Scientific Writing

Types of scientific literature

• Primary

• Secondary

• Tertiary

Characteristics of Primary Literature

• Content: Original research, first publication, replicable

• Audience: Other scientists• Review: Peer-reviewed• Publication format: Journal or book• Literature Citations: Provided

Characteristics of Secondary Literature• Content: Overview, analysis, and/or

interpretation of existing information

• Audience: Varied

• Review: Sometimes peer-reviewed

• Publication format: Books,

journals, reports

• Literature Citations: Provided

Characteristics of Tertiary Literature

• Content: Simplified and condensed information

• Audience: Varied• Review: Generally not peer-reviewed• Publication format: Magazines, books,

encyclopedias, directories, bibliographies• Literature Citations: Often limited to

“Suggested” or “Further readings”

Structure of a scientific paper

TitleAuthorship/By-Line

AbstractIntroduction

Materials and MethodsResults

DiscussionLiterature cited

Acknowledgements

Title

• Should be a short declaration of the main point of the paper

• Should make the reader want to read more• Should be brief (<15 words) • Examples

– Cutting vines to restore degraded forest fragments increases tree growth but not seedling regeneration

– Monarch-parasite interactions in managed and roadside prairies

– Wanted! Dead or alive: the tale of the Brown’s Grayling (Pseudochazara amymone)

Throughout the paper

• Be succinct – minimize repetition between sections

• Clear topic sentences• Direct wording and active voice• Avoid long paragraphs and sentences• Put the right material in the right section

Introduction• Write this last and outline before writing• Summarize the existing literature and

specific questions that you research will help resolve

• 4ish paragraphs- 1 paragraph each for primary 3-4

conclusions – clear topic sentences- 1 paragraph describing goal of study and

specific hypotheses or questions • Don’t need a paragraph about the extent

of the biodiversity crisis

1st paragraph

2nd paragraph

3rd para.

4th

Methods

• Succinctly describe the system, methods, and analyses so that the reader can understand what was done– In a way can be replicated

• A supplementary experimental design figure can be helpful– Maps– Pictures

Results

• Use well-designed tables and figure to show your results. Do not repeat data in the text, figures, and tables.

• Highlight the most important results – do not have to report everything– help your reader to see what you want them to see

• A few descriptive sentences about common species or number of species observed can be helpful

• Do not discuss your results in the “results” section

Figures and Tables

• Should be well-designed to illustrate results in as few figures/tables as possible

• Stand alone– Figure captions

• Minimize clutter• Make lines thick and all fonts a standard &

sufficient size• Make sure cited in text (Figure 1)

Figure 7: The effect of planting style and mulch on the percent cover of native grasses. Error bars represent one SE.

Discussion• Most paragraphs should start with a principal message of

paper• Discuss the answers to your stated questions/hypothesis

using your results and the literature• Note major limitations to data or unanswered questions• Do not speculate extensively or wax knowingly about

topics that you don’t present data on – stick to your results

• Avoid repetitive conclusions• End with Recommendations!

Literature Cited

• Use literature to:– Introduce the problem (in intro) – Support your points (in discussion)– Support methods, if needed

• Format– Make sure has authors, title, journal (or book),

volume or issue, and page numbers– Just make sure consistent!

• Need at least five primary sources• **Make sure cited in text (Cornelisse 2014)

Writing Backwards

1. Write the conclusions to your paper – no more than 5 (usually less), 1 sentence each

2. Write only the results needed to support your conclusions.3. Write only the methods needed to understand the results.4. Write the discussion that expands on the literature and

results that support your conclusions and notes caveats.5. Write the introduction last and present the minimum

information necessary to introduce your questions.

THE PAPER THAT CHANGED HOW I WRITE:Magnusson, W. E. 1996. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 77 (2): 88.