Introduction to Journal-Style Scientific Writing

A journal can be a chronicle of your daily activities, a summary of your most intimate thoughts, or simply a way to keep yourself on-track while you complete an assignment. The rules of why, when, where and how you write are yours to determine, but here are some guidelines to get started. Topics 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. may be shosenFamily Feelings Finance Friends Health Home

STEPS IN JOURNAL WRITING

1. Open a word or similar document on your desktop and label it with the current month. If you don't have this facility (and who doesn't) just grab a piece of paper and a pencil or pen and write the name of the month on the top and place it where you know it will be easy to grab.

2.

Use your moods and emotions as motivators - how do you feel? Each and every time you feel 'something' that 'charges' you - be it positive or negative open that document and write it down - don't just write down what happened or is happening but how you feel and the emotions you are feeling - write as much or as little as you feel - write pages if you wish or just one line or word.

3.

It is helpful to include a date if you can or a reference so that you know 'where you are' for example (this is the second Sunday of the month and the time to visit grandma and I just don't want to go and don't know why). That way, when you 'arrive here again' (you will as life is cyclical) you will have a reference point to both the event and your subsequent emotions, feelings and actions if any are taken

4.

Did you do anything? Did you do anything about how you were feeling - if you ate too much did you analyse why - triggers? emotions? This can be particularly helpful for women - especially during intense periods of hormonal activity. Write 'reference notes' to yourself so when you go through a similar event or incident or feeling you can look it up to see how you dealt with it remember - you are your own best helper - you know yourself better than anyone else does and have the power to work out a solution to all of your own problems

Journaling for Yourself

1. Find something that can become your journal. You can use a notebook, legal pad, blank book, word processor, journaling application like RedNotebook, or you can also buy

journals with locks at Staples or whatever you like for your journal. Just make sure that it contains blank pages you can write on, and that the pages are bound up so they won't scatter and get lost.

2.

Find a writing tool. If you chose to use a word processor in Step 1, you can skip this step. If you're using an actual book, locate a pen you like. (You can use pencil to write in your journal, but it will fade dramatically over time.) Some journal-keepers have a particular brand of pens that they prefer, or they favor a certain style (such as gel pen over ballpoint). Either way, your writing implement should feel comfortable in your hand and help you write at a pace you enjoy.

3.

Set up a routine. You might want to carry your journal with you wherever you go, so that you can write down your thoughts as they strike you. Or you might choose a particular time each day to sit down and clear your head. Whatever you decide, make it a habit. Journaling as part of a routine will make you more likely to stick with it.

4.

Chose a setting that's conducive to writing. Place yourself in an environment that makes you feel like writing, whether it's the privacy of your own room or a busy coffee shop. If you're not sure where you like to write, try out a few different locations at different times during the day.

5.

Date your entry. This may seem a real drag, but this is the only real rule when it comes to keeping a journal. Youll be amazed just how useful having each entry dated can be.

6.

Start writing. As you begin your journal entry, write down your thoughts as they occur to you. If you're stumped, start out by discussing what you did during the day, or any major epiphanies you've had lately. These topics might lead you to other interesting topics about with you can write.
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Try to see your journal as "thinking on paper." Your thoughts don't need to be perfectly constructed or written with the right grammar and punctuation. Instead, try to think of your journal as a space where you can write out and organize your thoughts and feelings. Don't feel self-conscious. Unless you're planning on showing your journal to someone else, remember that it's just for your eyes and don't worry about what other people think. Feeling free to express yourself is a vital part of keeping a meaningful journal.

7.

Be creative. Try incorporating different styles of writing into your journal, such as lists, poems, screenplays or stream-of-consciousness writing. You could also include artwork such as sketches, drawings and collages.

8.

Know when to stop. You might stop writing as soon as you feel like you've exhausted your thoughts, or after you've reached a certain page limit. Whatever you choose, stop before you feel completely drained - remember, you want to have enough energy to come back to your journal and write again.

9.

Reread what youve written, if you can. Either read it directly after making the entry or set aside a time to read your past entries. You can potentially gain a lot of insight from going over your journal.

10.
Journalism for B- School

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Keep writing. The more dedicated you are to your journal, the more valuable it becomes. Find ways to make journalism habit, and keep doing it.

1.

Understand the assignment. Have you been assigned to keep a journal of your personal experiences, or a journal of your thoughts as you read a certain book? Whatever it is, make sure you read and reread the assignment so that you understand it well.

2.

Stick to a schedule. You'll probably need a set number of entries in your journal in order to pass the assignment. Instead of trying to write them all the night before the journal is due, try to keep a schedule. If you forget to write your entries, set an alarm on your phone, or ask someone else to remind you periodically.

3.

Date each entry. Start each journal entry by noting the date. If you want to note what time it is when you start writing, you can do that, too.

4.

Start writing the entry. One or two lines beneath the date, start writing your journal entry. Here are some suggestions to consider if you're writing the journal for a school assignment:
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Reflect on what you've learned. How do you plan to apply it to your own life?

o o

Quote pieces of the book or assignment that were meaningful to you. After you've included the quote, write why you like it. Discuss your thoughts or impressions about the assignment. For instance, if you're supposed to write the journal as you read a book, you could talk about your reaction to a certain character or chapter.

