How to Improve Scientific Writing
Scientific writing is not engaging text intended to capture the imagination of an audience, but instead a systematic explanation of a scientific experiment. When reporting scientific data, writers need to follow the conventions of scientific writing. Strict attention to these details increases the effectiveness of the scientific writing. These established conventions ensure that information is reported clearly and concisely, and that information regarding the experiment is easily accessible to all readers of the piece of scientific writing.
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Instructions
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Outline before you write. The composition of a scientific piece of writing can be very complex. In the absence of an outline, it is easy for writers to allow their prose to meander and not, instead, move quickly to the point at hand. Outlining will make the actual composition of your scientific writing easier and will improve the overall product you produce.
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Be precise. Scientific writing is, by its very definition, precise. Do not use generalizations such as "many" or "it is suggested." Instead, choose detailed descriptors that create a clear, unambiguous image.
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Be concise. Avoid flowery prose. Get straight to the point, and do not fill your writing with fluff or commentary, as these elements have no place in scientific writing.
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Avoid passive voice. Scientific writing should be actionable, and your sentences should follow the subject-verb-object format. Do not place the individual performing the action at the end of the sentence, as this passive construction makes for difficult-to-read and choppy text. For example, instead of saying "The plant was watered by the scientist." say "The scientist watered the plant."
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Select homophones carefully. Just as in all writing, using the wrong homophone makes a major impact on your writing. Words such as principle and principal, while pronounced the same, have distinctly different meanings and are not interchangeable.
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Report experiment results in past tense. Your experiment already has happened, and your results have been determined prior to writing your report. Reflect this situation of events in time by reporting the results of your experiment in past tense.
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State the problem, the importance of the problem and the intended solution to the problem in the introduction section. Readers of scientific writing want to get straight to the point. State this vital information in the introduction section, laying the framework for the information that is to come.
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Provide explicit detail in the methods section. The purpose of the methods section is to tell people how you performed the experiment, thereby allowing them to recreate the experiment to test the validity of your results. Provide the detail necessary for readers to complete the exact experiment that you completed.
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Include vital data in charts and other graphics. This practice allows readers to easily read and interpret the data collected throughout the course of the experiment.
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Report the results in the conclusion, making reference to the proof using a parenthetical reference. To ensure concise prose, use parenthetical citation methods. For example, instead of saying "As chart 5 shows us, the tree in direct sunlight did best," say "The tree in direct sunlight did best (chart 5)."
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Include citations for all work referenced during the preparation and completion of the experiment. Use the reference style prescribed by the school or organization for which you are completing the writing (e.g. MLA, Chicago, APA).
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