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Fundamentals of Scientific Writing -- Style - Coggle Diagram
Fundamentals of Scientific Writing -- Style
Individual Words
Word choice must be precise (imprecise language may be unclear to readers)
Use simple words in place of overly complex words
Leave out unnecessary words or phrases and be brief (no 'fluff' content)
Avoid too many abbreviations or acronyms, especially those that are non-standard
If many abbreviations are used throughout the paper or paragraph, establish the word or phrase and then in parenthesis, introduce the abbreviation or acronym
Use correct nomenclature
Species and latin derivatives appear in italics
Human genes appear in all capitals and italics
Mouse genes appear in italics with the first letter only capitalized
Human proteins appear in all capitals with no italics
Mouse proteins appear with only the first letter capitalized and no italics
Restriction enzymes appear as a combination of italics and non-italics (refer to manufacturer information)
Verify all terms and definitions before using them
Word Location
Establish importance - the ending position of a sentence is more emphasized than the beginning of a sentence
Place old, familiar, and short information at the beginning of a sentence
Place new, complex, or long information at the end of a sentence
Get to the subject of the main sentence quickly
Place verbs immediately after the subject and objects after the verbs
Sentence Structure & Technical Style
Use first person
Use an active voice
Use past tense for observations and specific interpretations
Use present tense for general rules and established knowledge
Write short sentences and aim for one main idea in a sentence
Use active verbs
Avoid strings of nouns
Use clear pronouns and prepositions
Use correct parallel form
Avoid faulty comparisons
Avoid errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation