|
|
| #1 : |
|
Write Concisely. Scientific writing emphasizes
brevity and clarity. It is important to include all of the information
necessary to reproduce your research and discuss your findings but
not more than is necessary. One important step towards this goal is
to delete uninformative or redundant words. The list on the left includes
"wordy" phrases. The list on the right provides improved
versions.
 |
|
 |
brief in duration
sufficient in number
The wound was of a serious nature.
The solution was red in color.
mix together
the reason was because
|
|
brief
sufficient
The wound was serious.
The solution was red.
mix
because |
|
| |
|
Another way to avoid wordiness is to avoid writing grandiosely.
It will impress no one and will make it difficult to understand your
point. Below are two examples. Notice how difficult it is to understand
the example on the left, and how much easier it is to understand the
example on the right. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| The validity of the structural
information obtained will depend on the fidelity of reconstitution
of the proteolipid in a native conformation under the condition
or incorporation into vesicles. |
|
Such structural information
is valid only when the reconstituted proteolipid has the native
conformation. |
|
| |
| #2 : |
|
Avoid Nominalization. This tip is tied directly
to Tip #1, and the best way to understand my point is to give you
two examples. |
| |
|
|
This paper gives an analysis
of the problem and offers a solution. |
|
This paper analyzes
the problem and solves it. |
|
| |
|
The second sentence is brief, to the point, easier to
read, and much more powerful. However, it is still not perfect and
remains obscure. It would be best to include more information and
thus make an impact on the reader. Here are two possible ways to give
greater context to the sentence. |
| |
|
|
Even a precursory analysis
reveals several promising solutions, the least expensive of
which is X. |
|
A thorough analysis failed
to solve the problem fully, but X is the most practical short-term
strategy. |
|
| |
| #3 : |
|
Know when to use passive vs. active voice. This
is an area that is very difficult even for a native speaker, and where
there are two different points of view. Contrary to traditional scientific
writing, nowadays experts prefer the active voice because it keeps
the paper brief, is more direct, and sounds more natural. |
| |
|
|
A detailed description of
the apparatus is presented in this report. |
|
This report presents a detailed
description of the apparatus. |
|
| |
|
However, it is sometimes better to use the passive voice
when the one performing the action is not important. |
| |
|
|
This writer purchased bovine
serum albumin from Sigma. |
|
Bovine serum albumin was
purchased from Sigma. |
|
| |
| #4 : |
|
Use parallel construction of sentences. This
is an easy tip to learn once you get the hang of it. When there are
2 or more items in a list within a sentence, a parallel structure
will be easier for the reader to understand. |
| |
|
|
I like to run in the park,
sleeping late, and it's also fun to make home videos. |
|
I like running in the park,
sleeping late, and making home videos. |
|
It's fun to run in the park,
sleep late, and make home videos. |
|
| |
|
In the two correct sentences, the items in the list
follow the same grammatical pattern. For scientific writing, the same
rule must be applied, as shown in the following two examples. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| A 10 mg dose produces no
effect, a 20 mg dose produces a small effect, but patients demonstrate
a noticeable effect from a 30 mg dose. |
|
A 10 mg dose produces no
effect, a 20 mg dose produces a small effect, but a 30 mg dose
produces a noticeable effect in patients. |
|
| |
| #5 : |
|
Use of Germanic Construction. This area deals
with the use of several adjectives before a noun that make the phrase
difficult to read and understand. Here is a case that will go against
Tip #1. Instead of being more concise, a few more words and punctuation
marks will make the sentence easier to understand. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Simian virus transformed
fetal mammalian heart fibroblast |
|
Simian virus-transformed
fibroblast from fetal mammalian heart |
| The gas analyzer sampling
tube is then connected to the calibrator mixing chamber. |
|
The sampling tube of the
gas analyzer is then connected to the mixing chamber of the
calibrator. |
| Respiratory rates were measured
with a Yellow Spring Instruments Co. oxygen monitor system. |
|
Respiratory rates were measured
with an oxygen monitor system (Yellow Spring Instruments Co.). |
|
| |
| #6 : |
|
Choose Your Editor Carefully. When choosing an
editor, many writers will make one of these mistakes: |
| |
|
|
- Choose a fellow Korean
colleague who has spent a few years studying abroad and who
understands the subject material, but cannot produce an article
free of grammatical errors. |
| -Choose an ESL teacher living
in Korea who might provide valuable advice regarding grammar,
but does not possess the academic background necessary to understand
the subject material. |
|
| |
|
E-World Editing offers a better solution.
By being based in the United States, E-WE is able to work closely
with American universities and research institutions and provide you
with an editor who: |
| |
|
|
- is a native speaker of
English. |
| - has the academic background
to understand the terminology of the research material. |
| - has been trained in the
special problems Korean writers have when writing English. |
|
Jerry Nairns, founder and president of E-World Editing, has over 8 years of experience living, working and teaching in Korea. In addition to teaching English at Hanyang University, he has spent a great deal of time helping and assisting Korean researchers with written English. Jerry has developed a keen understanding of the problems and needs that are unique to Korean writers of academic research. For more information, you can contact him at
jerry@eworldediting.com
