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Table of Contents

Introduction: A Guide to Writing in Science

Thinking like a scientist
Writing like a scientist
Questions scientists ask
Kinds of evidence scientists use
Distinguishing fact, opinion, and value
Ethics in science writing

Researching science
Using databases to find research publications
Primary and secondary sources
Evaluating online resources

Reading the scientific literature
Actively reading a textbook
The structure of a science paper
Actively reading science papers

The process of writing papers in science
Considering your purpose
Understanding your audience and their needs
Organizing and drafting
Revising and editing

Writing conventions in science
Sentence structure
Phrasing for clarity, concision, and directness
Word choice

Integrating, citing, and documenting sources
Avoiding plagiarism and recognizing intellectual property
Presenting data
CSE system for documenting sources in science writing

Genres of writing in science
Annotated bibliography, article summary, and abstract
Literature review
Lab report
Research report
Research proposal
Lab notebook
Short response and description
Oral presentation
Poster presentation

Glossary of vocabulary in science
Additional resources for reading and writing in science
Practice activities
Practice activity: Experimenting with recipes, scientifically
Practice activity: Developing a testable hypothesis
Practice activity: Thinking like a scientist
Practice activity: Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
Practice activity: Searching for background information
Practice activity: Using a database
Practice activity: Reading an experimental study
Practice activity: Analyzing a figure 1
Practice activity: Analyzing a figure 2
Practice activity: Understanding journal format requirements
Practice activity: Analyzing a literature review
Practice activity: Identifying bias on websites
Practice activity: Writing clear, concise prose
Practice activity: Labeling tables for clarity
Practice activity: Analyzing and improving a bar graph
Practice activity: Writing clear procedures
Answers to selected activities

Sample student writing: Science
Lab report: An Analysis of Enzyme Activity with Substrate and Salt
Lab report: Distribution Pattern of Dandelion on an Abandoned Golf Course
Literature review: Hypothermia, the Diving Reflex, and Survival
Research paper: Conservation Implications of Courthouse Creek Logging Project

More help with documentation: CSE style
CSE-style reference list: Additional examples

Editing strategies
Subject-verb agreement
Pronoun agreement, reference, and case
Strong verbs
Sentence fragments
Run-on sentences
Distracting shifts
Parallel structure
Clear, uncluttered sentences
Sentence emphasis
Commas
Apostrophes
Quotation marks

Authors

Stephen A. Bernhardt

Stephen A. Bernhardt is Professor of English and the Andrew B. Kirkpatrick Chair in Writing at the University of Delaware, where he teaches composition, grammar, and technical writing. His professional interests include computers in composition/distance education, writing across the curriculum, professional and technical communication, and visual rhetoric. He has also taught at New Mexico State University and at Southern Illinois University. The author of many journal articles and technical reports, Bernhardt is also the author of Writing at Work (1997) and coeditor of Expanding Literacies: English Teaching and the New Workplace (1998). Bernhardt designed the research plan and reworked content for Writers Help.

Nancy Sommers

Nancy Sommers, who has taught composition and directed composition programs for thirty years, now teaches in Harvard's Graduate School of Education. She led Harvard's Expository Writing Program for twenty years, directing the first-year writing program and establishing Harvard's WAC program. A two-time Braddock Award winner, Sommers is well known for her research and publications on student writing. Her articles “Revision Strategies of Student and Experienced Writers” and “Responding to Student Writing” are two of the most widely read and anthologized articles in the field of composition. Recently she has been exploring different audiences through publishing in popular media. Sommers is the lead author on Hacker handbooks, all published by Bedford/St. Martin’s, and editor of Tiny Teaching Stories on Macmillan Learning's Bits Blog.

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