Writing Tips from a Science Geek
A. Abbreviations and Acronyms
▫ Rarely used in formal and professional writing
▫ Bad form to abbreviate words simply to save space,
time, or energy
 Avoid Latin abbreviations: etc., et.al., i.e., e.g.
 The use of etc. is “a lazy person’s way of getting out of
work.”
▫ Only justified if full expression is excessively long or
if abbreviation is well known to researchers in the
discipline
Writing Tips from a Science Geek
▫ Appropriate use in science writing
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SI units of measurement
Mathematical or chemical formulas
Dates and times (B.C., A.D., B.C.E, C.E., AM, PM)
Acronyms that are repeated often (IUPAC)
▫ For chemical formulas and acronyms, first use the
full, spelled-out version of the word with the
shortened form in parentheses immediately
following
 Sodium (Na) is a very reactive metal. When Na reacts
with water,…
 The International Union of Pure and Applied
Chemistry (IUPAC) revised the periodic table…
Writing Tips from a Science Geek
B. Bottom Line
▫ What is the primary purpose of the writing?
▫ A thesis statement defines the question your essay
will answer
 More effective if essay answers how or why questions
rather than who, what, when, or where question
▫ Goes beyond a simple statement of fact; requires
argument and support
 Expresses a judgment based on substantial body of
evidence
 Followed by an essay that presents support and
evidence in an organized and persuasive way
Writing Tips from a Science Geek
▫ While the thesis often appears toward the end of the
introductory paragraph, writing the thesis
statement is one of the final steps in the essay
process
 Should remain flexible
▫ Never use 1st person in the thesis (or anywhere else
in the writing) and do not attribute it to someone
else or to general opinion
 In this essay, I will explain…
 Many people believe…
▫ Use active voice to phrase the thesis
Writing Tips from a Science Geek
C. Common Mistakes
▫ Amount versus Number
 Use number for something that can be easily counted
 Record the number of grams…
 The number of protons in the nucleus…
 Use amount for something that cannot be counted in
specific measurement units or is measured in bulk
 Record the amount of mass…
 The amount of positive charge in the nucleus…
Writing Tips from a Science Geek
▫ Affect versus Effect
 Use affect as a verb to describe the way one item
influences another
 To produce an effect
 Synonymous with “to influence”
 Use effect as a noun to discuss the consequence or
result of some action
 Means a result or consequence
 Causes produce effects
Writing Tips from a Science Geek
▫ Numbers as digits or as words
 Words
 Numbers one through ten
 At the beginning of a sentence
 Digits
 Numbers greater than ten (11, 12, 13,…)
 With measurements
 In equations and formulas
Writing Tips from a Science Geek
D. Documents
▫ Must use documents but only in support of your
writing
 Documents are not the primary focus of the writing
 Documents do not determine the focus, sequence, or
organization of the writing
 Avoid using documents as subjects of sentences
 Document A shows…
▫ Refer to the document by its name (Document A or
Document 1) not as the table, the chart, the list, etc.
or by the title of the item in the document (The
Carbon Cycle diagram or the Photosynthesis
equation)
Writing Tips from a Science Geek
▫ Cite your sources
▫ Two ways to cite sources:
 Within context of sentence (direct quotation or
paraphrased passage)
 Winston Churchill, in Closing the Ring, states that if the
United States, Britain, and Russia remain allies, lasting
peace is possible.
 Parenthetical citation from a Gateway document (direct
quotation or paraphrased passage)
 The depth of Challenger Deep is…”to stack 26 Empire State
Buildings (430 meters tall) on top of one another to reach
the surface of the ocean from the bottom” (Document B).