Writing papers in the biological sciences Book

Let's face it: bad writing is epidemic in the sciences (including but certainly not limited to the biological sciences). Many students entering scientific disciplines have had little training in writing and their inexperience often yields papers whose quality masks the otherwise interesting content. This book is meant to give undergraduate students in the biological sciences a concise guide to the preparation of a quality paper. Despite some shortcomings, it mostly succeeds in this endeavor.

To begin with, let's consider what this book is not. It is not a style guide. Though it does include some stylistic tips and has a lengthy section on proper formatting, writers will still need to consult a complete style guide to ensure their work is presented properly. It is not a guide to the research process. While it does contain some introductory chapters briefly describing the research process, no reader would be able to design even the simplest of research projects without consulting other materials. It is not a biology text. Its examples are from biology, but it is a text on proper writing, not on any scientific discipline per se. It is not a complete guide to proper grammar and usage in the English language. Sections regarding common mistakes are useful, but it's not sufficient to teach technical writing from the very beginning.

Instead, this book is a step-by-step guide to the process of writing a scientific paper. In particular, it focuses on the preparation of papers written as part of undergraduate coursework, though its advice also applies to scientific writing in general. Beginning with notes on the selection of topics and research design, the book gently walks the reader through the entire process of writing a scientific paper from conception to revision.

Chapters concerning statistics and data visualization end up being among the weakest parts of the book. While these are undoubtedly essential elements of the scientific literature, the space devoted to them here is insufficient to provide a detailed enough guide. The reader familiar with statistics will not learn anything new and the reader unfamiliar with statistics will not learn enough to be productive. Similarly, while the chapter on data visualization contains good tips regarding the proper use of tables, graphs, etc., it fails to account for the all-too-common pitfalls of data visualization that could easily result in misinterpreted data.

Other chapters, however, devoted to the writing process itself, provide much-needed information for students. The book is full of carefully chosen sample passages and papers, illustrating both correct and erroneous technique across a wide variety of topics all the way from the paper's title to its bibliography. Particularly useful for many beginning writers in the biological sciences (and certainly a godsend for their professors or editors) are collections of common mistakes and their corrections. While we ought to be able to expect that anyone pursuing undergraduate study has already learned the fundamentals of writing, we all know that this is not necessarily the case (and furthermore, that these deficiencies often extend into their professional careers, though that particular problem is beyond the scope of this book).

Though focused on the biological sciences (and featuring examples exclusively from biology), the book would be equally useful for students in any scientific field. While the examples might not be of particular interest to them and a few conventions differ from discipline to discipline, the principles of quality technical writing are largely universal.

The experienced author of research papers won't find much in this book to add to his or her knowledge, but I highly recommend it for the beginning writer, particularly at the undergraduate level. Biology professors striving to improve their students' writing, particularly in introductory classes, would be well-advised to consider assigning this book to their classes.