Scientific writing is simply writing about science. There seems to be an enigma around the phrase and perhaps the belief that one should use "scientific writing techniques" to write about science or in the scientific realm. In fact, good scientific writing relies on good writing and there are very few, if any, writing techniques that are specific to scientific writing.
George Gopen is a noted expert in scientific writing, having co-authored an article on the subject and then offering lectures and workshops on scientific writing. Yet, when reading the article, you very quickly realize that his and Judith Swan's suggestions apply to any type of writing; they just use scientific prose as their examples.
I speak with some authority on this, because I have a degree in scientific and technical communication and was previously a Technical Writer. Today, I dug into the works and advice of three communication greats: George Gopen, Edward Tufte, and Steven Pinker. You may have noticed my switch from "writing" to "communication," and that's to enlarge our idea of good writing to include the visual communication we see on the page or screen. Below, I highlight an important takeaway from each scholar, but I begin with one tip with which they all agree.
Good writing in any genre is written for the audience
What is good writing? Well, certainly this is debated and contested, but as a writer, the only opinions that should matter are that of your audience. The question should be, "How do you communicate your ideas most clearly so that your reader can understand or even use the information?" The following tips can give us part of the answer.
Sentence Stress Position (George Gopen)
Gopen and Swan's article below focuses largely on the structure of the sentence, and one of the big takeaways that Gopen offers is to be aware of the stress position in a sentence. The stress position is the end of the sentence or clause, and intuitively where the reader looks for the most important information. As a quick example, I pulled language from an NSF abstract:
Original: Results from this research may be used to improve heat and mass transport models, frost heave models, and models of frozen soil creep by incorporating enhanced unfrozen water content functions, which will account for unfrozen water mobility and its dependence on soil-specific physicochemical properties.
Improved: Results from this research may be used to improve heat and mass transport models, frost heave models, and models of frozen soil creep by incorporating enhanced unfrozen water content functions.
You'll see that all I did was take off the part of sentence that seemed to fizzle. This information may be pertinent and require its own sentence, but in tagging it on to the original, we're putting less important information in the stress position. By removing it, we put the focus of the sentence back on the research results.
Visual Communication (Edward Tufte)
Edward Tufte points out that often times we write something and then add in visuals or charts and think of them separately. Yet, when a reader looks at the same page, they don't see them separately; it is one source of information. The title, the headings, the text, and diagrams, the graphs should all work together for the single purpose of communicating an idea to the reader as clearly as possible. This should tell you that not only is it a no-no to refer to a graph or chart that is found two pages later, but to also make sure no piece of your work distracts from your key points. And, when making decisions about how to communicate an idea, you should always choose the form (text or visual) that best communicates your idea.
Show, Don't Tell (Steven Pinker)
Steven Pinker makes the point that one makes a stronger argument and a more compelling read when one uses her text to illustrate the point, using examples, instead of telling the reader outright. The easiest way to say this is to avoid hyperbole. If something is excellent, don't tell the reader it's excellent, show them why it is and allow them to come to that conclusion. In grant-writing, it's essential for the Investigator to show why she is the best researcher to conduct the proposed project. She must do this by demonstrating her expertise and experience. She won't do herself any favors if she tells the reviewers that she is the best researcher for the job.
I hope these nuggets from some of the great communication experts can allow you to very quickly apply them to your scientific writing or whatever kind of visual communication you're working on! Stay tuned for more writing tips in the next few weeks.
Resources:
The Science of Scientific Writing - George Gopen and Judith Swan
Highlights from Edward Tufte Presentation - iSquared (video)
Steven Pinker on Good Writing - iSquared (video)
Friday, August 28, 2015
Friday, August 21, 2015
Establing Life Balance in Academe
As the academic year begins, many faculty members are throwing themselves fully back into the academy, but as the Chronicle of Higher Education's article on 'Serious Academics' at Play
suggests, it's just as important to continue to include in your daily life activities that you enjoy, and particularly physical activities to keep you healthy and sane and perhaps even more productive.
In this piece, Dr. Anne Kurzan, Professor of English at the University of Michigan, calls for the end to the "sink or swim" mentality that is often thrust upon new faculty and even graduate students, and instead advocates for a more balanced academic life that actually aids the "explosive productivity" expected in academe. In this same spirit, here are some practices to consider to keep you happy, healthy, and productive:
Make room for exercise and/or a hobby
Although you may think that there is no way you have time to exercise (and I'm certainly guilty of this) or doing the things you love, the truth is that when you don't make time for these things, that time is often wasted when you're banging your head against the wall with writer's block or spacing out when you need to be concentrating. By making time for yourself, you may find that you're able to be more focused on your work when it's time.
