BIO 801
Scientific Literature and Writing - Biology

Tenses in Scientific Writing

• Use present tense to state previously published information that is accepted as fact.

Theoretical analyses indicate that the spatial resolution of MR microscopy can reach a few microns (Farrar 1996).

• Use past tense to report your methods and results

Rats were anesthetized with isoflurane.

• Use past tense to attribute actions or findings

In three of four surveys, areas with low breeding densities were present.

Cupp (1976) reported that populations of green salamanders were declining throughout Kentucky.

• Use past perfect to indicate action that happened before other past action.

Rats in Group 2 had been fed a low fat diet before initiation of the study.

• Use present perfect to indicate an action recently completed or continuing to the present.

Since 1991, researchers at Eastern Kentucky University have collaborated with more than thirty investigators at other institutions.

• Use present tense to refer to other parts of your document.

Figure 4 shows a diffusion-weighted image.

Commas

• Use a comma to separate the clauses of a compound sentence joined by the conjunctions "and", "or", "nor", "yet". You can omit the comma if both clauses are very short and no misreading could result. A comma is always required with "but", "for", & "so".

Some nests were located in May and others in June.

Some nests were located in May, but none were located in June.

• Use commas to separate a series of words or phrases containing three or more elements, including the last two elements.

Raccoons were captured, anesthetized with isoflurane, and fitted with radio-collars.

• Use a comma to set off introductory words, phases, and dependent clauses.

Since first proposed, this course has undergone substantial revision.

As shown in Figure 1, the effects of temperature are limited.

• Use commas between adjectives that independently modify the same noun. (Rule of thumb: use a comma if you could change the order of the adjectives or insert "and" between them.)

a cold, dry climate

a large, well-developed brood patch

• Use commas both before and after nonrestrictive phases or clauses.

Many sparrows, which are not endangered species, breed throughout Kentucky.

Hyphens

• Hyphenate a unit modifier formed by a number and its units (exception: Units of concentration)

a 3-m long mist net

a two-month study

• Hyphenate a unit modifier used with another unit modifier.

cardiac-gated imaging study

• Hyphenate unit modifiers that contain numerals.

three-dimensional figure

• Do not hyphenate if the first word of the unit is an adverb ending in -ly

a carefully planned experiment

• Do not hyphenate most prefixes added to common nouns, even if a double letter will result. Exceptions are when the prefix will change the meaning of the word, for example, un-ionize (unionize)
• Do not hyphenate foreign phrases used as adjectives.

in vivo microscopy in situ evaluation

• Hyphenate unit modifiers containing three words or a number, unit, of measure, and a word.

field-of-view

signal-to-noise

a 20-mm-diameter tube

Numerals

• Use numerals with units of time or measure, and use a space between the number and the unit (except %)

6 min

125 mg/kg

50%

• Use numerals with units of measurement, for percentages, for numbers with fractions,and for numbers implying mathematical equations. For most purposes, write out numbers below ten and use numerals for 10 and numbers above 10.

5 mg

a 5% increase

three years ago

the first and second trials

• With numerals, use symbols for units. If a number is written out, write out the unit. Use the same symbol for singular and plural forms of a unit.

We used 5 mg of ...

Five milligrams were used...

Fifteen minutes elapsed before...

Rats were infused for 15 min...

• When the number is a decimal, always use a zero to the left of the decimal point.

0.01 (NOT .01)

• When a sentence begins with a number, always spell it out (but try not to start a sentence with a numbers). Follow the rules for other numbers in the sentence.

Thirty samples were collected, but only 25 were tested.

Bumblerules of Grammar

• A writer must not shift your point of view.
• Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
• Reserve the apostrophe for it's proper use and omit it when its not needed.
• Don't use contractions in scientific writing.
• Use the semicolon properly, always use it where it is appropriate; and never where it is not.
• If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
• It is not resultful to transform one part of speech into another by prefixing, suffixing, or other alterings.
• Avoid colloquial stuff.

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