scientific writing notes
Scientific Writing and Communication Notes
避免不必要的重复
Bad:
- quite sufficiently large
- have been observed, have been determined
- in shape
Good:
- large enough
- delete
不必要的词语
bad:
actually, basically, essentially, fairly, much, really, practically
quite, rather, several, very, virtually
其他冗余
- (already) existing
- (basic) fundamentals
- cold (temperature)
- (currently) underway
- (end) result
- (final) outcome
- (future) plans
- never (before)
- (still) persists
- at (the) present (time)
- blue (in color)
- (completely) eliminate
- each (individual)
- estimated (roughly) at
- first (and foremost)
- (main) essentials
- period (of time)
- (true) facts
危险词语
area, character, conditions, field, level, nature,
problem, process, situation, structure, system
不必要的用法
- it is well know that
- in a previous study, it was demonstrated that
- have been shown to vary
- there are many papers stating
- it is speculated that
- it was shown to
- it has been found that
- it was observed that
- it is reasonable to assume that
- it has been reported that
- evidence ahs been presented that shows that
替换
- a considerable number of = better
- an adequate amount of = enough
- an example of this is the fact that = for example
- as a consequence of = because
- at no time = never
- by means of = by
- considerable amount of = much
- despite the fact that = although
- due to the fact that = due to
- during the time that = while, when
- first of all = first
- for the purpose of = to
- has the capability of = can, is able
- in light of the fact that = because
- in many cases = often
- in order to = to
- in some cases = sometimes
- in the absence of = without
- in the event that = if
- in view of the fact that = because, since
- it is of interest to note that = note that
- it is often the case that = often
- majority of = most
- no later than = by
- a number of = many
- on the basis of = by
- prior to = before
- referred to as = called
- regardless of the fact that = even though
- so as to = to
- utilization = use
- with reference / regard to = about
- with respect to = about
Word Choice
-
use precise word:
- bad:
- several
- frequently
- with
- good:
- 12h
- every 12h
- using
- bad:
-
use simple words
dryness : dry
- misuse:
since
: temporal. because
: causality
-
redundancy and jargon
-
lab
->labortory
-
avoid abbre
location
-
stress : end > begin
-
place old familiar short info at the beginning (topic), and place new, complex, long info in the end (stress)
-
get to subject quickly, make it short and specific
-
avoid interruption (no which)
Grammar
- first person
- active voice
- past tense for observations, completed actives
- present for generalizations and statements of general validity
- short sentence
- active verbs
- avoid noun clusters
- use clear pronouns
- clear comparisons
ESL
-
proposition
- different with
- compare to , comparison between A and
Transitions (Page 121 Table)
To be filled later
USE | WORDS | PHRASE | SENTENCE |
---|---|---|---|
Addition | again, also, further, | In addition to X, we … | Further experiments |
furthermore, in addistion, | Besides X, … | showed that | |
moreover | |||
Concession | clearly, evidently, | Granted that X is … | |
obviously, undeniably | |||
Comparison | also, likewise, similarly, | As seen in … | When A is compared, |
etc. | In the same way, | As reported by | |
When compared to | |||
Contrast | but, however, | In contrast to A… | One difference is that.. |
nevertheless, | On one hand, on the | Although X differed… | |
nonetheless, still, yet | other hand… | ||
Despite X… | |||
Unlike X, … | |||
On the contrary | |||
Example | for example, | To illustrate X… | An example of X is that… |
specifically | That is … | ||
Explanation | Here, therefore, | Because of X… | One reason is that… |
in short | In this experiment,… | Because X is … | |
Purpose | for this purpose, | For the purpose of … | The purpose of X was to … |
To this end… | |||
To determine XYZ, | |||
Result | consequently, | As a result of | Evidence for XYZ was |
generally, hence, | that | ||
therefore, thus | Analysis of A showed .. | ||
Sequence | after, finally, first, later | After careful analysis | After X was completed |
time | last, meanwhile, next | of X | |
now, second, then | During | When we determined X.. | |
while, subsequently | centrifugation, | ||
Summary | In brief, in conclusion, | To summarize | As a summary of |
in fact, in short, in | our results shows | ||
summary |
Draft (IMRAD)
- Introduction
- Method
- Results
- Discussion
Order:
- know/background
- general
- specific reported data
- unknown and problems
- research purpose / questions
- experiments
Organize by Bullet Points
- collect notebook, figures, tables, and reference
- buy an ugly cheap notebook
- make your own rules
- write as to explain
- one paragraph and one section at a time
- set deadline
Reference and Plagiarism
- place head or tail
- no citation in abstract and put citation in introduction
Concise
- omit:
describes, noted, was done, reported, noticed, observed, occurred, seen
- just state the facts
- no ‘it… that’ phrases
- avoid writing in the negative
Acknowledgement
- intelligentual contribution
- techinical support
- discussion
- fund, grants
Introduction
- background
- unknown problem
- questions , purpose
- experimental approach
Background | Unknown | Purpose | Approach | Results | Implication |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
X is | ..is | We hypothesized | To test | We found | consistent |
unknown | with | ||||
X affects | has not been | To determine | we | was found | indicating |
determined | that | ||||
X is a | The question | To study | We analyzed | we | make it |
component of | remains | To examine | For the purpose, | determined | possible to |
whether | To assess | we | |||
To analyze | |||||
In this study | |||||
we examined | |||||
X is observed | is unclear | Here we | by/using | our findings | may be |
when Y | describe | were | used to | ||
happens | |||||
X is | we report | For this study | We observed | is important | |
considered to | ,we | ||||
X causes Y | does not | We examined | To evaluate | Based on our | Our analysis |
exist | whether X | To answer | observation | implies | |
is not | We assessed if | this question | suggests | ||
known | We determined | findings | |||
We analyzed | indicate |
Method
passive voice
Results
- interpret
- place stat info
- purpose
- experimental
- results
- interpretation
PURPOSE | METHOD | RESULTS | INTERPRETATION |
---|---|---|---|
To determine | we did | we found | indicating |
To establish if | X was subjected to | We observed | consistent with |
Z was tested | by/using | We detect | which indicates |
FOr the purpose of | was performed | indicate | obs indicates |
Showed | A is specific for |
Discussion
- in this study, we have shown/found
- study shows
- findings demonstrate that
- this paper describes
- can be attributed to
- we determined X by
- we found
- our data shows
- has been demonstrated by
- in summary
- in conclusion
- finally
- to summarize our results
- we conclude
- overall,
- our findings can /will serve to /can be used
- we recommend
- indicates
- imply that
- we propose
- we hypothesize
COMPARISONS | CONFLICT | LIMITATION | UNEXPECTED | HYPOTHESIS |
---|---|---|---|---|
consistent with | however, other | was not | surprisingly | results |
similar to | studyies found | possible | To our | lead to |
is observed by | is controversial | could not be | surprise | conclusion |
been demonstrated | does no | measured | was not | that |
agree with | was limited by | expected | From data we | |
also been reported | Further | hypothesize | ||
observations | propose new | |||
was needed | principle |
see page 305 for more details
Abstract
- Question
- experiments
- results
- conclusion
Keywords
- avoid words in the title
- avoid general single keys
Revision
- title: 3-4 important keys
- abstract:
- question, purpose
- experiments, approach
- results
- interpretation and answers
- significance
- Introduction:
- First: background
- 2nd: unknown
- last: question and purpose (repeat abstract)
- Method: chronologically
- Results
- Discussion: Pyramid
- interpretation, support and defend it
- compare
- list limitations
- main results, significance and future directions
Published
02 March 2013