Scientific Writing

1. Scientific Writing C344

2. Communication in Science • Communication: Central to science? • Without communication, “science would become a private, redundant, and ultimately futile endeavor” • “Sharing ideas is essential to the evolution of every scientific field.”

3. Shaping Knowledge • Story of Helicobactor pylori and the work of Warren and Marshall • Eventually won Nobel, but not initially accepted—Why?

4. Science as a Social Endeavor • Myth of objectivism • Scientists form a community that form, validate, and interpret knowledge • The Paradigm both gives structure which allows for gaining knowledge while also constraining the gain of knowledge List particular benefits and pitfalls of living in a paradigm

5. Pros and Cons • Corrects individual errors and misperceptions • Allows for greater collaboration • Community can communicate with common background assumptions • Rewards achievement • Only allows some areas of research are seen as “valuable” • Creates blindspots in most community members through common education • Produces a common predisposition toward set of expectations

6. Individual Scientists and the Group

7. Importance of Writing • Journals define the state of knowledge within a field • Peer review is quality control • Recognition of achievement is marked by publication, not experiment • Funding is based on writing • Guides future research • Means of persuasion—what is the truth?

8. Persuasion • Logic and extended argumentation • “Facts do not speak for themselves.” • Are persuasion and objectivity antithetical? • Persuasion is created by • Logical argument • Presentation and style

9. “To be persuasive, scientists must make the claims of their research believable in the context of the previous research and the existing paradigm of the field; and they must present these arguments in professional forums and styles that are acceptable in the scientific community.” • Writing in the Sciences, p 18

10. Persuasion and Socialization • Socialization: • Learning subject matter of field • Content knowledge: principles, concepts, terminology • How to reason and communicate as a member • Procedural knowledge: how to solve problems, test hypothesis, know basic methods, communication • In this course, you will be taught both, and will be assessed primarily in how you communicate!

11. Types of Communication • Choose type of communication to fit purpose • Formal report (article, paper, report) • Quick report (letter, note) • Literature review • Proposals • Oral presentations • Posters

12. Formal Reports • Not only factual and explanatory, but interpretive and persuasive! • “Scientists publish descriptions of their research not simply to tell others what they've done, but also to persuade readers that the work is valid and useful.

13. Extended Argument • The research question is important. • Methods are acceptable and properly done. • The interpretations are sound. • The work is a contribution to the field.

14. IMRAD • Introduction—state of field before research • Methods—study is described • Results—study is described • Discussion—state of field after research • In organic chemistry, the format is different, but the same parts: Introduction, Results and Discussion, Conclusions, Experimental

15. Sections Have Purpose • Framing sections • Introduction, Discussion • Generalizations, present tense • Describing sections • Methods, Results • Particulars, past tense

16. Lab Today • Previous context—name reactions (Biginelli) • Current study—learn/review skills • Persuasion—characterization data