Scientists Must Write: A Guide to Better Writing for Scientists, Engineers and Students (Routledge Study Guides)

223 Pages·2002·0.81 MB·English

by  Robert Barrass

Scientists Must Write
To be effective as a scientist or engineer, or as a student, you must write
well. This book, by a scientist, will help you to write: to observe, remem-
ber, think and plan; to manage your time and avoid stress; and to improve
your communication skills.
Scientists Must Write is about the importance of writing in science and
engineering, and the characteristics of scientific writing (Chapters 1 to 4);
how to write and your choice and use of words (Chapters 5 to 8); using
numbers and illustrations to support your writing (Chapters 9 and 10);
finding information and citing sources (Chapter 11); writing project
reports, theses and papers for publication (Chapters 12 and 13); and giving
a short talk or presentation (Chapter 14).
This new edition retains the features that contributed to the success of
the first edition, and has been updated to take account of the use of com-
puters in recording, storing and processing data, information retrieval, and
word processing. It also includes new appendices on punctuation, spelling
and computer appreciation.
Robert Barrass is Emeritus Research Scientist at the University of
Sunderland and has many years’ experience of helping degree and diploma
students to improve their writing and other key skills. His best selling
books Students Must Write and Study!, like Scientists Must Write, are pub-
lished by Routledge – as is his new book Writing at Work.
Also by Robert Barrass
Science
An introduction
Students Must Write
A guide to better writing in course work and examinations
Study!
A guide to effective learning, revision and examination techniques
Writing at Work
A guide to better writing in administration, business and management
Scientists Must Write
A guide to better writing for scientists,
engineers and students
Second edition
Robert Barrass
London and New York
First published 2002
by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
This edition published in the Taylor and Francis e-Library, 2005.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
© 2002 Robert Barrass
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British
Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested
ISBN 0-203-99411-6 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0–415–26996–2 (Print Edition)
To Ann
Contents
Preface xv
Acknowledgements xvii
1 Scientists must write 1
Writing as part of science 2
The scientific method 2
The publication of research 3
The popularisation of science 4
Developing essential skills 5
Improve your writing 6
What scientists and engineers write 6
Consider any comments on your written work 7
Write a set of instructions 7
2 Personal records 8
Writing helps you to remember 8
Making good notes 8
Writing helps you to observe 9
Keeping a record of practical work 10
Writing helps you to think 13
Essay writing as an aid to thinking 14
Writing a progress report as an aid to thinking 14
Capturing your thoughts 14
Being well organised 15
viii Contents
Improve your writing 15
Use wide-lined A4 paper for all your written work 15
Date everything you write 15
Write as part of each investigation 16
Use writing as an aid to thinking and planning 16
Use writing and drawing as aids to observation 16
Consider how writing helps you with your work 16
3 Routine communications 18
Letters 18
Memoranda 21
Electronic mail 23
Improve your writing 25
Put it in writing 25
Ensure each communication is well presented 25
Keep a copy 25
Prepare an application for employment or for
promotion 26
4 How scientists should write 30
Characteristics of scientific writing 30
Explanation 30
Clarity 30
Completeness 30
Impartiality 31
Order 31
Accuracy 32
Objectivity 32
Simplicity 34
Scientific writing 35
Improve your writing 35
Criticise other people’s writing 35
Criticise your own writing 37
Contents ix
5 Think – plan – write – revise 40
Thinking and planning 40
Collecting information and ideas 40
Preparing a topic outline 41
Putting your paragraphs in order 42
Writing 44
Revising 46
Improve your writing 48
Practise essay writing 50
Study the technique of successful essayists 50
Prepare a topic outline 51
Consider how examination papers are set and marked 51
In examinations make things easy for the assessors 52
Make good use of your time in examinations 53
6 Choosing words 54
The meaning of words 54
Some words commonly confused 55
Other words commonly misused 58
Grandiloquence 59
Superfluous words 60
Technical terms 62
Nomenclature 63
Trade names 64
Abbreviations, contractions and acronyms 64
Improve your writing 65
Take an interest in words 65
Use your dictionary 65
Choose words with care 65
Define technical terms 66