Science writing has different characteristics. In humanities writing, there is not only one answer; in science there is sometimes one answer, and we need to put more evidence, especially data. - Xinying
As an international student coming to study in the UK, you will probably do your studies in either the Arts or the Sciences. Although daily life may be quite similar for students in either the Arts or the Sciences, there are some significant differences. For example, the kind of academic writing assignments that you will be asked to do or the ways in which are taught on your course may be different. For this reason, students planning to study science, technology or engineering need to be especially aware of what might be expected of them.
In these activities you will identify some of the particular skills needed by students studying science, technology or engineering-based subjects. You will also consider what kind of writing tasks you might need to do as a student in these disciplines.
Identifying skills and abilities needed for scientific study
In this activity you are going to identify some of the specific skills and abilities you might need as a student in a science, engineering or technology-based subject area.
Instruction
Examine this list of skills and abilities and select the check boxes next to any which you think are important for students studying in science, technology or engineering fields. Then read the feedback.
numeracy and ability to deal with statistics skill at using frequent quotes to support arguments good control of language and spelling good command of scientific and technical vocabulary a precise and informative writing style ability to use metaphor and simile familiarity with SI units and use of scientific symbols ability to interpret and produce charts and graphs a rhetorical writing style (writing that supports a specific point of view) ability to use references appropriately and correctly
These skills are all important for students studying in the sciences: numeracy and ability to deal with statistics - these are very important skills for students studying in the sciences especially in relation to their written work, where they will need to be used. good control of language and spelling - scientists, as well as those studying arts subjects, need to be able to write and this requires language control and use of correct spelling. You will be judged and assessed by the quality of your research and ideas, which will be communicated through writing. good command of scientific and technical vocabulary - as in any subject area, effective reading and writing in your discipline will require you to be familiar with a specialised vocabulary. You should actively try to build up your vocabulary in your own scientific area. a precise and informative writing style - a key requirement of scientific writing is that it is informative and precise. It should also be impartial (objective) and clear. familiarity with SI units and use of scientific symbols - SI units are an international system of base units, derived units and their symbols or abbreviations representing measures that are commonly used in scientific and technical writing. ability to interpret and produce charts and graphs - data expressed in diagrammatic form is widespread in scientific text and you will also need to be able to incorporate these in your own written work on your course. You will need to be able to understand and evaluate data in this format when you read, and present and interpret any data that you have collected yourself. ability to use references appropriately and correctly - students of all subjects, both in the Arts and the Sciences, need to know how to incorporate what they have read appropriately and correctly in their own writing. This involves the use of an acceptable referencing system (you will need to check the conventions followed in your own subject area as these may vary from standard forms used). Plagiarism is not acceptable in any discipline and students who fail to reference sources that they have used for their assignments can expect to be penalised.
These skills would not be considered important for students in the sciences: skills at using frequent quotes to support arguments - scientists do need to write essays as well as producing reports and other forms of technical writing, and therefore they may well need to draw on sources to support their arguments. However, this is more likely to involve the use of paraphrase than quotation. Quotation (as well as paraphrase) is more commonly found in writing in arts-based subjects. Individual projects at undergraduate level in science, engineering and technology-based subjects may be the major exception to this. If an extended report is required, quotes may be used more frequently. If in doubt, you should check with tutors in your specific subject area. ability to use metaphor and simile - metaphor and simile are literary devices that can be found in arts-based subject areas but are very uncommon in scientific writing. a rhetorical writing style - a rhetorical writing style is one concerned with persuading the reader of the value of a certain point of view, or arguing a particular case. Scientific writing, on the other hand, focuses rather on presenting fact, information and description in order to reach conclusions about a topic.
While there are some skills and abilities, especially related to academic writing, which students in all subject areas (Arts or Sciences) need to be able to demonstrate, there are also some specific scientific skills and abilities which students need to be familiar with and able to use appropriately in their academic work.
Writing tasks in science, technology and engineering
What particular kinds of writing task can students in science, technology or engineering expect to do? Of course, you may be asked to write essays from time to time but you will also need to produce more specialised kinds of writing and show competence in scientific or technical skills. This is especially the case if you are on a postgraduate course.
Instruction
Study this list of different writing tasks that students of science, technology and engineering subjects may be required do and read the different descriptions. Select a type of writing from the list on left and then the appropriate description from the list on the right. When you have selected and matched up all of the items, check your answers and read the feedback.
Click once on an item in the list on the left. This will highlight it. Then click once on a corresponding item on the right. A line will appear linking the two items together. Click on a different item on the right to change your selection and a new line will appear and replace the first line.
Use the reset button if you wish to begin the task again.
Here are the correct answers: Abstract - Overview or summary of an extended piece of writing such as a journal or conference paper written for a specialist audience. Conference poster - Large visual/graphic display with limited information presenting a project or work at a conference. Submission can be accompanied by an abstract and sometimes a paper. Design report - Used especially in the field of engineering to present a proposed solution to a design problem. Executive summary - Overview or summary of an extended piece of writing such as a report, written for an executive audience using non specialist terms. Experimental report - Written record of an organised experiment. Presentation format usually includes design rationale, data, results, discussion. May also be called a Lab report. Literature review - A required part of a report or scoping of a topic for an extended piece of writing such as a thesis. Progress report - Description of the current status of an individual or team project. Research proposal - Part of PhD application process or outline for a project. Normally sets out research topic, aims/objectives, methodology, references, plan and potential outcomes.
In general, in science, engineering and technology-based subjects reports (not essays) are the standard form of writing that you can expect to do. The length of a report will vary depending on the task and/or subject so you should make sure you are aware of the required word length for any assignments that you are given. Other types of specialised writing may also be required on your course. If you are uncertain how to approach any of the writing tasks that you are required to do, you should check with your tutor or seek guidelines from your department office. You may wish to search on the Internet for examples of the different types of writing task referred to in this activity.
Would you like to review the main points?
You should now be familiar with some of the specific skills and abilities required by students following courses in science, technology or engineering. You should also be aware of some of the more specialised kinds of academic writing which, depending on the level of your studies, might be required from you.
You may wish to explore this link to find out more about SI units: SI Base Units
Identifying skills and abilities needed for scientific study
Writing tasks in science, technology and engineering
