Timothy Skern

Writing Scientific English (eBook, ePUB)

A Workbook

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

Success in science depends nowadays on effective communication in English. This workbook is specifically designed to give under- and post-graduates confidence in writing scientific English. Examples and exercises show how to avoid common errors and how to rephrase and improve scientific texts. The generation of a model manuscript enables the reader to recognise how scientific English is constructed and how to follow the conventions of scientific writing. Guidelines for structuring written work and vocabulary lists should encourage young scientists to develop a concise and mature style. The workbook is accessible to students of many fields, including those of the natural and technical sciences, medicine, psychology and economics. The third edition contains several new exercises and manuscripts and contains summaries of the most common corrections that students of scientific writing need to make. An on-line resource of short scientific presentations accompanies the book.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: utb.
• Seitenzahl: 216
• Erscheinungstermin: 8. Juni 2020
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9783846350669
• Artikelnr.: 59560096

Autorenporträt

Tim Skern, native English speaker, studied biochemistry in Liverpool and London. Now working at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories, he has been teaching scientific English at the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna since 1992.

Inhaltsangabe

Chapter 1
An introduction to scientific English 11
1.1 Advantages and disadvantages of English 11
1.1.1 British or American? 15
1.2 Formal English, the language of science 17
1.2.1 Complete sentences 17
1.2.2 Punctuation marks 18
1.2.3 Write out all verb forms 21
1.2.4 Avoid starting sentences with 'and', 'but', 'because' or 'so' 21
1.2.5 Avoid ending sentences with 'too', 'also', 'though' or 'yet' 22
1.2.6 Avoid 'get' 23
1.2.7 Avoid vagueness, sensationalism and exaggeration 23
1.2.8 Using 'the' and 'a' 24
1.3 Words for writing scientific English 27
1.4 Take-home messages from Chapter 1 30
1.5 References 30
1.6 Improvements to exercises 30

Chapter 2
Writing clear scientific English 33
2.1 Eight guidelines for improving your writing technique 33
2.1.1 Make a plan 33
2.1.2 Use a clean and legible layout 34
2.1.3 Use paragraphs 35
2.1.4 Write simple sentences 35
2.1.5 Write positive sentences 37
2.1.6 Write active sentences 38
2.1.7 Omit needless words 39
2.1.8 Read and think about your work 40
2.2 Just to make you feel better 41
2.3 Take-home messages from Chapter 2 44
2.4 References 44
2.5 Improvements to exercises 44

Chapter 3
Applying the fundamentals 47
3.1 Summarising the text 'Fighting for Breath' 47
3.2 Improving four summaries of 'Fighting for Breath' 50
3.3 Writing abstracts for scientific presentations 59
3.4 Improving four abstracts 60
3.5 What is science? 65
3.6 Improving four texts on 'What is science?' 69
3.7 Take-home messages from Chapter 3 77
3.8 References 78

Chapter 4
Constructing a scientific manuscript 79
4.1 The process of publishing original data in a scientific manuscript 79
4.2 Planning a scientific manuscript 84
4.3 Writing a scientific manuscript 90
4.3.1 Prepare the figures and tables 90
4.3.2 Describe the figures and tables 94
4.3.3 Write a first draft of the 'results' 95
4.3.4 Write a first draft of the 'discussion' 98
4.3.5 What about writing a combined section entitled 'results and discussion'? 100
4.3.6 Write a first draft of the 'introduction' 103
4.3.7 Write a first draft of the 'title', the 'abstract' and the 'keywords' 104
4.3.8 Write a first draft of 'materials and methods' 107
4.3.9 List and sort the references 109
4.3.10 Write the 'acknowledgements' 111
4.3.11 Write the 'abbreviations' 111
4.4 Assembling and improving the model manuscript 112
4.4.1 First draft of the model manuscript 114
4.5 Editing and refining a scientific manuscript 119
4.5.1 Improved model manuscript 120
4.6 Take-home messages from Chapter 4 124
4.7 References 125

Chapter 5
Practising writing and improving scientific manuscripts 127
5.1 Improving the quality of bread 127
5.2 Your views on human activity and global warming 133
5.3 Measuring biodiversity 137
5.4 Stereotypic Man 143
5.5 Searching for the best firewood to reduce global warming 148
5.6 Is there a connection between eating organic food and cigarette smoking? 154
5.7 Take-home messages from Chapter 5 160
5.8 References 161

