writing up scientific text

8/6/2019 Writing Up Scientific Text

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Writing up Scientific Text Iyad Abou-Rabii DDS. OMFS. MRes. PhD

ACADEMIC WRITING


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Challenges

Extended piece of writing:Depth and breadthDetail Evaluation and interpretationIndependenceVolume of information

Duration

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Expectations

Used to demonstrate your:Knowledge and understanding of a topic Analytical and evaluation skills Ability to apply theory and research findings to clinical practice Ability to communicate all of the above

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Academic writing

Formal Structured

Clear UnambiguousLogical

Sound evidence and theory

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Informal writing:I think hes a loser.Formal writing: Macbeths horrific choices cause him to loseeverything he holds dear: children,wife, friends, crown and king.

Formal and Informal writing ACADEMIC WRITING


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P assive voice overusePassive voiceThe systems most favoured for investment were sho wn to be planning, designand production. Many manual systems were repor ted as being currentinvestments across the sector. Only the largest firms, however, were interestedto any degree in integrated systems. Textile and clothing firms were see n to be

investing in automated production, design, planning and reporting technologies.Ac tive voiceIn terms of current investments, manufacturers favoured planning, design andproduction systems, with many firms sho wing a strong interest in manualsystems. According to the literature, only the largest firms however, showed anydegree of interest in integrated systems. Textile and clothing firms, in particular,have i n ves ted in automated production, design, planning and reportingtechnologies.

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Make sure you write in complete sentencesDivide your writing up into paragraphs

Use connecting words and phrases to make your writing explicit and easy to follow Check your grammar and spelling carefully

Structure your writing ACADEMIC WRITING


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Academic writing - tips

Avoid writing in the first personBe concise avoid waffleBe preciseDefine technical terms and abbreviationsUse paragraphs

Avoid repetitionReferences appropriately and consistently

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A SANDWICH P ARAGRAP H

T opic se nt e n ce

Suppor t

Co n cludi ng se nt e n ce

This is a period when education faces manydisturbing circumstances originating outside itself.

Budgets have been drastically cut throughout thecountry affecting every type of education. Enrolments aredropping rapidly, because the children of the post-World War II"baby boom" have now completed their schooling, and we arefeeling the full effect of the falling birth rate.

So there are fewer opportunities for new teachers, and theaverage age of teachers is increasing.

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Structure

1st

Macrostructure

INTRODUCTION Thesis statement

Outline(Summary/Background)BODY/CONTENT

CONCLUSION Bibliography

Microstructure

The P ARAGRAP H Topic sentenceSupport Support Support +Concluding sentence(optional)

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transitionsignals!


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Transition

Intervention and influence took three forms. irs tly,techniques designed to maximise efficiency were introducedinto the home and scientific principles were applied to itsdesign. In addi tio n , housework and parenting methods were

scrutinised and subject to unprecedented standards.Seco n dly, all aspects of reproduction attracted increasingintervention from government and the medical profession.T hirdly, state, professional and philanthropic groups began tousurp the parental role within the family through instructionand policy. As a resul t , the development of 'modern' socialideals brought regulation, intervention and ever-increasingunrealistic standards.

ACADEMIC WRITING

Re- r e ad th e abov e without the green words


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A question of little ,,,,,,

In this study , four paradigms were used in order to measure theresponse of TOI to changes in cerebral oxygen delivery. Hypoxaemia and

hyperoxia were used to alter arterial oxygen content , and changes inarterial CO 2 tension were used to alter cerebral blood flow. TOI

increased significantly in response to hyperoxia and hypercapnoea , andsignificantly decreased in response to hypoxaemia and hyperventilation.PET studies suggest that changes in CBV occurring during experimental

protocols of this type only occur in the arterial compartment[10] and will ,therefore , alter the AVR. Analysis of the combined datasets revealed thatchanges in TOI are significantly affected by changes in SaO 2 , EtCO 2 ,CBV and MBP.

