BIO 801
Scientific Literature and Writing - Biology
Review Questions - Day and Gastel's 'How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper'
Exam 1
Chapter 1 - What is the key characteristic of scientific writing (p.3)? Why are most papers in primary research journals accepted for publication (p.4)? Why should metaphors, similes, & idiomatic expressions generally not be used in research papers (p.4)? In scientific writing, what is ‘the best english' (p.5)?
Chapter 2 - What types of papers were published by early journals (p.8)? According to the author of your text, what triggered "mountains" of papers in the late 1950s & early 1960s (p.9)? Why did editors espouse the IMRAD format (p.9)? How can the logic of IMRAD be defined in question form (p.10)?
Chapter 4 - What is a scientific paper (p.18)? According to the CBE, what is a primary publication (p.19 - feel free to paraphrase or to use the ‘restated', 3-part, definition on p.20)? According to the author of your text, should scientific papers be literature (in the sense that each author's style should be evident)? Why or why not (p.22)? What is a review paper (p.22-23)? What may come from the best review papers (p.23)? What is a conference report (p.23)?
Chapter 7 - In preparing a title for a paper, what should authors do well to remember (p.39)? What is a good title (p.39)? How can an improperly titled paper be virtually lost & never reach its intended audience (p.39-40)? What are some examples of ‘waste words' in titles (p.40)? Why is "Action of antibiotics on bacteria" a poor title (p.40-41)?
Chapter 8- In a list of a paper's authors, which individual is the senior author (p.46)? And, what should determine the order in which authors are listed (p.46)? What is probably the primary reason for the tendency to list a host of authors (p.47-48)? What is typically the preferred designation as to names of authors (p.49)? Why do some scientists resist the temptation to change their names (e.g., after marriage) (p.49)?
Chapter 9 - What should an Abstract provide (p.52)? What should a well-prepared Abstract enable readers to do (p.52)? What are the four things that an Abstract should do (p.53)? In what tense should Abstracts be written? Why (p.53)? Should references to the literature be cited in an abstract (p.53)? According to McGirr (1973), why is it important that an abstract be self-contained (i.e., able to stand by itself without the rest of the paper)(p.53-54)? Why is it of fundamental importance that the Abstract be written clearly and simply (p.54)?
Chapter 10- What is the purpose of the Introduction (p.57)?
Chapter 11 - In what tense should most of the Materials & Methods section be written (p.60)? What is the main purpose of the Materials and Methods section (p.60)? What is the cornerstone of the scientific method (p.61)? What is the usual order of presentation for methods (p.62)? When should literature references be used in the Methods section (p.63)? What is the one rule for a properly written Materials and Methods section (p.64)?
Chapter 30 - Know why ‘and/or' should never be used in scientific writing (p.190). When can the word ‘it' cause a problem (p.190)? Is the word ‘quite' usually necessary (p.190)? Be able to explain the difference between using ‘which' and ‘that' (p.190-191). Which is usually more precise and less wordy: active or passive voice (p.193)?Is the word 'data' singular or plural (p.195)?
Chapter 37 - What does a good proposal generally include (p.234)? What are some common reasons why grant proposals are rejected (p.237)?