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Guidance For Scientific Writing

 

I'll call for pen and ink, and write my mind.

-- King Henry VI, part I, V, iii

I have not yet written a book on English usage or scientific writing. But on the attached pages I have laid out a few principles of good writing in the sciences, which I hope may help you organize your own writing. I have also compiled some tips to help you avoid the common and easily cured grammatical and syntactical errors that I see routinely on written work in my four ecology courses.

Learn the principles of clear writing and how to avoid the simple mistakes. By following a few simple guidelines, you can ensure that your writing is clear, precise and readable. You will benefit in every science course you take and in everyday life as well.

The guidance is organized into three sections:

A. General rules to follow

B. Some traps to avoid

C. Commonly misused words and phrases

You may read or download the document here (pdf file, 12 pages).