5.

Write in first-person. Because a journal is meant to be a personal narrative, you should probably write it from a first-person perspective. That means using "I", "me", "mine" or "my" in your sentences.

6.

Make sure each entry is long enough. If your assignment specifies how long each entry is supposed to be, stick to that number. If not, shoot for about 200 to 300 words per entry.

7.

Conclude each entry with a closing thought. As you're wrapping up your entry for the day, it might be nice to summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two. For instance, you could start with "What I've really learned today is..." or "I'd like to spend more time thinking about..."

Overview A critical aspect of the scientific process is the reporting of new results in scientific journals in order to disseminate that information to the larger community of scientists. Communication of your results contributes to the pool of knowledge within your discipline (and others!) and very often provides information that helps others interpret their own experimental results. Most journals accept papers for publication only after peer review by a small group of scientists who work in the same field and who recommend the paper be published (usually with some revision). The format and structure presented here is a general one; the various scientific journals, and oftentimes specific disciplines, utilize slightly different formats and/or writing styles. Mastery of the format presented here will enable you to adapt easily to most journal- or discipline-specific formats. While this guide (a others like it) is a necessary tool of learning the scientific writing style and format, it is not sufficient, by itself, to make you an accomplished writer. This guide will not teach you how to write in the English language, i.e., it is not a grammar book. You, the writer, must practice writing and thinking within this structure, and, learn by example from the writings of others;

learning the nuances of this style and format will be enhanced as you read the scientific literature - pay attention to how professional scientists write about their work. You will see improvement in your own scientific writing skills by repeatedly practicing reading, writing, and critiquing of others writing. The guide addresses four major aspects of writing journal-style scientific papers: (1) fundamental style considerations; (2) a suggested strategy for efficiently writing up research results; (3) the nuts and bolts of format and content of each section of a paper (part of learning to write a scientific paper is learning how to follow instructions precisely), and, (4)basic information regarding peer critiques of scientific writing. ALL journals have a set of instructions for authors which explicitly state how their paper should be formatted for submission. Consider this guide to be your instructions when writing lab reports for the Biology core courses. We encourage you to follow the directions carefully and to make full use of this guide and the writing support system (TWAs, instructors, and Writing Workshop staff tutors) as you prepare your papers. Please ask for help if you have questions about format, style, or content. Above all, remember to write with precision, clarity, and economy. Getting Started The first task to accomplish as you begin the process of writing is to order and organize the information you wish to present. Some people work well from an outline, others do not. Some people write first to discover the points, then rearrange them using an after-the-fact outline. Whatever process you may use, be aware that scientific writing requires special attention toorder and organization. Because the paper will be divided into sections, you need to know what information will go into each. If you don't normally work from an outline, this may be an occasion when you'll at least want to develop a list of the major points to be included in each section, before you begin to write. If the paper has multiple authors, then this is a good time to work (and negotiate!) with your collaborators to insure that all the points the group wants to make get listed.

Audience: Who will be reading your paper? Usually you will be writing to your peers. Simple advice: address your paper to another interested biology student, or lab group, in this course or major, and assume they have at least the same knowledge and expertise base as you. Knowing your audience helps you to decide what information to include--you would write a very different article for a narrow, highly technical, disciplinary journal vs. one that went out to a broad range of disciplines. Similarly, you would write a paper for an audience of other biology majors very differently than one you would write for a cross section of the college. Do not write your paper specifically for your instructor. Prose Your writing should be in complete sentences and easily understood. It should conform to the conventions of standard written English (sentence form, grammar, spelling, etc.). Your ideas will have little impact, no matter how good the research, if they are not communicated well. Remember always that scientific terminology very often has precise meaning. Be certain you choose your words correctly and wisely. It is important to write clearly and concisely. Make sure that every paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that the paragraph content supports the topic. The goal is to report your findings and conclusions clearly, and with as few words as necessary. Your audience(other scientists usually) are not interested in flowery prose, they want to know your findings.Remember: Writing and thinking are closely linked enterprises - many people have noted that, "fuzzy writing reflects fuzzy thinking." When people have difficulty translating their ideas into words, they generally do not know the material as well as they think. Style Considerations Be clear and concise: Write briefly and to the point. Say what you mean clearly and avoid embellishment with unnecessary words or phrases. Brevity is very important. Use of the active voice alone shortens sentence length considerably. Precise word use is critical: Scientific terminology carries specific meaning - learn to use itappropriately and use it consistently. A critical function of technical terminology is to say

a lot with a few words, i.e., economy. This applies as well to appropriate acronyms (e.g., PCR) andabbreviations. Direct your paper toward the average reader in your intended audience. If writing for a highly technical journal, you will necessarily use the technical jargon. If writing for a general science audience you would limit the jargon. Some things to avoid:

You do not have to try to impress people by using words most people have never heard of. Many published articles are like this, and they are poor papers on account of it. Do not use colloquial speech, slang, or "childish" words or phrases. Do not use contractions: for example, "don't" must be "do not" and "isn't" must be "is not" etc.

