frequency excitation of the vehicle shell during re-entry.

  19. Chapter 2: Structure Organizing your Data • “If a man can group his ideas, then his is a writer. • Robert Louis Stevenson's

  20. Chapter 2 Outline • Part I – Creating Tittles • Part II – Writing Summaries • Part III- Writing Introductions • Part VI- Writing the Middle documents (4 topics) • Part V- Conclusions • Part VI- Back Matter

  21. Creating Titles • Most important phrases of scientific document • Identifies the field of study • Effects of Humidity on the Growth of Avalanches • Effects of Humidity on the Growth of Electron Avalanches in Electrical Gas Discharges • Separates the document from all other documents in that field

  22. Writing Summaries “ Please be good enough to put your conclusions and recommendations on one sheet of paper in the very beginning of your report, so I can even consider reading it” • Winston Churchill

  23. Two types of summaries Descriptive: Can be written before work is done. • To present a argument. 2. To align with length constraints. Informative: Formal reports, 1.To give results 2. To identify the work being presented.

  24. Writing Introductions I. What exactly is the work? II. Why is it important? III. What is needed to understand the work? IV. How will the work be presented?

  25. Just Follow the Map • Once you've captured the reader's attention, you'll need to point him or her in the direction • The easiest way to do that is to provide a roadmap, complete with signposts and landmarks to guide the way

  26. Middles of Documents I.Chronological Strategy A. Timeline processes /Cyclic processes B. Designate into steps or stages by grouping steps of twos, threes, or fours so reader can remember. II. Spatial Strategy A. Divide into twos, threes,or four parts. Comet head, coma, and tail B. Follows physical shape, form of object. eg; shape of fossil, volcanic dispersion. III. Flow Strategy A. Follows flow of some variable such as energy or mass through a system- One pathway. IV. Cause-Effect A. Investigate why things occurred.

  27. Conclusions • Provides closure • Analysis of results • Provides future perspective of work

  28. Writing the back matter • Formal: Appendices, glossary, index and a bibliography. • Glossary: informs secondary readers by defining terms in text. • Arrange in alphabetical order • Terms in boldface

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