Schedule breaks
For the same reason described above (preventing space-out or writer's block), planning breaks help to keep you and your mind active. Artist and grant-writing guru, Gigi Rosenberg suggests taking a short break every 30 minutes that you write or work. She finds that even though she may not want to break after 30 minutes, she finds that with a short break, she is reinvigorated, and she's not away long enough that she needs to warm up again - she dives right in.
Establish boundaries
Dr. Jean Kutner, Professor in CU's School of Medicine and Head of General Internal Medicine, spoke at an ORDE seminar a couple of years ago and made the point that there is no such thing as work/life balance. "It's all life!" she said, although she was clear that this did not mean that your work should take over all aspects of your life. In that sense, researchers run into a particular challenge. Often, they set their own schedules and when all time is yours to delegate, it's easy to find yourself working at all hours of the day and night. To prevent the burnout that can come from this, set some boundaries; identify what's important to you and what relaxes you and set a schedule where there is room for all of those things.
Include balance in mentoring
The Chronicle article above also references a great mentoring article from 2013 by Dr. Kerry Ann Rockquemore who discusses the importance of communicating the importance of balance to mentees as well. Oftentimes, mentors who were tossed into the deep end as new Assistant Professors think that this is then the best way to mentor today's new Professors and/or grad students, but Rockquemore rightly insists that a better mentor approach is that of support for a more well-rounded academic life.
Although many folks who could benefit from this blog and the great articles referenced above may not read them in the hustle and bustle of the Fall, when they do catch their attention, hopefully, they will be inspired to make some small steps toward a healthy balance in academe.
Resources
'Serious Academics' at Play - Chronicle of Higher Education
A Mentoring Manifesto - Inside Higher Ed
Gigi Rosenberg's Blog
Jean Kutner's ORDE Talk : Charting Your Research Path
suggests, it's just as important to continue to include in your daily life activities that you enjoy, and particularly physical activities to keep you healthy and sane and perhaps even more productive.
In this piece, Dr. Anne Kurzan, Professor of English at the University of Michigan, calls for the end to the "sink or swim" mentality that is often thrust upon new faculty and even graduate students, and instead advocates for a more balanced academic life that actually aids the "explosive productivity" expected in academe. In this same spirit, here are some practices to consider to keep you happy, healthy, and productive:
Make room for exercise and/or a hobby
Although you may think that there is no way you have time to exercise (and I'm certainly guilty of this) or doing the things you love, the truth is that when you don't make time for these things, that time is often wasted when you're banging your head against the wall with writer's block or spacing out when you need to be concentrating. By making time for yourself, you may find that you're able to be more focused on your work when it's time.
Schedule breaks
For the same reason described above (preventing space-out or writer's block), planning breaks help to keep you and your mind active. Artist and grant-writing guru, Gigi Rosenberg suggests taking a short break every 30 minutes that you write or work. She finds that even though she may not want to break after 30 minutes, she finds that with a short break, she is reinvigorated, and she's not away long enough that she needs to warm up again - she dives right in.
Establish boundaries
Dr. Jean Kutner, Professor in CU's School of Medicine and Head of General Internal Medicine, spoke at an ORDE seminar a couple of years ago and made the point that there is no such thing as work/life balance. "It's all life!" she said, although she was clear that this did not mean that your work should take over all aspects of your life. In that sense, researchers run into a particular challenge. Often, they set their own schedules and when all time is yours to delegate, it's easy to find yourself working at all hours of the day and night. To prevent the burnout that can come from this, set some boundaries; identify what's important to you and what relaxes you and set a schedule where there is room for all of those things.
Include balance in mentoring
The Chronicle article above also references a great mentoring article from 2013 by Dr. Kerry Ann Rockquemore who discusses the importance of communicating the importance of balance to mentees as well. Oftentimes, mentors who were tossed into the deep end as new Assistant Professors think that this is then the best way to mentor today's new Professors and/or grad students, but Rockquemore rightly insists that a better mentor approach is that of support for a more well-rounded academic life.