Abbreviations: Do not use abbreviations in the text except for units of measure. Always abbreviate these when using them with data (2 mm; 10 min.). Except for temperature units (F,C, K) never abbreviate units of measure when using them in a non-data context (e.g., "we measured length in millimeters"; "time was recorded in minutes"; "temperature was measured in F (or C)"; "100 years have passed since Mendel did..."). A list of common abbreviations and conversions is provided. Use Past Tense: Research papers reflect work that has been completed, therefore use the past tense throughout your paper (including the Introduction) when referring to the actual work that you did, including statements about your expectations or hypotheses. Use the past tense, as well, when referring to the work of others that you may cite. First vs. Third Person: If there is one stylistic area where scientific disciplines and journals vary widely, it is the use of first vs. third person constructions. Some disciplines and their journals (e.g., organismal biology and ecology) have moved away from a very strict adherence to the third person construction, and permit limited use of the first person in published papers. Other disciplines, especially the biomedical fields, still prefer the third person constrcution. Limit your use of first person construction (i.e., " I (or we) undertook this study ....): usually it is most acceptable in the Introduction and Discussion sections, and then

only to a limited extent. Use first person in the methods sparingly if at all, and avoid its use in the results. Use Active Verbs: Use active verbs whenever possible; writing that overly uses passive verbs (is, was, has, have, had) is deadly to read and almost always results in more words than necessary to say the same thing. ACTIVE: "the mouse consumed oxygen at a higher rate..." PASSIVE: "oxygen was consumed by the mouse at a higher rate.." The clarity and effectiveness of your writing will improve dramatically as you increase the use of the active voice. Other specific comments on style are also included for each section of the paper. Remember: precise word use, past tense, active voice, brevity.

References References to the research findings of others are an integral component of any research paper. The usual practice is to summarize the finding or other information in your own words and then cite the source. Any ideas or other information that are not your own must be substantiated by a reference that is cited in the text. As a rule, in research papers, direct quotation and footnoting are not practiced - simply restate the author's ideas or findings in your own words and provide a citation. add Library links: Writing and Citing Guides Plagiarism (use of others words, ideas, images, etc. without citation) is not to be tolerated and can be easily avoided by adequately referencing any and all information you use from other sources. In the strictest sense, plagiarism is representation of the work of others as being your work. Paraphrasing other's words too closely may be construed as plagiarism in some circumstances. In journal style papers there is virtually no circumstance in which the findings of someone else cannot be expressed in your own words with a proper citation of the source. Refer to: The Bates College Statement On Plagiarism and a Guide to Source Acknowledgment.) If you are unclear about what constitutes plagiarism, please confer with your instructor.

1. Imagine you had a hundred dollars, but you couldn't keep it. You had to give it away to a person or charity. Who would you give it to? What would you want them to do with it? 2. Describe one time when you were brave. 3. If you could cook any meal for your family, what would you cook? Describe the meal and tell how you would make it. 4. Imagine you woke up and saw a dinosaur in your backyard. Write a story telling what you see and do. 5. Imagine you opened your own restaurant. Tell the name of your restaurant. Explain what the restaurant looks like, who works there, and what you serve. 6. Describe your favorite character from a book, a movie, or television. 7. Write a story titled, "My Journey on a Pirate Ship." You and your friends can star in the story. 8. If you could have any animal for a pet, what would it be? Describe the pet and how you would take care of it. 9. Do you have any brothers or sisters? If you do, tell what they're like. If not, tell whether or not you would like to have a brother or sister. 10. If you could have lunch with any famous person who would it be? What would you talk about with this person? 11. Write a story titled, "The Bat Who Couldn't Fly." 12. Imagine you were a wonderful painter and your parents would let you paint anything you wanted on your bedroom walls. What would you paint? Use lots of details to describe your artwork. 13. Describe the oldest person you know. 14. Describe the youngest person you know. 15. Do you think a monkey would make a good pet? Explain why or why not. 16. How old were you four years ago? Describe some things you can do now that you could not do then. 17. Imagine you worked at a football stadium. What would your job be? (examples: quarterback, cheerleader, coach, referee, ticket seller) Describe what you would do while you were on the job. 18. What do you like best about your home? 19. If you could be on any game show, what would it be? Describe what happens when you're on the show. 20. Describe your favorite season (fall, spring, summer, or winter). Tell what kinds of things you like to do during that season. 21. Write a story titled, "The Baby Dragon." 22. Describe several ways a person your age can earn money. 23. Would you want to visit the moon? Why or why not? 24. If you could spend an afternoon with one member of your extended family, who would it be? Tell why you chose this person and tell what you do together. 25. Which superpower would you most like to have-- invisibility, super strength, or the ability to fly? Describe what kids of things you would do with your powers. 26. Think of a time when you've won something. Tell what you won and how you won it. 27. Invent a new kind of sandwich. Describe what is on it and how you would make it. 28. Describe one thing you're really good at. 29. Imagine you were twenty feet tall. Describe what life would be like. 30. If you were a doctor, what kind of doctor would you be? (examples: children's doctor, veterinarian, eye doctor, dentist) Tell what your job would be like.

Journal writing Qs