Introduction

Effective research and scientific writing is essential to success in the academic world. Students need to grasp the fundamentals of scientific writing and hone their skills in developing research papers through practice. The student can seek help in this task. Many books have been written on how to conduct scientific research and write scientific papers. One of the first tasks in effective writing is to secure some time-tested advice on the subject of scientific writing.

Scientific Writing Styles

Scientific research is only as good as the document it is presented in. Students must realize that scientific information can be complex and therefore must be organized logically. It may be useful to think of the paper as a presentation of research that would be given to a class or group of peers. If the paper presentation is disorganized, unclear, and full of errors, the audience will not learn much from the effort.

Scientific research papers generally have a different tone and style than other forms of literary expression. The writer is usually developing or defending a thesis or scientific idea, explaining a scientific concept or phenomena, or explaining a physical aspect of research. An excellent scientific paper will generally have an introduction and overview of the information that will be contained in the paper, a main body with distinct sections of information, and a summary of findings and conclusion. Supporting evidence within the main body is corroborated or backed up by citations from other researchers or scientists. Citations can take many forms, but the main point of having citations is to give more weight or legitimacy to a paper, and to identify sources for further research on a topic.

Scientific research is a serious endeavor and should be reported by the writer in an efficient and concise manner. Scientific research is also enjoyable and scientific papers should be interesting to read and meaningful. There is no place for slang, jargon, or meaningless wording in a scientific work. A scientific paper can tell a story as interesting as any novel, if the paper is well researched and meaningful for the target audience.

Target Audiences for Scientific Papers

Every form of writing has a target audience. The scientific researcher should take the time to investigate what his or her target audience will be. The researcher should think about what the audience expects to get out of the paper, what they are likely to know or assume, what opinions they bring with them, and what key knowledge they should walk away with after reading the paper.

This target audience largely defines the sense of character that an author projects in a paper. The purpose of the paper also helps to define the sense of character that will be used to present the research information. It is important for the author to decide if a neutral, dispassionate tone is more suitable for presenting the information than a passionately committed tone.

The Writing Process

Planning and practice are the two most important keys to effective scientific writing. Scientific writing is a complex task that is rarely achieved on the first attempt. Researchers should start the process early by assimilating the required information and then creating several rough drafts that can be reviewed by peers and colleagues. The final product will hopefully be a polished gem of scientific endeavor.

Some Do’s and Don’ts to Scientific Writing

Define your topic and start your research early! State the problem or thesis.

Use multiple media sources (library, Internet) and record where you found them

Tailor your paper to your audience and to the required length of the paper

Use citations (author date) and provide them in a Works Cited section or in Footnotes.

Have an introduction, overview, main body with subsections, and summary-conclusion.

Utilize other forms of media (pictures, graphs, tables, charts) to illustrate your ideas. Remember to cite all of the above that is not your original idea. Use quotations for the words of others.

Check for spelling and grammatical errors by proofreading your work several times.

Provide a title page with the title of your paper, your name, date, and the class you are writing the paper for. Place page numbers on your document, and subtitles if necessary.

DON’T

Plagiarize the works of others. See the website listed below for more information on plagiarism.

Jump right into the subject. Give an introduction to your scientific topic.

Make complex subjects or information more complex by providing complex descriptions and poorly worded sentences. Keep it simple and take one idea at a time.

Try to write a scientific paper in one day, evening, hour, or before class. Find a knowledgeable person to review your writing.

Use jargon, slang, or excessive personal biases in presenting your information. Stick with facts and proven information. Provide a summary and conclusion to your work.

Internet Websites for Effective Writing

http://filebox.vt.edu/eng/mech/writing/other/contents.html

http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation.htm

http://www.antiplagiarism.com/

http://hotwired.lycos.com/hardwired/wiredstyle/

Books for Effective Research and Writing

Booth, W., G. Colomb, and J. Williams. 1995. The Craft of Research. Chicago: The University

of Chicago Press.

Turabian, K. 1996. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Sixth

Edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.