Writing in the Biological Sciences

Writing in the Biological Sciences: A Comprehensive Guide to Scientific Communication serves as an essential "one-stop" reference to scientific writing and communication for budding professionals in the life sciences and related fields.

This guide is designed to function as both a free-standing textbook for a course on writing in the sciences and as an accompanying text or reference guide in courses with writing-intensive components.

It covers all the basics of scientific communication that students need to master for successful scientific careers. It lays the foundation for professional writing, starting with basic principles, and then applying these principles to various types of scientific documents, from lab reports and statistical analyses to research articles and grant proposals. Writing in the Biological Sciences also offers practical advice on organizing academic presentations, creating posters, and preparing job applications.

Angelika H. Hofmann is an academic fundraiser for the sciences at Dartmouth College, as well as the Founder and President of SciWri Services, a venture that provides workshops, consulting and editing services on scientific communication globally.

Part I SCIENTIFIC WRITING BASICS
CHAPTER 1 Science and Scientific Communication
1.1 The Scientific Method and Communication
1.2 Necessary Technical Skills
1.3 Scientific Writing Versus Science Writing
1.4 Science Communication and Ethics
1.5 Readers and Writers
Summary
CHAPTER 2 Fundamentals of Scientific Writing--Words and Word Location
2.1 Individual Words
2.2 Word Location
Summary
Chapter Practice
CHAPTER 3 Fundamentals of Scientific Writing--Technical Style and Sentence Structure
3.1 Technical Style
3.2 Sentence Structure
Summary
Chapter Practice
CHAPTER 4 Fundamentals of Scientific Writing--Composition of Paragraphs
4.1 Paragraph Flow
4.2 Paragraph Construction and Organization
4.3 Condensing
Summary
Chapter Practice
Part II WORKING WITH DATA AND REFERENCES
CHAPTER 5 Data, Figures, and Tables
5.1 Documenting Data
5.2 Presenting Data
5.3 From Data to Results
5.4 Figures, Their Legends, and Their Titles
5.5 Tables and their Titles
5.6 Resources for Figures and Tables
5.7 Checklist
Summary
Chapter Practice
CHAPTER 6 Basics of Statistical Analysis
6.1 General Guidelines
6.2 Basic Statistical Terminology
6.3 Distribution Curves
6.4 Statistical Analysis of Data
6.5 Reporting Statistics
6.6 Graphical Representation
6.7 Useful Resources for Statistical Analysis
6.8 Checklist
Summary
Chapter Practice
CHAPTER 7 Literature Sources
7.1 Searching the Literature
7.2 Scientific Reference Databases
7.3 Source Material
7.4 Managing Sources
Summary
CHAPTER 8 Literature Citations and Plagiarism
8.1 Citing References
8.2 Reference Placement
8.3 Common Reference Styles
8.4 Plagiarism
8.5 Paraphrasing
Summary
Chapter Practice
Part III INTRODUCTORY WRITING
CHAPTER 9 Laboratory Reports and Research Papers
9.1 General Purpose
9.2 The Big Picture
9.3 Before You Get Started
9.4 Components and Format
9.5 Deciding on the Title and Title Page
9.6 Composing the Abstract
9.7 Writing the Introduction
9.8 Composing the Materials and Methods Section
9.9 Composing the Results Section
9.10 Composing the Discussion
9.11 Listing References
9.12 Adding the Acknowledgments
9.13 Checklist
Summary
Chapter Practice
CHAPTER 10 Sample Reports
10.1 General Overview
10.2 Sample Weekly Lab Report
10.3 Sample Project Paper
CHAPTER 11 Revising and Editing
11.1 General Advice
11.2 Revising the First Draft
11.3 Revising Subsequent Drafts
11.4 Checklist for Revising
11.5 Editing Someone Else's Manuscript
11.6 Checklist for Editing Someone Else's Manuscript
11.7 Submission and the Review Process
Summary
Chapter Practice
CHAPTER 12 Reading, Summarizing, and Critiquing a Scientific Research Article
12.1 Content of a Scientific Research Article
12.2 Reading a Research Paper
12.3 Writing a Summary of a Research Paper
12.4 Critiquing a Research Paper
12.5 Checklists
Summary
Chapter Practice
CHAPTER 13 Term Papers and Review Articles
13.1 Purpose of Reviews
13.2 Deciding on the Topic
13.3 Format
13.4 Title
13.5 Abstract
13.6 Introduction
13.7 Main Analysis Section
13.8 Conclusion
13.9 References
13.10 Checklist
Summary
Chapter Practice
CHAPTER 14 Note Taking and Essay Exams
14.1 General Overview
14.2 Effective Note Taking
14.3 Preparing for an Essay Exam
14.4 Answering an Essay Question
14.5 Time Management Tips
14.6 Checklist
Summary
Part IV ADVANCED SCIENTIFIC DOCUMENTS AND PRESENTATIONS
CHAPTER 15 Oral Presentations
15.1 Format of a Scientific Talk
15.2 Preparing for a Talk
15.3 Designing Effective Slides
15.4 Delivery of a Face-to-Face Talk
15.5 Remote Presentations
15.6 Question-and-Answer Period
15.7 Useful Resources
15.8 Checklist
Summary
Chapter Practice
CHAPTER 16 Posters
16.1 Components and Format of a Poster
16.2 Preparing a Poster
16.3 Presenting a Poster
16.4 Useful Resources
16.5 Complete Sample Poster
16.6 Checklist for a Poster
Summary
Chapter Practice
CHAPTER 17 Research Proposals
17.1 General Overview
17.2 Components and Format
17.3 Abstract
17.4 Specific Aims
17.5 Background
17.6 Research Design
17.7 Impact and Significance
17.8 Additional Proposal Components
17.9 Checklist
Summary
Chapter Practice
CHAPTER 18 Job Applications
18.1 Curricula Vitae and Résumés
18.2 Cover Letters
18.3 Personal Statements
18.4 The Hiring Process and Interview
18.5 After the Interview
18.6 Letters of Recommendation
18.7 Checklist for a Job Application
Summary
Chapter Practice
Appendix A: Commonly Confused and Misused Words
Appendix B: MS Word Basics and Top 20 MS Word Tips
Appendix C: Excel Basics and Top 20 Excel Tips
Appendix D: PowerPoint Basics and Top 20 PowerPoint Tips
Appendix E: Microsoft Office Cheat Sheet
Answers to Chapter Practice Questions
Brief Glossary of Scientific and Technical Terms
Bibliography
Credits
Index