Basic Science Communication Skills

Dr Kate BarryDept Biological Sciences

MQU

Science Essay

Purpose: is to use what is known about a subject to prove an argument or point of view. Not all of the knowledge of a topic may be used in an essay, but only what is relevant to the argument.

In an essay, mentioning the people who discovered or developed the knowledge is generally only for referencing purposes.

Science Essay

Structure: This is what helps students to organize the argument, making best use of the evidence gathered. The required elements of the final work to be submitted are listed here.

1. Introduction2. Body (can use subheadings)3. Conclusion Reference list

Science Essay• The intro should state the argument or proposition, place the question in

a scientific context, and outline how you intend to approach the topic.

• The main task is writing the body of the essay, which should be presented in the form of a reasoned argument. The form of this varies with the subject of the essay, but as the argument develops, it should be clear to the reader what relevant evidence has been discovered, where/how it has been discovered and how it supports the argument. In most subjects, sub-headings within the main body of the essay will help the reader to understand the argument (and will also help you to keep on track).

• The conclusion should restate the purpose of the essay, summarise the points made, state your conclusion and reason for that conclusion clearly and concisely.

• Reference list should list only the sources used in the essay.

Literature Review

Purpose: designed to be a critical analysis of all the knowledge that has been discovered about a subject. Its purpose is to examine all that others have already discovered about the subject.

In a lit review, researchers working on the subject are considered to be key.

Literature Review

Structure: Often still has an intro, body and conclusion. However, the organisation/order of information within the body is much stricter.

1. General to specific2. Chronological3. Methodological4. Thematic

Scientific Report/Paper

Purpose: to report novel results, usually empirical, and to relate those results to previous knowledge in the field.

A well-written scientific paper explains the scientist's motivation for doing an experiment, the experimental design and execution, and the meaning of the results.

Scientific Report/Paper

Structure: written in a style that is clear and concise.

1. Abstract2. Introduction3. Methods4. Results5. Discussion Reference list

Scientific Report/Paper

1. Abstract (200-300 word summary)

• should factually describe the purpose, techniques, results and implications.

• no details of methods• it should grab attention• should be written last

Scientific Report/Paper

2. Introduction

• places the study in the context of previous research

• states why the topic is important or useful• explains any abbreviations• starts with the big picture and ends with the

specifics of the current study

Scientific Report/Paper

3. Methods

• sets out what you did (usually in sequence)• explains how you did it• indicates what materials/equipment you used• reader should be able to replicate the study• easiest section to write, can be started before

end of experiment

Scientific Report/Paper

4. Results

• presents what you found• usually includes graphs and tables of data • should be presented as simply as possible• should contain only factual information (i.e.

statistical tests) but no discussion• no raw data!!

Scientific Report/Paper

5. Discussion

• should begin by summarising the main findings• explains what the results mean, particularly in

relation to the intro• indicates whether the results were consistent with

expectations• draws conclusions and suggests areas for future study• start small and finish with the big picture

Scientific Report/Paper

Other more informal sections….Conclusion: restates the main results and explains

their significance.Acknowledgements: acknowledges significant

assistance plus financial support.References: provides a list of sources of

information that have actually been cited within the report. Should follow the referencing conventions of the unit/journal. Endnote is great!

Poster

Purpose: to visually and succinctly communicate research results. If the mix of photos/figures/text is correct, a person should be able to fully read your poster in under 5 minutes.

A poster is never simply cut and paste from a scientific paper!

Poster

Structure: written in a style that is exceedingly clear and concise.

1. Introduction/Background2. Methods3. Results4. Discussion/Conclusion Reference list

Poster

Posters use short, sharp sentences that are often in point form. Large chunks of text are undesirable. Text should be large and broken up by photos, figures, tables etc.

Except for their succinct nature, poster sections are very much like scientific paper sections.

Writing skills help

Academic Communication in Science: http://www.handbook.mq.edu.au/2013/Units/UGUnit/ACSC100 (for credit)

Academic Literacy: Undergraduate Writing Skills (not for credit)

Monash University LLOnline: Writing in Science