Writing in the Sciences : Exploring Conventions of Scientific Discourse (Part of the Allyn and Bacon Series in Technical Communication)

by Penrose, Ann M.; Katz, Steven B.

• ISBN13: 9780321112040
• ISBN10: 0321112040
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-01-01
• Publisher: Longman

Summary

This rhetorical, multi-disciplinary guide discusses the major genres of science writing including research reports, grant proposals, conference presentations, and a variety of forms of public communication.Writing in the Sciencescombines a descriptive approachhelping students to recognize distinctive features of common genres in their fieldswith a rhetorical focushelping them to analyze how, why, and for whom texts are created by scientists. Multiple samples from real research cases illustrate a range of scientific disciplines and audiences for scientific research along with the corresponding differences in focus, arrangement, style, and other rhetorical dimensions. Comparisons among disciplines provide the opportunity for students to identify common conventions in science and investigate variation across fields.Individuals who need to write in the sciences.

Table of Contents

List of Stylistic Features	xi
Foreword	xii
Preface	xiii
PART 1 Scientific Conventions	1	(228)
1 Science as a Social Enterprise	3	(21)
1.1 The Shaping of Knowledge in Science	3	(3)
1.2 The Social Nature of Science	6	(3)
1.3 The Centrality of Communication in Science	9	(3)
1.4 The Role of Persuasion in Scientific Communication	12	(4)
1.5 Scientific Communication and Convention	16	(1)
1.6 The Role of Collaboration in Scientific Communication	17	(7)
2 Forums for Communication in Science	24	(16)
2.1 The Socialization Process: Entering a New Community	24	(1)
2.2 Research Journals and Their Readers	25	(4)
2.3 Research Conferences and Professional Associations	29	(3)
2.4 Research Proposals and Their Audiences	32	(1)
2.5 Communicating Beyond the Research Community	33	(1)
2.6 Electronic Communication in Science	34	(6)
3 Reading and Writing Research Reports	40	(43)
3.1 Argumentation in Science	40	(2)
3.2 The Logic(s) of Scientific Inquiry	42	(3)
3.3 Introducing the Research Problem	45	(5)
3.4 Describing Methods	50	(6)
3.5 Reporting Results	56	(6)
3.6 Discussing Trends and Implications	62	(6)
3.7 The Research Report Abstract	68	(5)
3.8 Brief Report Genres: Research Letters and Notes	73	(3)
3.9 How Scientists Write Reports	76	(1)
3.10 How Scientists Read Reports	77	(2)
3.11 How Reviewers Evaluate Reports	79	(4)
4 Reviewing Prior Research	83	(19)
4.1 The Role of Prior Research in Scientific Argument	83	(2)
4.2 Reviewing as a Genre: The Review Article	85	(2)
4.3 Locating the Literature	87	(3)
4.4 Reading Previous Research	90	(1)
4.5 Identifying Trends and Patterns	91	(3)
4.6 Organizing the Review	94	(1)
4.7 Citing Sources in the Text	95	(3)
4.8 Preparing the List of Works Cited	98	(3)
4.9 The Research Review Abstract	101	(1)
5 Preparing Conference Presentations	102	(26)
5.1 The Role of Research Conferences in the Sciences	102	(1)
5.2 Writing Conference Proposal Abstracts	103	(6)
5.3 Organizing the Research Talk	109	(1)
5.4 Methods of Oral Presentation	110	(7)
5.5 Delivering Conference Presentations	117	(3)
5.6 The Use of Graphics in Oral Presentations	120	(1)
5.7 Preparing Research Posters	121	(4)
5.8 Conference Proceedings	125	(3)
6 Writing Research Proposals	128	(25)
6.1 The Role of the Proposal in Science	128	(3)
6.2 Multiple Audiences of the Proposal	131	(1)
6.3 Logic and Organization in the Research Proposal	132	(2)
6.4 Introducing the Research Problem and Objectives	134	(5)
6.5 Providing Background	139	(2)
