Influence: Excellent mentors and advisors in graduate school
Initial Challenge: Lack of guidance in writing despite knowing experimental techniques
Discovery: Writing altered the perception and understanding of experimental data
Career Path: Transition to scientific writing at Duke with the help of George Gopen
Importance of Writing in Science
Frequency: Most scientists write frequently (weekly, monthly, or quarterly)
Expectation: Many Principal Investigators (PIs) write often, emphasizing the importance of writing in scientific careers
Role: Scientists are inherent writers and teachers of writing due to the nature of collaborative documentation
Requirement: Quality of research is closely tied to the ability to communicate it effectively
Unique Aspects of Scientific Writing
Multi-Author Documents: Unlike single-author works in other disciplines (e.g., economists, art historians), scientific writing often involves many contributors
Complexity: Documents can be extensively detailed (e.g., EPA documents up to 2,228 pages with 65 authors)
Teaching and Feedback: Scientists frequently provide feedback on collaborative writing projects
Strategies for Effective Scientific Writing
Reader Perspective: Writing should be approached from what the reader needs, not just what the writer wants to say
Energy in Reading: Readers have finite energy that they invest in interpreting structure and substance
Interpretation Process: Readers interpret text based on structure first (organization, sentence construction) and substance next (meaning)
Emphasis in Writing
Main Clause: Typically, main points are emphasized here
Placement: Information at the end of sentences or documents gets more emphasis
Length: Longer explanations can often signal greater importance
Repetition: Repeated information is often deemed crucial
Keywords: Specific words can carry significant weight
Practical Examples
Example Sentences: Demonstrated how structure and placement affect interpretation (Example: Fred's a nice guy but he beats his dog)
Reader Expectation: Readers prioritize main clauses and end placements in their interpretation
Emphasis Cues: Demonstrated through examples how varied sentence structures change reader emphasis and perception
Exercises and Applications
Group Activity: Rewriting sentences to convey different emphases while maintaining the same factual content
Feedback: Highlighting the importance of structure over mere word choice
Final Thoughts
Control Interpretation: Understanding structure allows for better control over how scientific messages are interpreted by the readers
Communication Skills: Emphasized the essential role of clear, structured communication in scientific success and collaboration
Interactive Learning: The session involved practical, hands-on activities that helped elucidate theoretical points
Conclusion and Q&A
Reflection: Encouraged students to continue practicing writing from a reader's perspective and to be mindful of structural choices
Resources: Provided handouts and recommended further reading materials available
Open Q&A: Addressed remaining questions and offered additional insights