Writing a science article may sound daunting to many. But with patience and effort, anybody can write a science article. You do not need a Ph.D. Read on to learn how to write science articles.
Do research
The key to start writing a science article is research. As you start your research and gather data, record them in a notebook or laptop. If you are going to write on fossils, then you may have to ask these questions: What organism is this fossil? Why do the bones look so? Research helps in building a context for your writing. You can do your research online but not all information presented on the internet is accurate. So you may have to go to a library of a university, where you may find appropriate journals and books. You can even find scholarly articles in online libraries, if you are ready to pay a fee. Google Scholar is a good search engine tool that gives you access to scholarly literature. You may not be able to read the entire article but you can read abstracts.
Start writing
Remember that you are writing a science article to disseminate information or share the results of a study or research to the world. If you are writing about dragonfly fossils in a particular area, ensure that you remain focused and not digress into writing about other insects.
What is the structure of a science article? Different journals follow different styles. However, the layout more or less remains the same. You can break your writing into different sections as shown below:
- Title – The first thing that a reader notices is the title. So ensure that you have a title that captures the reader’s attention. Which title sounds more appealing? A plesiosaur skull or A complete plesiosaur formation from the Niobrara Formation in Wyoming?
- Author name(s) – Include author names of a study or research in your article.
- Abstract – An abstract helps the reader to get some information or gist without reading the entire article. So make sure your abstract is clear and concise.
- Introduction – An introduction introduces the topic to your readers. So arrange your information from general and narrow it down to specific.
- Main Text – The main text forms the pivot of your article. If you are writing about cats, you can provide a title like Description; or if you are detailing about their behavior, you can call the section Behavior. You can also include several sections. Some scientific papers include sections like Materials and Methods and Results. If your article is describing one specimen, then you may not require Materials and Methods and Results sections.
- Conclusion – You conclude your article with a summary or a conclusion. In this section, you can also include results. You can also recommend future research, if applicable.
- Acknowledgments – Do not forget to acknowledge people who have helped you throughout your research. They may be your illustrators or proofreaders.
- References Cited – This section should include the alphabetical list of authors whose work or articles you referred to you in your article.
- Illustrations – Illustrations help readers to understand your writing better. Also, remember to provide a number for each of your figures.
- Tables – Tables make your reading easier. Add captions to your table to explain the table.
Cut the deadwood in your writing
Do not include jargon and high-sounding scientific words in your writing just to sound scientific. Long sentences are also not advisable. Break them in 2-3 sentences. This will ensure that readers understand what you have written.
Finally, remember that your writing will not be perfect the first time. So you need to tweak your writing. After all, the cornerstone of scientific writing lies in accurate description of ideas, procedures and outcomes.
Image credit: U.S. Army RDECOM on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0
I’m Smitha Abraham. I love traveling in my flights of imagination and use these flights to craft short stories and poetry. I am a budding writer from India. My passions are reading, creative writing, listening to music, learning new languages, meeting new people, getting acquainted with different cultures and traveling. Authors like Isabel Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, genres like magic realism, historical romance, and writing styles that are imaginative and flow effortlessly fascinate me. I love to unwind with a book curled up on a sofa or by gazing at the stars by the sea shore. I am a nature lover and spending time admiring the sunset and sunrise is relaxing for me.