Biology

Scientific writing is a trade that can and must be learned and not a form of art that is limited to the talented. The real constraint for writing a good scientific article is most of the time not the usage of the English language, but the conversion of outcomes of a set of experiments into a coherent and convincing scientific story. This book is designed to guide junior scientists in the Life Sciences writing their thesis and first manuscripts, along this uphill struggle. All aspects of building up and publishing a forceful scientific narrative are covered, from designing experiments to dealing with the reviewers' comments. This book takes you step by step through the process of writing a paper. It starts by discussing how to collect and organize data and make an outline. The actual writing starts with the Results section, as this is the heart of any research paper. The Discussion interprets your data in the framework of the existing literature and explains the novel insights you obtained. The Introduction is written to pose the questions that are answered in the Discussion and give the necessary background information. It is written after the Results and Discussion to make sure it is a perfect match. The M&M is the easiest to write. A good abstract is essential for attracting readers. How to write that is described in detail. The title is the last piece of the puzzle. The book contains many practical examples that explain the general principles of good writing. These examples are all from the Life Sciences and so are the anecdotes that illustrate the concepts, making the information directly applicable. All kinds of tips and suggestions are provided for improving readability and accessibility of your manuscript, thus making it easier acceptable. In addition, background information on the basics of science is supplied that helps to avoid common mistakes that cause rejection of manuscripts that report on otherwise good science.

Observations Plus Recipes It has been said that science is the orderly collection of facts about the natural world. Scientists, however, are wary of using the word 'fact. ' 'Fact' has the feeling of absoluteness and universality, whereas scientific observations are neither ab- lute nor universal. For example, 'children have 20 deciduous [baby] teeth' is an observation about the real world, but scientists would not call it a fact. Some children have fewer deciduous teeth, and some have more. Even those children who have exactly 20 deciduous teeth use the full set during only a part of their childhood. When they are babies and t- dlers, children have less than 20 visible teeth, and as they grow older, children begin to loose their deciduous teeth, which are then replaced by permanent teeth. 'Children have 20 deciduous [baby] teeth' is not even a complete scientific sta- ment. For one thing, the statement 'children have 20 deciduous teeth' does not tell us what we mean by 'teeth. ' When we say "teeth," do we mean only those that can seen be with the unaided eye, or do we also include the hidden, unerupted teeth? An observation such as 'children have 20 deciduous teeth' is not a fact, and, by itself, it is not acceptable as a scientific statement until its terms are explained: scientifically, 'children have 20 deciduous teeth' must be accompanied by definitions and qualifiers.

This book covers all essential aspects of writing scientific research articles, presenting eighteen carefully selected titles that offer essential, "must-know" content on how to write high-quality articles. The book also addresses other, rarely discussed areas of scientific writing including dealing with rejected manuscripts, the reviewer's perspective as to what they expect in a scientific article, plagiarism, copyright issues, and ethical standards in publishing scientific papers. Simplicity is the book's hallmark, and it aims to provide an accessible, comprehensive and essential resource for those seeking guidance on how to publish their research work. The importance of publishing research work cannot be overemphasized. However, a major limitation in publishing work in a scientific journal is the lack of information on or experience with scientific writing and publishing. Young faculty and trainees who are starting their research career are in need of a comprehensive guidethat provides all essential components of scientific writing and aids them in getting their research work published.

This book describes the basic practical principles of scientific writing that are accepted in most disciplines in a straightforward "how-to" or "cookbook" format.

The book helps scientists write papers for scientific journals. Using the key parts of typical scientific papers (Title, Abstract, Introduction, Visuals, Structure, and Conclusions), it shows through numerous examples, how to achieve the essential qualities required in scientific writing, namely being clear, concise, convincing, fluid, interesting, and organized. To enable the writer to assess whether these parts are well written from a reader's perspective, the book also offers practical metrics in the form of six checklists, and even an original Java application to assist in the evaluation.The focus of the book is on self- and reader-assisted assessment of the scientific journal article. It is also the first time that a book on scientific writing takes a human factor view of the reading task and the reader scientist. By revealing and addressing the physiological causes that create substantial reading difficulties, namely limited reader memory, attention span, and patience, the book guarantees that writing will gain the much coveted reader-centered quality.

The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing is a breathtaking celebration of the finest writing by scientists--the best such collection in print--packed with scintillating essays on everything from "The Discovery of Lucy" to "The Terror and Vastness of the Universe."