Introduction & Purpose of

scientific writing
Week # 1
EN-223 Research Project and Presentation
Lecture Outline
• Introduction to Course
• Research and Six Steps in Research
• Purpose of Learning Scientific Writing
• Writing with the Reader in Mind
• Overview of Research Communications
1.1 Introduction
• The major objective of this course is aimed at enhancing scientific
paper writing and communication skills of electrical engineering
researchers and students.
• The scientific paper writing has three main aims.
• First to encourage the communication of engineering to a wider audience
• Second to give a few tips on how you can do it well
• Finally to point you towards the many other resources available to
researchers; who want to solve engineering problems.
1.1 Introduction
• Scientific communication is a multi-faceted subject that is undergoing
a profound transformation.
1.1 Introduction
• This course will present summaries from several angles and of key
points from examples of successful engineering communication
information resources.
• The course is prepared with detailed data, information, and
arguments.
• Specifically, the course provides essentials to better plan, writes
research findings, and designs their contents, which includes write
them up, improve contents and styles, and submit to publishers.
1.1 Introduction
• Scientific papers and technical documents are essential means of
communication between engineering scientists; therefore, the
efficacy of the content depends on the quality of texts.
• One other issue is the way in which the content of any information is
packaged is crucial to be understood by an audience.
• If the person reading the material cannot understand it, the effect of
the work is lost entirely.
1.1 Introduction
• Therefore, before planning a manuscript you should consider the
following:
• reputation of journal
• Appropriateness/scope of your subject and its quality
• appropriate readership
• frequency of publication
• circulation
• publishing criteria and style
• budget to meet printing charges
1.1 Introduction
• The characters of a good or successful paper could be listed as follows
• presents an accurate account of the investigation and problem solving
• has logical flow
• is clearly written and easily understood
• follows a particular style of discipline
• is free local slang
• has appropriate and adequate illustrations
• does not contain plagiarized information
• contains original results
Research and Its Importance
• Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information
to increase our understanding of a topic or issue.
• At a general level, research consists of three steps:
1. Pose a question.
2. Collect data to answer the question.
3. Present an answer to the question.
• Although there are a few more steps in research than these three, this
is the overall framework for research.
• When you examine a published study, or conduct your own study, you
will find these three parts as the core elements.
The Six Steps in the Process of Research
• The process of research consists of six steps:
1. Identifying a research problem
2. Reviewing the literature
3. Specifying a purpose for research
4. Collecting data
5. Analyzing and interpreting the data
6. Reporting and evaluating research
The Six Steps in the Process of Research
1.2 Purpose of Learning Scientific Writing
• To be able to write clear, concise, coherent and simple language in
research is perhaps the most generally useful of all educational skills.
• Whatever your specialty is, you will need at some time to write
reports and proposals, to present technical information or to compile
and analyze results.
• As a researcher, the influence that you have on daily activities
depended very much on your ability to put your thoughts in writing.
• More immediately, you will need to be able to write clearly and
intelligibly.
1.2 Purpose of Learning Scientific Writing
• A century ago, James Barrie commented, ―the scientist is the only person who has
anything new to say and who does not know how to say it.
• You may agree or disagree with this sentiment.
• Beyond the shadow of a doubt, whatever you performed in the laboratory is
worthless if you are unable to communicate the result in a form, which others can
understand.
• In the contemporary(modern) competitive life, there is also another reason why
scientists must write: it could be summed up in the maxim (saying) ―publish or
perish.
• It is common, when a scientist applies for a new post one of the principal criteria to
assess the applicant's suitability is the number of publications listed in the
curriculum vitae.
1.2 Purpose of Learning Scientific Writing
• On one hand, papers published by a researcher in any research or
educational establishment are considered as fair indexes of the
researcher's activities.
• On the other end of the scale, however, this should not let the
Institution researcher, educator or student to lose sight of the fact
that manuscripts, which are accepted and found worthy of
publication, really are a measure of research or development
capabilities of the researcher.
1.2 Purpose of Learning Scientific Writing
• At a more basic level, before you joined your institution, as a researcher
or educator you have obtained a recognized academic qualification.
• Most researchers do not take use of language seriously, let alone to
consider it a skill, which they must acquire as part of their professional
education.
• This does not mean that every individual has become an expert in the
finer points of grammar synthesis and analysis.
• To communicate clearly does not require a technical mastery of
grammar as much as a grasp of the mechanics of constructing a
concise and coherent report.
1.2 Purpose of Learning Scientific Writing
• Whenever you write it is always for the benefit of a reader, thus, it is
always necessary to remember the needs of that reader.
• A researcher must write clearly, not obscuring (confusing) the message
and not leaving the reader to puzzle out the sense of what the researcher
wants to say.
• These are the essentials of scientific writing and they are not difficult
requirements to meet.
• Provision of an informative title and effective headings and sub-headings;
• presentation of information in a logical order
• including all the steps of argument
• clearly illustrated evidence and examples
1.2 Purpose of Learning Scientific Writing
• When going back to your duty center/lab, you will realize that science
writing is an art, which can, and should, be learned.
• I will assure you that it will not be difficult to develop the necessary
skills in this respect.
• Finally, I would like to recite from the famous English writer of the
17th century, Francis Bacon,
• "Reading makes a full person; conference a ready person; and writing an
exact person.