Scientific Writing and Communication Notes

http://blog.renren.com/share/13386/15410514914?from=0101010202&ref=hotnewsfeed&sfet=102&fin=4&fid=21578707935&ff_id=13386&platform=0&expose_time=1362268340

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

  1. use precise word:

    • bad:
      • several
      • frequently
      • with
    • good:
      • 12h
      • every 12h
      • using
  2. use simple words

dryness : dry

  1. misuse:

since: temporal. because: causality

  1. redundancy and jargon

  2. lab -> labortory

  3. avoid abbre

location

  1. stress : end > begin

  2. place old familiar short info at the beginning (topic), and place new, complex, long info in the end (stress)

  3. get to subject quickly, make it short and specific

  4. avoid interruption (no which)

Grammar

  1. first person
  2. active voice
  3. past tense for observations, completed actives
  4. present for generalizations and statements of general validity
  5. short sentence
  6. active verbs
  7. avoid noun clusters
  8. use clear pronouns
  9. clear comparisons

ESL

  1. 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)

  1. Introduction
  2. Method
  3. Results
  4. Discussion

Order:

  1. know/background
    • general
    • specific reported data
  2. unknown and problems
  3. research purpose / questions
  4. experiments

Organize by Bullet Points

  1. collect notebook, figures, tables, and reference
  2. buy an ugly cheap notebook
  3. make your own rules
  4. write as to explain
  5. one paragraph and one section at a time
  6. set deadline

Reference and Plagiarism

  1. place head or tail
  2. no citation in abstract and put citation in introduction

Concise

  1. omit:

describes, noted, was done, reported, noticed, observed, occurred, seen

  1. just state the facts
  2. no ‘it… that’ phrases
  3. avoid writing in the negative

Acknowledgement

  1. intelligentual contribution
  2. techinical support
  3. discussion
  4. fund, grants

Introduction

  1. background
  2. unknown problem
  3. questions , purpose
  4. 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

  1. interpret
  2. 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

  1. in this study, we have shown/found
  2. study shows
  3. findings demonstrate that
  4. this paper describes
  5. can be attributed to
  6. we determined X by
  7. we found
  8. our data shows
  9. has been demonstrated by
  10. in summary
  11. in conclusion
  12. finally
  13. to summarize our results
  14. we conclude
  15. overall,
  16. our findings can /will serve to /can be used
  17. we recommend
  18. indicates
  19. imply that
  20. we propose
  21. 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

  1. Question
  2. experiments
  3. results
  4. conclusion

Keywords

  • avoid words in the title
  • avoid general single keys

Revision

  1. title: 3-4 important keys
  2. abstract:
    • question, purpose
    • experiments, approach
    • results
    • interpretation and answers
    • significance
  3. Introduction:
    • First: background
    • 2nd: unknown
    • last: question and purpose (repeat abstract)
  4. Method: chronologically
  5. Results
  6. Discussion: Pyramid
    1. interpretation, support and defend it
    2. compare
    3. list limitations
    4. main results, significance and future directions


Published

02 March 2013