Verfassen wissenschaftlicher Arbeiten (707.016)
Scientific Writing Style
Denis Helic, dhelic@tugraz.at
IWM, TU Graz
Main Goals
- Exact, clear and compact
- Compact is usually clear
- Additional goals: smooth and objective
Exact (1)
- Word choice: be sure that every word means exactly what you want to express
- Be carefull with synonyms
- If you are not certain repeat the word
Exact (2)
- Don't use spoken language (it is to vague for writing)
- E.g. approximation of quantity: very few, quite large, etc should be avoided
- Interpretation depends on the reader
Exact (3)
- Make clear what the pronouns refer to
- The reader must not sarch previous sentences or paragraphs to determine their meaning
- This, that, these, those are problematic
- Hint: mention the noun, e.g. "This test..."
Exact (4)
- Antropomorphism
- Do not human characteristics to machines
- e.g. a computer cannot understand data
- e.g. a table cannot compare results
- Hint: In the table 1. we compare the results
- In the table 1. the results are compared...
Clear
- Use illustrative titles
- Write a brief introductory paragraph at the beginning of each chapter
- Divide the text logically into paragraphs and sentences
- Direct, declarative sentences with common, simple words
- Avoid scientific jargon - use of technical vocabulary when it is not needed
Compact
- Say only what needs to be said!
- Short words and short sentences are easier to understand
- Don't mention obvious things
- Don't describe the work of others with too much details (refer to it)
- Avoid wordiness: e.g. "based on the fact that" - "because"
Smooth (1)
- Verbs: stay within the chosen tense!
- Especially, within a paragraph and subsequent paragraphs
- Use abbreviations sparingly (e.g. only when you need to mention a concept more than two/three times)
Smooth (2)
- Transitional words help the flow of thought
- time links: then, next, after, while, since
- cause-effect links: therefore, consequently, as a result
- addition links: in addition, moreover, furthermore, similarly
- contrast links: but, however, although, whereas
Objective
- Use the 3rd person rather than the 1st person
- Be as specific as possible, e.g. instead of "old people" use "ages 65-80"
- Be gender neutral
- Use plural: e.g. the user himself... - correct: the users
- Article the: e.g. the student returned his solution - correct: the student returned the solution
Verbe Tense
- The default is present (is)
- With present, you can
combine perfect (has been) (and future, will be) if needed, but not the
other tenses.
- Use past tense (was) only for good reasons. E.g. when you report your
experiments.
Active or passive voice?
- In active voice the actor is known, while in passive voice it is unknown.
- Often recommended to use active voice but in scientific writing passive voice is ok!
- Draw the
reader’s attention to the phenomenon or the event, instead of the actor.
- E.g. The score is assessed on the basis of the
training data.
Sentences
- Statement (ends by a full stop: ”x is y.”)
- Question (ends by a question-mark: Is x y?”)
- Order (ends by an exclamation mark: ”Be x y!)
- In scientific writing the default type is the statement.
- Questions suit best to the introduction where you state your main research
questions clearly and concretely
Sentence Length
- always less than 30 words, preferably less than 20 words!
- 1-3 clauses
- expresses one idea
Word order
- subject–predicate–object!
- You can add attributes, phrases and
clauses, but don’t deviate too far from the basic format.
- Goal: put the most important information to the beginning of a sentence!
”X is a new algorithm for the TS problem”
Paragraphs (1)
- Combining sentences in a paragraph
- Use (but do not overuse!) conjunctions or transitional words
- Time links, when you describe a process: then, next, first-secondthird,
while, ...
- Cause-effect links, when you describe reasons or results: therefore,
as a result, thus, ...
Paragraphs (2)
- Addition links, when you add points: in addition, moreover, similarly,
...
- Contrast links, when you describe two sides of one thing: however,
despite (=inspite of sg), ...
- Other: For example,...
- Link the beginning of a sentence to the end of the previous sentence.
-
E.g. the subject of sentence 2 is the object of sentence 1.
”A model consists of a model structure and model parameters. The
model structure defines...”