An Introduction to Scientific Writing

Including CSE Formatting and Documentation

Originally created by Blythe Caldwell and Amanda Kuhlman.

Revised by Ann Westrick.

Be concise.Be clear.Be plain.Be precise.

The style:

Default to third person passive voice.

Focus on results rather the experimenter.

Avoid abbreviations and acronyms.

Stylistic considerations

Instead of saying:“I added Chemical A to

Chemical B.”

Say: “Chemical A was added to Chemical B.”

Don’t refer to a GMO-- talk about Genetically Modified Organisms.

Sentence structureGrammar

TransitionsCapitalizationPunctuation

Generally accepted standards of academic writing apply

Define your terms.

Can someone outside my field understand the way I am using this word?

Is my definition specific to the context of my paper?

Using content specific vocabulary--consider your audience

Common Elements in Scientific Research Papers

1. Introduction

This sections containsbackground information ad/or literature review.

2. Methodology orMaterials and MethodsWhat you did to conduct the experiment/study?

Common Elements in Scientific Research Papers

3. ResultsWhat did you find after you conducted the experiment/study? Just the facts; no analysis.

4. DiscussionWhat conclusions or inferences can be drawn from these results?

Nature

Journal of Science

Evolution

Cell

Key journals in the field of biology:

Council of Science Editors Style Guide

regulates style, formatting, citations

Selected CSE Resources

• Council of Science Editors (Online)www.councilofscienceditors.org

• Ohio State University Libraries’ Online CSE guides http://library.osu.edu/help/research-strategies/cite-references/cse/

• McKneese State University’s Online CSE Guideshttp://library.mcneese.edu/citestyl/csestyle.htm

• Writing @ Colorado State Universityhttp://writing.colostate.edu/guides/researchsources/documentation/cbe_citation/intextrules.cfm

• Research and Documentation Online (5th Ed.)http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e/RES5e_ch11_s1-0003.html

Three systems: Author-date(year)

Numbering Sequence

Citation-Author

Citing Sources in Your Paper

Similar to APA style

Author’s last name and year of publication included in citation(No comma separating the two)

Ex. (Smith 2013)

Reference list alphabetized by authors’ last names

CSE: Author-date in-text citations

Relies on superscripted numbers(a raised numeral located at the end of a clause or sentence identifying the content as outside source material)

The superscripted number flags the reader's attention to a correspondingly numbered entry on a References list located at the end of a book or document.

Beginning with 1, each number follows in sequential order from page to page.

There is no space between the word and the numeral.

Ex. The data1 found after several months study . . .

CSE In-text numbering

In-text superscripted numbers appear after the punctuation and quotation marks at the end of a cited clause or sentence.

Source material located in the first part of a sentence separated by an em dash (two hyphens) is cited with the number placed before the dash begins.

Superscripted numbers can be created in Microsoft® Word.

CSE: In-Text Numbering (cont.)

CSE: In-Text Numbering (cont.)

• When you cite a source that was previously mentioned, use the number that was already assigned to the source.

• When you refer to numerous sources, separate the numerals by using commas.

Ex. The studies12, 14 represented by the table shown...

• When referring to a source cited in another source, say "cited in”

Ex. The data15(cited in 4) was collected over several…

Contains all the bibliographic information needed to find out more about each cited source within the text.

Even though References is the most commonly used title Cited References or Literature Cited are acceptable titles as well.

Selective: does not include a full accounting of sources related to or consulted before you began writing your document, but only those actually cited.

Sources that directly informed your thinking but are not cited may be included in an Additional Readings page or Bibliography.(These pages have different formatting rules from the References Page.)

If using the numbering sequence system, arrange entries numerically, following their initial in-text order of appearance

CSE: Reference List

Technical Report

In-text(Ford et. al. 2004)

Format:

Author. Year. Article Title. Place of Publication: Publisher. General Technical Report Number. Number.

Bibliography:

Ford PL, Fagerlund RA, Duszynski DW, Polechla PJ. 2004. Fleas and lice of mammals in New Mexico. Fort Collins (CO): USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station. General Technical Report No. RMRS-GTR-123.

Journal Article(paper or pdf)

In-text: (Liao et al. 2003)

Format: Author. Year of Publication. Article Title. Journal Title Volume Number (Issue Number): page numbers

References:Liao, J, Beal, D, Lauder, G, Triantafyllou, M. 2003. The Kármán gait: Novel body kinematics of rainbow trout swimming in a vortex street. Journal of Experimental Biology 206: 1059-1073. doi: 10.1242/ jeb.00209

Note: In practice, most articles are cited in this format, whether viewed in paper or electronic format. Include a DOI (digital object identifier) number when available for electronically-retrieved resources

Journal Article from an Electronic Journal Center

(OhioLINK)

In-Text:(Parmentier et al. 2004)

Format:Author. Year of Publication. Article Title. Online Journal [Internet] [cited Year Month Date]; Volume Number(Issue): Page Numbers. Available from: Website

References:Parmentier H, Golding S, Ashworth M, Rowlands G. 2004. Community pharmacy treatment of minor ailments in refugees. J Clin Pharm Ther [Internet] [cited 2007 Jul 24]; 29(5):465-469. Available from: http://journals.ohiolink.edu/ejc/pdf.cgi/Parmentier_H.pdf?issn=02694727&issue=v29i0005&article=465_cptomair

Electronic Journal from a Publisher’s Website

In-Text: (Leng et al. 2004)

Format:Author. Year. Article Title. Online Journal [Internet]. [cited Year Month Date]; Journal Volume(Issue):Page Numbers. Available from: Website

References:Leng F, Amado L, McMacken R. 2004. Coupling DNA supercoiling to transcription in defined protein systems. J Biol Chem [Internet]. [cited 2007 July 24]; 279(46):47564-47571. Available from: http://www.jbc.org/cgi/reprint/279/46/47564

Webpage

In-Text: (Animal Welfare Information Center 2005, then AWIC 2005)

References Format:Author. Title [medium]. Place of Publication: Publisher; Date of Publication [Date of update/Date of citation]. Availability.

Example: Animal Welfare Information Center [Internet]. Beltsville (MD): National Agricultural Library (US); [updated 2005 April 14; cited 2005 April 15]. Available from: http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/

Note: Websites are rarely cited in scientific papers, and Wikipedia is never an acceptable source to be cited. However, the reference section of Wikipedia can be a good place to find sources

Conference Proceedings

In-Text:(Dubois 2004)

References Format:

(Author. Year of Publication. Title of Paper. In:) Editor of proceedings. Year (if not listed earlier). Title of publication or conference. Name of conference; dates of conference; place of conference. Place of publication: publisher. Total number of pages. (pages cited if single paper)

Example: Rossler OE. 2004. Nonlinear dynamics, artificial cognition and galactic export. In: Dubois DM, editor. Computing anticipatory systems. CASYS 2003 – Sixth International Conference; 2003 August 11-16; Liege, Belgium. Melville, NY: American Institute of Physics. p 47-67.

Selected CSE Resources

• Council of Science Editors (Online)www.councilofscienceditors.org

• Ohio State University Libraries’ Online CSE guides http://library.osu.edu/help/research-strategies/cite-references/cse/

• McKneese State University’s Online CSE Guideshttp://library.mcneese.edu/citestyl/csestyle.htm

• Writing @ Colorado State Universityhttp://writing.colostate.edu/guides/researchsources/documentation/cbe_citation/intextrules.cfm

• Research and Documentation Online (5th Ed.)http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e/RES5e_ch11_s1-0003.html