Although many folks who could benefit from this blog and the great articles referenced above may not read them in the hustle and bustle of the Fall, when they do catch their attention, hopefully, they will be inspired to make some small steps toward a healthy balance in academe.
Resources
'Serious Academics' at Play - Chronicle of Higher Education
A Mentoring Manifesto - Inside Higher Ed
Gigi Rosenberg's Blog
Jean Kutner's ORDE Talk : Charting Your Research Path
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Fund Database Searching
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that CU Denver | AMC faculty were welcome to contact ORDE to have us conduct a personalized fund search, but for those of you who are not part of our faculty or those who want to do their own fund search anyway, this blog is intended to give you some fund searching tips.
To get started, you need to identify a fund database to search. ORDE relies most heavily on the InfoEdGlobal database: SPIN. If you are on a CU campus, you can access and search the database from any computer, or if you are part of the CU system you can VPN in from off campus to conduct a search.
Use Filters
The first thing you want to do in SPIN is set your filters appropriately. Filters range from choosing a specific applicant type, including whether you are a junior or senior faculty member, to being able to sort opportunities based on eligibility around citizenship. Using filters is a good way to cut down on the number of funding opportunities that are returned for which you may be ineligible or that are not applicable to you.
Use Google Principles
SPIN's search function is really quite intuitive and you can search the database using the same search strategies as you're used to with google. If you don't consider yourself a google search pro, you can quickly access the search tips by clicking help in SPIN
Consider Sponsor Speak
Most disciplines have their own language for things, but to make your search as comprehensive as possible, you want to spend some time finding different ways to describe your research in your search. Some potential sponsors may be looking to fund the type of research you're doing, but they use different language or come at it from a slightly different perspective. By rethinking the language you're using in your search, sometimes you can find new sponsors and opportunities.
Follow Through
Certainly, SPIN is an excellent fund database, but always staying on top of every sponsor's changes and updates is impossible, even for the most vigilant organization. Because of this, once you've found an opportunity, you're work is not yet done. You need to go directly to the sponsor's website to double check that you are indeed eligible for the program, that there are no new updates to the program announcement that you need to consider, and last but not least it's important to begin familiarizing yourself with the agency to which you think you'll apply. Unless you've worked with the agency before, you likely need to do some digging on the agency to make sure your eventual grant is well-aligned with their goals.
Resources:
SPIN page - InfoEdGlobal
To get started, you need to identify a fund database to search. ORDE relies most heavily on the InfoEdGlobal database: SPIN. If you are on a CU campus, you can access and search the database from any computer, or if you are part of the CU system you can VPN in from off campus to conduct a search.
Use Filters
The first thing you want to do in SPIN is set your filters appropriately. Filters range from choosing a specific applicant type, including whether you are a junior or senior faculty member, to being able to sort opportunities based on eligibility around citizenship. Using filters is a good way to cut down on the number of funding opportunities that are returned for which you may be ineligible or that are not applicable to you.
Use Google Principles
SPIN's search function is really quite intuitive and you can search the database using the same search strategies as you're used to with google. If you don't consider yourself a google search pro, you can quickly access the search tips by clicking help in SPIN
Consider Sponsor Speak
Most disciplines have their own language for things, but to make your search as comprehensive as possible, you want to spend some time finding different ways to describe your research in your search. Some potential sponsors may be looking to fund the type of research you're doing, but they use different language or come at it from a slightly different perspective. By rethinking the language you're using in your search, sometimes you can find new sponsors and opportunities.
Follow Through
Certainly, SPIN is an excellent fund database, but always staying on top of every sponsor's changes and updates is impossible, even for the most vigilant organization. Because of this, once you've found an opportunity, you're work is not yet done. You need to go directly to the sponsor's website to double check that you are indeed eligible for the program, that there are no new updates to the program announcement that you need to consider, and last but not least it's important to begin familiarizing yourself with the agency to which you think you'll apply. Unless you've worked with the agency before, you likely need to do some digging on the agency to make sure your eventual grant is well-aligned with their goals.
Resources:
SPIN page - InfoEdGlobal
Friday, August 7, 2015
Using Your Elevator Pitch Differently
Fall semester brings with it new students, new faculty, and other new faces. Whether you're new yourself, or you're welcoming the new folks, you want to make sure that people know what you and your research are about. This is why it's a good time to prepare or revisit your research elevator pitch.
