Scientific writing

Scientific writing refers to writing by scientists about science for other scientists. This technical writing might submit grant proposals, report experiments, propose theories, or review scientific literature for scientists knowledgeable in a particular scientific field. Scientific writing is generally appropriate for publication in scientific journals — as contrasted with science writing, written by scientists or journalists, for publication intended for a general audience.

Quotes

• In 1953, Watson and Crick wrote a letter to Nature that must be one of the most important publications in the biological sciences. ... It occupied just more than one page of the journal, including the references and the acknowledgements. It is a good example of clear scientific writing, and many of the principles of clear writing are well illustrated by their opening paragraph.
           We wish to suggest a structure for the salt of deoxyribose nucleic acid (D.N.A.). This structure has novel features which are of considerable
           biological interest.
  • Neville W. Goodman and Martin B. Edwards, Medical Writing: A Prescription for Clarity. Cambridge University Press. 28 January 1997. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-521-49876-0. 

• Besides books, the other major predecessor and rival for communicating new science in the seventeenth century was the "learned letter," most famously illustrated by Galileo's letters on sunspots and the orbits of the planets. As the ideas of the scientific revolution spread in England and on the Continent, the accelerated pace of scientific activity compelled natural philosophers to communicate their recent findings through personal correspondence within and between countries. But these are not "letters" in the traditional sense of the word; authors wrote these epistles on some scientific or technical topic with the understanding that they would be passed on to others. Thus the actual intended audience was interested members of the scientific community at large, though short passages within them may personally address the primary recipient.
  To disseminate the information in these learned letters more efficiently, industrious scholars became centers for spreading the latest technical news at home and abroad. Their job was to receive letters, make copies, and pass them on to other interested scholars. After the emergence of scientific societies, the job of "trafficker in intelligence" became more formalized in that the societies themselves appointed a secretary to handle correspondence and circulate newsworthy learned letters among society members and friends.
  • Joseph E. Harmon and Alan G. Gross, The scientific literature. University of Chicago Press. 15 May 2007. p. 2. ISBN 9780226316567. 

• … writing is one of the most inadequately developed of all the skills that scientists use in their research activities. Let us look briefly at the statistics:
  • 99% of scientists agree that writing is an integral part of their job as scientists.
  • fewer than 5% have ever had any formal instruction in scientific writing as part of their scientific training.
  • for most, the only learning experience they have is the example they get from the scientific literature that they read.
  • About 10% enjoy writing; the other 90% consider it a necessary chore.
  These figures are, of course, approximate but they come from informal surveys conducted over many years in many countries and, I believe, are close to reality.
  • David R. Lindsay, Scientific Writing = Thinking in Words (2nd ed.). CSIRO Publishing. May 2020. pp. 3–4. ISBN 978-1-4863-1148-4.  (1st edition, Longman Cheshire, 1995 with CSIRO reprint in 2011)

• The impact of scientific research depends critically on how well it is communicated to others. In most sciences, this means writing a scientific paper that other scientists will read. Perhaps you have done amazing experiments and think that this will guarantee success. However, without good writing, you may struggle to get your paper published and your brilliant experiments will not have the impact they deserve. Good writing can't save bad science, but bad writing can sink good science ...
  • Stuart West and Lindsay Turnbull, Scientific Papers Made Easy: How to Write with Clarity and Impact in the Life Sciences. Oxford University Press. 2023. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-19-286278-5. 

See also

• Medical writing

External links

• EASE Guides for Authors and Translators of Scientific Articles to be Published in English. European Association of Science Editors (ease.org.uk).
• John K. Iskander, Sara Beth Wolicki, Rebecca T. Leeb, and Paul Z. Siegel, (2018). "Successful Scientific Writing and Publishing: A Step-by-Step Approach". Preventing Chronic Disease 15: E79.