6.6 Describing Proposed Methods	141	(2)
6.7 The Research Proposal Abstract	143	(1)
6.8 How Scientists Write Research Proposals	144	(1)
6.9 How Reviewers Evaluate Research Proposals	145	(3)
6.10 Accountability in the Research Process	148	(5)
7 Documenting Procedures and Guidelines	153	(23)
7.1 Audiences and Purposes in Industry and Government	153	(1)
7.2 General Principles for Writing Basic Instructions	154	(3)
7.3 Documenting Procedures for Quality Assurance	157	(4)
7.4 Documenting Procedures for Regulatory Purposes	161	(5)
7.5 Describing Procedures for Commercial Purposes	166	(2)
7.6 Procedures as Public Policy	168	(3)
7.7 Procedures as Public Ethos	171	(5)
8 Communicating with Public Audiences	176	(27)
8.1 Why Do Scientists Communicate with Public Audiences?	176	(5)
8.2 Understanding "General" Audiences	181	(8)
8.3 Adapting Through Narration	189	(2)
8.4 Adapting Through Examples	191	(1)
8.5 Adapting Through Definition	192	(1)
8.6 Adapting Through Analysis	193	(1)
8.7 Adapting Through Comparison	193	(4)
8.8 Adapting Through Graphics	197	(2)
8.9 Logic and Organization in Writing for Public Audiences	199	(4)
9 Considering Ethics in Scientific Communication	203	(26)
9.1 Scientific and Social Ethics	203	(6)
9.2 The Ethics of Authorship	209	(5)
9.3 Scientific Communication as Moral Responsibility	214	(2)
9.4 Scientific Communication and Public Communication: An Ethical Conflict?	216	(4)
9.5 Scientific Style and Social Responsibility	220	(4)
9.6 The Ethics of Style as Socialization	224	(5)
PART 2 Sample Research Cases	229	(196)
10 Research on the "Ulcer Bug": From Theory to Clinical Application	231	(56)
MARSHALL AND WARREN AND COLLEAGUES
Warren JR, Marshall B. 1983. Unidentified curved bacilli on gastric epithelium in active chronic gastritis. Letters to the Lancet.	233	(3)
Blaser MJ. 1987. Gastric Campylobacter-like organisms, gastritis, and peptic ulcer disease. Gastroenterology.	236	(14)
Letters to the Lancet and Annals of Internal Medicine
Veldhuyzen van Zanten and others 1988 249 Lam 1989	250	(1)
Marshall, Warren, and Goodwin 1989 251 Loffeld, Stobberingh, and Arends 1989 252 Bell 1991	253	(1)
Graham DY, Lew GM, Klein PD, Evans DG, Evans DJ Jr, Saeed ZA, Malaty HM. 1992. Effect of treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection on the long-term recurrence of gastric or duodenal ulcer. Annals of Internal Medicine.	254	(4)
Blaser MJ. 1996 Feb. The bacteria behind ulcers. Scientific American.	258	(6)
Alimenterics Inc. 1999. Pylori-Chek Breath Test Kit.	264	(16)
Chiba N, Veldhuyzen van Zanten SJO, Sinclair P, Ferguson RA, Escobedo S, Grace E. 2002. Treating Helicobacter pylori infection in primary care patients with uninvestigated dyspepsia: The Canadian adult dyspepsia empiric treatment-Helicobacter pylori positive (CADET Hp) randomised controlled trial. British Medical Journal.	280	(7)
11 Research on Predatory Algae: From Environmental Event to Environmental Policy	287	(69)
BURKHOLDER AND COLLEAGUES
Burkholder JM, Noga EJ, Hobbs CH, Glasgow HB Jr, Smith SA. 1992. New "phantom" dinoflagellate is the causative agent of major estuarine fish kills. Nature.	289	(4)
Huyghe R. 1993 Apr. Killer Algae. Discover.	293	(7)
National Sea Grant College Program. 1994. Statement of opportunity for funding: Marine biotechnology. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University, UNC Sea Grant College Program. [Excerpts]	300	(3)
Burkholder JM, Rublee PA. 1994. Improved detection of an ichthyotoxic dinoflagellate in estuaries and aquaculture facilities. Proposal submitted to the (US) National Sea Grant College Program. North Carolina State University, Department of Botany.	303	(25)
