Science Writing

This page provides information about the science writing that I wish you to use for this class. It also provides links to off-site information about science writing.

Science writing is different from writing a scientific article because you are targetting a non-technical audience. I have paraphrased and condensed an article by Stephanie Shtierman (Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute) about science writing. You can download my simplified version as a pdf file. Yes, I have spelled her name correctly.

• Karen Young Kreeger's 2003 article on writing science
• Rick's Handout #1 about science writing
• Rick's adaptation of Stephanie's article
• url to Stephanie's original article:
  http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2001/1/01.01.04.x.html

Here is what I am looking for in the drafts and in the final document:

• DRAFT 1: a complete outline of the scope of the article including any information about the theme for the article, the types of graphics you intend to present, and the intended flow of the document. Include as much written text as possible and make sure to note the strategies you plan to employ in order to take your scientific efforts and create an article containing scientific tension and ultimate enlightenment.
  
  
• DRAFT 2: a complete working document complete with images and graphics, references etc. Something the class can critique in order to make it better.
  
  
• FINAL MANUSCRIPT: approximately 5 pages of double-spaced text with graphics and references.
  

RESOURCES about SCIENCE WRITING

• Check out UW-Tacoma's JOE (Journal on the Environment) Should we submit our papers here if our papers are any good?
• National Association of Science Writers
• Council for the advancement of Science Writing
• Hacker Handbook on resources for writing
• Writing exercises for scientists (highly recommended)
• Writing guidelines for scientists (more geared for scientific writing)