Description
Book SynopsisPracticing scientists know that the quality of their livelihood is strongly connected to the quality of their writing, and critical thinking is the most necessary and valuable tool for effectively generating and communicating scientific information. Writing in the Life Sciences is an innovative, process-based text that gives beginning writers the tools to write about science skillfully by taking a critical thinking approach. Laurence Greene emphasizes writing as thinking as he takes beginning writers through the important stages of planning, drafting, and revising their work. Throughout, he uses focused and systematic critical reading and thinking activities to help scientific writers develop the skills to effectively communicate. Each chapter addresses a particular writing task rather than a specific type of document. The book makes clear which tasks are important for all writing projects (i.e., audience analysis, attending to instructions) and which are unique to a specific writing project (rhetorical goals for each type of document). Ideal for Scientific Writing courses and writing-intensive courses in various science departments (e.g., Biology, Environmental Studies, etc.), this innovative, process-based text goes beyond explaining what scientific writing is and gives students the tools to do it skillfully.
Table of ContentsPreface An Introduction to Writing in the Life Sciences Intended Audiences The Culture of Science and Scientific Communication Our Approaches to Successful Scientific Writing A Critical Thinking Approach A Process-based Approach A Problem Solving Approach A Goal-directed Approach An Audience-centered Approach A Discipline-specific and Content-rich Approach Chapter 1: Defining Your Writing Project Chapter Introduction About the Process Analyzing Your Writing Task Attending to Instructions, Guidelines, and Evaluation Criteria Seeking Clarification of Problematic Assignments and Directions Selecting a Topic and Refining a Research Issue Brainstorm topics that inspire your interest and enthusiasm Ask knowledgeable experts for advice on hot research issues Learn about hot research issues from the scientific literature Learn about hot research issues on the Internet Use your task analysis to refine your research issue Add a novel twist to your selected research issue Check ahead for the availability of scientific literature on selected research issues Make sure that you have sufficient time and resources to learn the science on your research issue Learning about Scientific Discourse Conventions Research Papers Review Papers Research Proposals Analyzing Your Audiences Key Questions for Audience Analysis Taking Notes on Your Audience Analysis Searching for Scientific Literature Evaluating the Credibility of Published Scientific Literature Searching for Peer-reviewed Journal Articles: Research Papers and Review Papers Searching for Scientific Books Searching for Scientific Literature on Web Sites Reading to Learn Science Solving Comprehension Problems Reading and Taking Notes on Published Research Papers Summing Up and Stepping Ahead Chapter 2: Developing a Goal-based Plan Chapter Introduction About the Process Setting the Framework for Your Goal-based Plan Distinguishing between Just-Okay Goals and Powerful Rhetorical Goals Devising Strategies for Accomplishing Rhetorical Goals The Structure of a Goal-based Plan Taking Goal-based Planning to Heart Relying Your Experience in Scientific Writing Adopting and Adapting Conventional Guidelines Using Model Papers Applying Your Task and Audience Analyses Using the Helicopter Thinking Method Starting to Draft Revising Your Goal-based Plan Check for whether your rhetorical goals are appropriate for the major sections in which you have placed them Check your rhetorical goals for their content-generating potential Check your rhetorical goals for their audience-affecting potential Check your strategies for their detail and depth Check your strategies for whether they are logically related to their rhetorical goals Summing Up and Stepping Ahead Chapter 3: Generating Content Chapter Introduction About the Process Solo and Collaborative Brainstorming Solo Brainstorming Collaborative Brainstorming Reading for Relevance Interpreting Study Data Interpreting the Statistical Significance of Study Data Interpreting the Practical Significance of Study Data Synthesizing Study Outcomes Focusing on Rhetorical Goals that Require Synthesis Creating a Summary Chart to Guide Synthesis Synthesizing Studies with Similar Conclusions Synthesizing Studies with Contrasting Conclusions Constructing Convincing Scientific Arguments Setting up the Structure of a Scientific Argument Evaluating Published Scientific Arguments Evaluating Research Methods Summing up and Stepping Ahead Chapter 4: Organizing Content and Writing a Draft Chapter Introduction About the Process: Organizing Content Choosing a Design for Your Organizing Plan Taking a Principled Approach to Organizing Content Organizing Your Paper's Major Sections Organizing Your Paper's Subsections Deciding Which Parts of Your Plan to Emphasize About the Process: Writing a Draft: Drafting Titles Drafting Abstracts Drafting Section Headings Drafting Paragraphs Drafting Sentences Drafting Graphics Citing References Avoiding Plagiarism Summing up and Stepping Ahead Chapter 5: Revising Document Design, Global Structure, and Content Chapter Introduction About the Process: Revising for Matters of Document Design About the Process: Revising