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
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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
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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
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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