Science Writing Tips

1. Science Writing Tips Don't write merely to be understood. Write so that you cannot possibly be misunderstood.--Robert Louis Stevenson

2. When writing, keep your readers in mind. True or false for science writing?

3. Colleagues and coworkers. Editors and reviewers. Scientists in other fields. Students. People who are busy. People who speak English as a foreign language. Who are your readers?

4. Typical order in which readers read an article: 1. Title and author list 2. Abstract 3. Figures, tables, and their legends 4. Subheadings 5. Conclusion and introduction (skimmed) 6. Equations and methods 7. Main text in more detail Writing for busy readers

5. Avoid uncommon non-technical terms. Avoid using synonyms. Avoid idioms and metaphors. Replace terms that have a wide variety of meanings with words that have a specific meaning. Be concise. Example: “An intermediate tolerance value, of say, 10% will delete columns with >10% gap characters.” Better: “For example, an intermediate tolerance value of 10% will delete columns with >10% gap characters.” Writing “Global English”

6. Spell out numbers you can write in one word. Use numerals for those requiring multiple words. Example: We have twenty tomatoes. True or false for science writing?

7. Style Option #1: Spell out whole numbers one to nine. Use numerals for numbers 10 and up. Examples: We used nine rotten tomatoes. We used 12 rotten tomatoes. We used 1 kg of rotten tomatoes. Style Option #2: Use numerals for all number words that express a quantity. Example: We used 1 rotten tomato. BUT: The fourth tomato was not the one causing the odor. Two accepted styles for numbers in scientific writing:

8. No: 158 patients met all inclusion criteria. Yes: One hundred fifty-eight patients met all inclusion criteria. Better: Among 200 patients tested, 158 met all inclusion criteria. Better: Patients who met all inclusion criteria (n=158)... Never start a sentence with a numeral

9. Hyphenate compound adjectives appropriately. True or false for science writing?

10. This follows a basic rule for forming compound modifiers. It is agreed-upon by nearly all science style guides and dictionaries. “T cell” (noun) “T-cell” (adjective)

11. Hyphenate measurements when used as adjectives. The plasmid contains 5 kb of intervening... The plasmid contains a 5-kb fragment... We added 3 ml of 5 M NaCl... We added two 3-ml samples of...

12. (X) Partly false Use the possessive form for terms named after a person, such as 'Newton's first law' and 'Down's syndrome.' True or false for science writing?

14. (X) Partly false Italicize words and phrases taken from other languages, such as 'in vitro' and 'et al.' True or false for science writing?

15. Examples: in vitro, in vivo, in situ a priori i.e., e.g., et al. post hoc Do not italicize words and phrases that are part of the English language

16. True or false for science writing? (X) Partly false Do not write short, choppy sentences. Vary your sentence structures to make your writing more interesting.

17. “Manuel drank his brandy. He felt sleepy himself. It was too hot to go out into the town. Besides there was nothing to do. He wanted to see Zurito. He would go to sleep while he waited. He kicked his suitcase under the table to be sure it was there.” (8 words/sent.) --Ernest Hemingway “Genes encoding TE2, RY7, RY8, and Fc were inserted into pCMV-DHFR vector21. The recombinant proteins were produced in CHO cells by methods previously described21. The proteins were purified by Protein-A agarose affinity chromatography with acid elution. Binding of MD2 to TE2, RY7, or RY8 was analyzed with the BIAcore 3000 (BIAcore AB). To measure isoelectric points, 20 mg of each protein sample and standard marker proteins were loaded on IsoGelAgarose IEF Gels pH 3-10 (Cambrex, New Jersey, USA). Gels were run at 50 mA constant current for 3 hr. Gels were stained with Coomassie blue.” (13 words/sent.) Short sentences are clear and effective

18. Not parallel: It was the best of times, but this period was also the least favorable. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...” --Charles Dickens Varying sentences structures increases complexity. Instead, use parallel structure.

19. Varied: The mean decrease in length was 0.46±0.88 mm and the mean reduction in the pain rating scale was 0.44±0.53 in the Tamoxifen-only group. The L-Carnitine plus Tamoxifen group exhibited a mean reduction in pain of 1.27±0.96 and a length decrease of 1.57±0.92 mm. Parallel: In the Tamoxifen-only group, the mean decrease in length was 0.46±0.88 mm, and the mean reduction in the pain rating scale was 0.44±0.53. In the L-Carnitine plus Tamoxifen group, the mean decrease in length was 1.57±0.92 mm, and the mean reduction in the pain rating scale was 1.27±0.96. Varying sentence structures increases complexity. Instead, use parallel structure.

20. Example: Only when stored as an integer is the value truncated. Reworded: The value is truncated only when stored as an integer. Minimize unusual sentence structures. Use 'subject – verb – object' order.

21. Avoid using the same word repeatedly. Use synonyms. True or false for science writing?

22. Example: To perform Bizip transfers, we used the Bizip-beta transfer protocol, while Bizip-gamma was employed to enact the reverse transfers. Bozon transfers were not carried out under any regime. To perform Bizip transfers, we used the Bizip-beta transfer protocol. To perform the reverse transfers, we used the Bizip-gamma protocol. We did not perform Bozon transfers under any regime. Complex ideas are easier to follow when the same word is always used for the same concept

23. Read (or reread) “Elements of Style” by Strunk & White. Homework