Writing, Reading, Reviewing

C344

Types of Literature

• Not all literature is the same• Letters and Notes differ from Articles– Short, quick announcements (one figure)– Keys are timeliness and brevity– Tend to follow IMRAD, but not formal– Abstract may be replaced by first paragraph– Less data, less review– Journalistic in style: “announcement”

Poster

• Even more timely than a note• Often more preliminary• Oral component is essential• Scientists are salesmen too!

Reading Papers

• Use knowledge of conventions to read faster

• Don’t read in order• Depends on degree of

background knowledge• Titles, headings, abstracts• Figures and Tables• Read critically

Evaluation

• Peer review• Revision process• Must be suitable for audience• Importance of research, originality, analysis of

previous literature, approach to experimental design, sound conclusions and interpretations, relevance, clarity of presentation, reproducibility

Writing in the Sciences, Penrose and Katz

Writing Papers

• Practical tips as you start to write:– Order of writing?– Decisions of inclusion• Brevity• Completeness

– Clarity• Watch assumptions!

Pointers for Success

• BE ON TIME!!! • Abstract– Make sure you have one– Follow IMRAD

• Introductions– Proper citations, “3 moves,” etc.– Take it up to the next level by incorporating the

most recent literature

Pointers for Success

• Results and Discussion– Make good choices with Tables and Figures– Avoid lists of data

• Experimental– General procedures section– Data format

• Conclusions• Supplemental

Pointers for Success

• References– Formatting!– Citation of webpages is not wrong, but does not

count as a citation of primary literature– MUST USE JOURNALS TO WHICH WE HAVE

ACCESS, or include in supplemental– Plagiarism revisited

Ethics• Academic Misconduct

– Fabrication– Falsification– Plagiarism

• Types of Plagiarism—Figure 3.4 in Writing in the Sciences– Direct plagiarism of words without quotes and citation– Mosaic—taking ideas and scattered words without credit– Paraphrase—restating ideas in own words without citation– Insufficient acknowledgment—unclear citation that does not

allow reader to know what is original and what is borrowed