Chapter 6
On your own 163
6.1 Resources 166
6.2 A reading list to improve your vocabulary and your scientific writing 169
6.3 References 177

Chapter 7
The scientific vocabulary of this book 179
7.1 Linking words 179
7.2 Words from the basic scientific lexicon 180
7.3 Words that extend the basic scientific lexicon 182
7.4 Words that you wish to add 183

Appendix

List of boxes 191

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Chapter 1 An introduction to scientific English 151.1 Advantages and disadvantages of English 151.2 Formal English, the language of science 211.3 Words for writing scientific English 311.4 Take-home messages from Chapter 1 341.5 References 341.6 Improvements to exercises 34Chapter 2 Writing clear scientific English 372.1 Eight guidelines for improving your writing technique 372.2 Just to make you feel better 452.3 Take-home messages from Chapter 2 482.4 References 492.5 Improvements to exercises 49Chapter 3 Applying the fundamentals 513.1 Summarising the text "Fighting for Breath" 513.2 Improving four summaries of "Fighting for Breath" 543.3 Writing abstracts for scientific presentations 633.4 Improving four abstracts 643.5 What is science? 743.6 Improving four texts on "What is science?" 783.7 The five most common commands and comments from improved texts in Chapter 3 863.8 Take-home messages from Chapter 3 873.9 References 87Chapter 4 Constructing a scientific manuscript 894.1 The process of publishing original data in a scientific manuscript 894.2 Planning a scientific manuscript 954.3 Writing a scientific manuscript 994.4 Assembling and improving the model manuscript 1224.5 Editing and refining a scientific manuscript 1294.6 Take-home messages from Chapter 4 1344.7 References 135Chapter 5 Practising writing and improving scientific manuscripts 1375.1 Improving the quality of bread 1375.2 Your views on human activity and global warming 1475.3 Measuring biodiversity 1515.4 Stereotypic Man 1575.5 Searching for the best firewood to reduce global warming 1635.6 Is there a connection between eating organic food and cigarette smoking? 1685.7 The six most common commands and comments from improved texts in Chapter 5 1755.7 Take-home messages from Chapter 5 1755.8 References 176Chapter 6 Easing the pain: writing whilst researching 177Chapter 7 On your own 1817.1 Resources 1847.2 The comments that I use to correct texts in my course 1877.3 A reading list to improve your vocabulary and your scientific writing 1887.4 Some tips for oral presentations 1997.5 References 199Chapter 8 The scientific vocabulary of this book 2018.1 Linking words 2018.2 Words from the basic scientific lexicon 2028.3 Words that extend the basic scientific lexicon 2048.4 Exercises using texts from Nature and Science 2058.5 References 2098.6 Words that you wish to add 209

Rezensionen

Aus: KARDIOTECHNIK 2/2013- Johannes Gehron
[...] Skern beschränkt sich im gesamten Buch nicht nur auf den Textinhalt, sondern ist absolut zielorientiert: In allen Kapiteln wird der Leser zum Entwurf eines wissenschaftlichen Artikels hingeführt.[...]

Aus: STANDARD, Klaus Taschwer, 04.03.2009
Dem Verbessern von Texten und ihre "Ökonomie" gilt Skerns Hauptaugenmerk - sowohl im Kurs wie auch im Buch: Entscheidend für die Annahme eines Manuskripts sei nicht zuletzt, dass die Inhalte in möglichst knappen Worten vermittelt werden. Und das bedeute mitunter harte Arbeit, ganz gemäß Skerns immer wieder gepredigtem Mottos: "The first draft is never the last."
» Zum Volltext der Rezension

Aus: Nachrichten aus der Chemie 58 www.gdch.de/nachrichten, Terence Mitchell, 01.04.2010
[...] Das Buch ist sehr gut geschrieben und aufgebaut: Es nutzt denjenigen, deren umgangssprachliches Englisch gut ist, die sich aber beim Verfassen wissenschaftlicher Texte unsicher fühlen. [...] Fazit: Das Buch von Skern ist sehr zu empfehlen [...]