ACADEMIC WRITING

Re- r e ad th e abov e without commas in red ,,,,,


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George Orwells rules for good writing

N ever use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you areused to seeing in print.

N ever use a long word where a short one will do.

If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

N ever use the passive where you can use the active.

N ever use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can

think of an everyday English equivalent.

Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.George Orwell: P olitics and the English Language, London. 1946.

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Referencing

Acknowledgement of your sources is a vital and integral part of the academic process.

Check with course tutors what the preferred method is Harvard Method Referencing and research

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Academic writing example

D iabetes affects all ages and about 2.35 million people have the disease in this country. Weknow that people with diabetes have more oral health problems.

In this project I aimed to carry out a literature review to see whether there is a link betweentreating periodontal disease and blood sugar control in diabetes.

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Academic writing example ACADEMIC WRITING

D iabetes affects people of all ages and it is estimated that 2.35 million peoplein the UK have this disease ( D epartment of Health, 2009).

There is growing evidence that people with diabetes who do not have goodcontrol over their blood sugar levels are at greater risk of some oral healthproblems (Tsai et al ., 2002).

The aim of this project is to investigate the relationship between periodontaltherapy and glycaemic control in people with diabetes.


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Writing up early stages

Timetable your writingDecide on a structure early onKnow how and when to reference Approved method (be consistent)

Credible and contemporary sources Substantiate claims

Keep references organized separately (e.g. EndNote)

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Timetable your writingTime Management Tools

http://my.taskwise.com/

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P aragraph ACADEMIC WRITING


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Mind Mapping

F reemind.

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Keep references organized

End N ote

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Writing up as you go along

Use sections/sub-sections to organise content (guide inhandbooks)Know which information goes in each sectionUse tables and figures to present information (N.B.graphs are figures)Regularly revisit your aims, objectives and research

question

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Writing up as you go along

Avoid distractionsRecognise procrastination and barriers to writingDo not necessarily need to write in the order that the section appears in thefinal report

Save different versions and backup oftenWrite in an academic style

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Writing up towards the end

Leave enough time to interpret the findings and write the discussionConclusions should be based on the evidence you present Critique your own work

Use Appendices for material which is too detailed for the main sections

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Describe and explain the characteristics and findingsof the included studies (tables & text)Synthesis of results (qualitative or quantitative)P lace the results in context

Consider any flaws in the evidence (quality of studies, any heterogeneity etc.)

The impact of any biases

Results and discussion ACADEMIC WRITING


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Writing up - final checks

P roof read (spelling, grammar, clarity etc.). Use a spell cheque with cautionConsistency of styles and formattingTables and figuresP age numbers and other formattingWord count Front matter

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If English is not your first language, ask an English native person to proof read projectsEnsure you give him plenty of time for this.

P roof reading ACADEMIC WRITING


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Finally

Know the requirements and plan your time writing upwill take longer than you think! Keep in touch with your supervisor Regularly revisit your aims, objectives and researchquestionLeave time to proof read

Refer to the marking criteria in the handbooks whilst writing and before you submit

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Essential texts:

Essential texts:Writing Academic English, by A. Oshimaand A. Hague,Longman,1999.

Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills(Michigan Series in English for Academic &P rofessional P urposes),by John Swales and Christine B. Feak , University of MichiganP ress,2004

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eel free to use this Po w erPoi nt prese nt a tio n for your perso n al,educa tio n al a n d busi n ess.

Do

Make a copy for backups on your harddrive or local network.Use the presentation for your presentations and projects.Print hand outs or other promotional items.

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Make it available on a website, portal or social network website for download.(Incl. groups, file sharing networks, Slideshare etc.)Edit or modify the downloaded presentation and claim / pass off as your own work.

All copyright and intellectual property rights, without limitation, are retained by D r. Iyad Abou Rabii. By

downloading and using this presentation, you agree to this statement.

Please feel free to co nt ac t me, if you do have a n y ques tio n s abou t usa g e.D r Iyad Abou Rabii [email protected]

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writing up scientific text

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