An elevator pitch is a short spiel of what your research is and more importantly what difference it can make. The elevator pitch is a short speech (1-3 minutes) that can be given in an elevator ride. Although the elevator pitch has been a staple of self-promotion tactics, we actually think it makes more sense to develop an impromptu accordion conversation. Sure, it's not as catchy as elevator pitch, but hear me out.
An impromptu accordion conversation (IAC) is a conversation you might have at a reception or meeting that can be as short as a tag line but can grow to include a substantive discussion of why your work is important. Just like the accordion can expand and contract, if you plan for a conversation that can make your case in bite-sized pieces, you can allow your conversation partner to direct how they understand your research and when and how much you draw out the accordion of explanation.
Imagine you meet a Program Officer (not quite in your area) at a conference reception, and they ask what you do.You begin with your tagline, a single sentence that sums up your research. Example: I look at how to increase memory retention of Physics students. Your tagline should be short and communicate your research in a clear and action-oriented way.
You should use your tagline to generate interest and a question in your conversation partner. For instance, they ask you, "What sort of things do you want Physics students to retain?" You then have an opportunity to describe the problem that your research is trying to solve and give the questioner a fuller sense of you and your work. And the bonus is that your conversation partner is an active listener at this point because they asked the question and they're interested in knowing more. With a more traditional elevator pitch, if you rattle off your pitch, there's no telling if the person you're talking to is listening or cares about what you're trying to pitch them.
Aside from having a tag line and explanations that focus on the impact of your research, your IAC should also include a call to action. Don't forget to also ask your conversation partner what they do and if there is an opportunity for collaboration or support, find ways to continue the conversation. For example, going back to our Program Officer example, perhaps you ask, "Could I send you a copy of my concept paper to see if you could point me in the right direction with whom I should talk to about funding?" or "Would you mind connecting me with your colleague in this area?" and then follow-up with an email.
So, as you prepare for the new faces and meetings this Fall, be sure to polish off your elevator pitch, or better yet, prepare an Impromptu Accordion Conversation.
Resources:
The Elevator Pitch: Presenting Your Research in Conversation - University of Notre Dame
Elevator Pitches for Scientists - The Postdoc Way
An elevator pitch is a short spiel of what your research is and more importantly what difference it can make. The elevator pitch is a short speech (1-3 minutes) that can be given in an elevator ride. Although the elevator pitch has been a staple of self-promotion tactics, we actually think it makes more sense to develop an impromptu accordion conversation. Sure, it's not as catchy as elevator pitch, but hear me out.
An impromptu accordion conversation (IAC) is a conversation you might have at a reception or meeting that can be as short as a tag line but can grow to include a substantive discussion of why your work is important. Just like the accordion can expand and contract, if you plan for a conversation that can make your case in bite-sized pieces, you can allow your conversation partner to direct how they understand your research and when and how much you draw out the accordion of explanation.
Imagine you meet a Program Officer (not quite in your area) at a conference reception, and they ask what you do.You begin with your tagline, a single sentence that sums up your research. Example: I look at how to increase memory retention of Physics students. Your tagline should be short and communicate your research in a clear and action-oriented way.
You should use your tagline to generate interest and a question in your conversation partner. For instance, they ask you, "What sort of things do you want Physics students to retain?" You then have an opportunity to describe the problem that your research is trying to solve and give the questioner a fuller sense of you and your work. And the bonus is that your conversation partner is an active listener at this point because they asked the question and they're interested in knowing more. With a more traditional elevator pitch, if you rattle off your pitch, there's no telling if the person you're talking to is listening or cares about what you're trying to pitch them.
Aside from having a tag line and explanations that focus on the impact of your research, your IAC should also include a call to action. Don't forget to also ask your conversation partner what they do and if there is an opportunity for collaboration or support, find ways to continue the conversation. For example, going back to our Program Officer example, perhaps you ask, "Could I send you a copy of my concept paper to see if you could point me in the right direction with whom I should talk to about funding?" or "Would you mind connecting me with your colleague in this area?" and then follow-up with an email.
So, as you prepare for the new faces and meetings this Fall, be sure to polish off your elevator pitch, or better yet, prepare an Impromptu Accordion Conversation.
Resources:
The Elevator Pitch: Presenting Your Research in Conversation - University of Notre Dame
Elevator Pitches for Scientists - The Postdoc Way
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