for Matters of Global Structure Disordered Sections Weak Global Unity Mismatched Organizing Themes Redundancy of Content across Sections About the Process: Revising for Matters of Content Missing Content Ambiguous Content Inaccurate Content Content that Misses the Target on Key Rhetorical Goals Content that Fails to Adequately Address Concerns of Audience Saying Too Little or Too Much Logical Fallacies in Scientific Arguments Revising Graphics Excelling at Collegial Peer Review Apply key methods of independent revision to guide your peer review Take a goal-directed approach to generating feedback Make it constructive criticism Take on the role of writing teacher Encourage dialogue Avoid giving feedback based on personal preferences and pet peeves Summing Up and Stepping Ahead Chapter 6: Revising Paragraphs Chapter Introduction About the Process Revising for Unity Fractured Unity Faded Unity Frazzled Unity Revising Topic Sentences Missing Topic Sentences (when they're needed) Misplaced Topic Sentences Topic Sentences as Broken Promises Vague Topic Sentences Topic Sentences that are Too Specific Revising for Coherence Disordered Ideas Missing Knowledge Links (when they're needed) Oversights of Readers' Expectations Lack of Parallel Structure (when it's needed) Revising for Cohesion Missing Cohesion Cues Misplaced Cohesion Cues Unnecessary Cohesion Cues Revising for Sentence Variety Lack of Variety in Sentence Length Lack of Variety in Sentence Beginnings Lack of Variety in Grammatical Structure Lack of Variety in Tone Revising for Paragraph Design Summing Up and Stepping Ahead Chapter 7: Revising Sentences Chapter Introduction About the Process Revising for Logic and Clarity Illogical Expressions and Comparisons Anthropomorphism Dangling Modifiers Vagueness Unclear Pronoun Reference Illogical Tense Shifts Problematic Shifts in Point of View Misplaced and Awkward Phrasing Inappropriate Emphasis Revising for Style and Structure Weak Subjects and Verbs Misuses of Active Voice and Passive Voice Wordiness Unnecessary Jargon Excessive Separation of Subjects and Verbs Long Noun Trains Lack of Parallel Structure Revising Basic Grammar Errors Sentence Fragments Subject-Verb Disagreement Noun-Pronoun Disagreement Revising for Word Choice Affect, Effect As, Because, Since Amount, Number Compose, Comprise Gender, Sex Less, Few, Fewer, Study, Experiment That, Which Than, Then Who, Whom Revising Punctuation and Mechanics Problems Involving Commas Problems Involving Semicolons Problems Involving Apostrophes Problems Involving Colons Problems Involving Hyphens Problems Involving Quotation Marks Problems Involving Capitalization Revising for Biased and Inadvertently Offensive Language Sexist Language Age-Biased Language Biased Language Involving Ethnic and Racial Groups Summing Up and Stepping Ahead Chapter 8: Rhetorical Goals for Scientific Papers Chapter Introduction Rhetorical Goals for Introduction Sections Rhetorical Goal 1: Present your research issue and explain its unresolved status. Rhetorical Goal 2: Convince readers that your research issue is truly important and therefore worth resolving. Rhetorical Goal 3: State your hypotheses and explain their rationale. Rhetorical Goal 4: Introduce the novel and unique features of your research and writing project. Rhetorical Goal 5: Present the specific purposes of your research and writing project. Rhetorical Goal 6: Present your claims. Rhetorical Goal 7: Describe the methods that you used, or plan to use, in carrying out your study. Rhetorical Goal 8: Justify your use of selected methods. Rhetorical Goals for Results Sections Rhetorical Goal 9: Present the results that are essential for reaching and supporting your conclusions. Rhetorical Goals for Discussion Sections Rhetorical Goal 10: Briefly reintroduce the defining features of your study. Rhetorical Goal 11: State your conclusions and support them with your study's results. Rhetorical Goal 12: Relate your study's outcomes to those from previous studies on your research issue. Rhetorical Goal 13: Discuss the mechanisms that underlie your study's main results, and argue for the most plausible underlying mechanisms (when such an argument is warranted). Rhetorical Goal 14: Acknowledge significant methodological shortcomings to your study, and explain how they may have influenced its outcomes. Rhetorical Goal 15: Discuss the practical implications and applications of your study's results. Rhetorical Goal 16: Propose future studies on your research issue. Rhetorical Goals for the Body of Review Papers Rhetorical Goal 17: Provide essential background knowledge about the studies, critical evaluations, and arguments that are central to your review paper. Rhetorical Goal 18: Summarize the published studies on your topic or research issue. Rhetorical Goal 19: Synthesize the published studies on your topic or research issue. Rhetorical Goal 20: Explain and argue for the mechanisms underlying the results of the published studies you are reviewing. Rhetorical Goal 21: Convince readers to accept your original arguments. Rhetorical Goals for the Conclusion Section of Review Papers Rhetorical Goal 22: Briefly reiterate the key information, ideas, and arguments that were central to the body of your review paper. Rhetorical Goal 23: Suggest future directions and new studies on your paper's topic or research issue. Appendix A. Guidelines for Preparing and Delivering Oral Presentations and Poster Presentations Appendix B: Glossary of Sentence Grammar Terms References Index