Mallin MA, Burkholder JM, Larsen LM, Glasgow HB Jr. 1995. Response of two zooplankton grazers to an ichthyotoxic estuarine dinoflagellate. Journal of Plankton Research.	328	(13)
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. 1998. Safety and personal protection during fish kills: http://www.esb.enr.state.nc.us/Fishkill/ persprotect.html.	341	(4)
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. 1999. Maryland guidelines for closing and reopening rivers potentially affected by Pfiesteria or Pfiesteria-like events: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/bay/cblife/algae/dino/pfiesteria/river closure.html.	345	(3)
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. 2001. Collection and handling of fish pathology samples: http://www.esb.enr.state.nc.us/Fishkill/ fishsamp.html.	348	(2)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1998. Pfiesteria piscicida, Fact Sheet: http://www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries/pfiesteria/fact.html.	350	(6)
12 Research on Supernova Remnants: From Proposal to Publication	356	(44)
REYNOLDS AND COLLEAGUES
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 1993. NASA research announcement soliciting proposals for theory in space astrophysics. NRA 93-OSSA-06. Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Office of Space Science. [Excerpt]	358	(1)
Reynolds SP, Borkowski KJ, Blondin JM. 1994. X-ray emission and dynamics of supernova remnants. Proposal submitted to NASA's Astrophysics Theory Program. North Carolina State University, Department of Physics.	359	(17)
Reynolds SP, Blondin JM, Borkowski KJ. 1995. X-ray emission and dynamics of supernova remnants. First-Year Report to NASA.	376	(2)
Reynolds SP, Blondin JM, Borkowski KJ. 1996. X-ray emission and dynamics of supernova remnants. Second-Year Report to NASA.	378	(3)
Reynolds SP, Blondin JM, Borkowski KJ. 1997. X-ray emission and dynamics of supernova remnants. Final Report to NASA.	381	(4)
Reynolds SR 1996. Synchrotron models for X-rays from the supernova remnant SN 1006. Astrophysical Journal.	385	(5)
Hendrick SP, Reynolds SP, Borkowski KJ. 2001. Maximum energies of shockaccelerated electrons in supernova remnants in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Young
Supernova Remnants: Eleventh Astrophysics Conference.	390	(4)
Hendrick SP, Reynolds SR 2001. Maximum energies of shock-accelerated electrons in Large Magellanic Cloud supernova remnants. Astrophysical Journal.	394	(6)
13 Research on the Oracle at Delphi: From Ancient Myth to Modern Interdisciplinary Science	400	(25)
HALE AND DE BOER AND COLLEAGUES
De Boer JZ, Hale JR. 1996. Request for permission to take samples of travertine rock from the vicinity of the Apollo temple at Delphi.	402	(2)
Government of Greece, Ministry of Culture. 1997. Permit issued to John Hale for removal of porous stone from Delphi. Translated by Edward Tick 2003.	404	(2)
De Boer JZ, Hale JR, Chanton J. 2001. New evidence for the geological origins of the ancient Delphic oracle (Greece). Geology.	406	(4)
Spiller HA, Hale JR, De Boer JZ. 2002. The Delphic oracle: A multidisciplinary defense of the gaseous vent theory. Journal of Toxicology-Clinical Toxicology.	410	(8)
Hale JR, De Boer J, Chanton J, Spiller H. 2002. New evidence for the geological origin of the Delphic oracle: Active faults, gaseous emissions, and architectural anomalies in the Temple of Apollo. Conference abstract, 103rd Annual Meeting of the Archeological Institute of America.	418	(6)
Broad WJ. 2002. For Delphic oracle, fumes and visions. New York Times.	424	(1)
References	425	(11)
Credits	436	(3)
Name Index	439	(6)
Subject Index	445