【SCI论文写作】笔记一：Writing in the Sciences -Unit1

该笔记为斯坦福大学Kristin教授为其校内研究生及学者提供的具有CME学分的高品质课程《Writing in the Sciences》的个人学习记录，希望可以相互学习，共同进步。

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【图示版】总结可直接看图

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【文字版】

1.1 Introduction

what makes good writing?

1. 清晰有效传达一个想法

• takes having something to say and clear thinking.

2. elegant and stylish(first draft初稿不需要考虑)

• takes time ,revision,and a good editor!

what makes a good writer?

• having something to say

• logical thinking

• 简单可学的风格规则 (the tools you’ll learn in this class)

• other things

  • 广泛阅读 、注意作者写作方式/技巧、尝试模仿

  • 尝试写日记（练习）

  • 放弃一些学术写作习惯

  • 在你写作之前试着与别人讨论你的研究，用简短的语言更能帮助表达、整理思路

  • 有趣的写作方式去吸引你的读者——不要让他们感到厌烦

  • 停止等待灵感

  • 写作对任何人都很难，即使是专业作家

  • 修正（nobody gets it perfect on the first try）

    • 优雅的部分，发生在修改版，而不是初稿

  • 无情地删减（Never become too attached to your words）删除、否定自己，不要依恋自己写的句子

  • Find a good editor! 找一个小伙伴一起修改

  • Take risks！去冒险，写一些有趣的事

Take-home message: Good writing can be learned!

1.2 Examples of what not to do

• 名词会使句子变得笨重，动词是句子的灵魂，意味着我们可以把那些名词还原成动词去描述

• 即使我们写的是关于科学的复杂的技术上的东西，并不意味着我们必须使用复杂的语言，即使用简单的语言，我们也可以表达复杂和技术的思想。

1.3 Overview: principles of effective writing

Note

• 注意名词替代动词，动词使句子向前移动，而名词使读者减速
• 注意模糊（Vague）的词，词意模糊的词不提供任何信息
• 注意不必要的行话（jargon）和缩写词（acronyms）的用法，除非耳熟能详，不然少用缩略词
• 注意被动语态（passive voice），被动语态难以读懂，因为他们不是我们说话的方式
• 注意句子的主语（subject）和主动词（main verb）的距离不要太长，否则难以理解核心意思

Principle

• 删掉不必要的单词和短语
• 使用主动语态（subject+verb+object）
• 用动词写作：用强动词（strong verb），避免把动词变成名词，也不要掩埋主动词（mian verb）

1.4 Cut the Clutter

Clutter的常见来源

• 重磅单词和短语（Dead weight words and phrases）: as it is well known; as it has been shown; it can be regarded that; it should be emphasized that, etc. 清喉咙的词，直接删除，可以提供引文证明其众所周知
• 空单词和短语（Empty words and phrases）: basic tenets of; methodologic; important , etc.
• 注意可以变短的长单词或短语（Long words or phrases that could be short）
• 不必要的行话和缩写（unnecessary jargon and acornyms）
• 额外的重复（repetitive）：studies/examples; illustrate/demonstrate; challenges/difficulties; successful solutions, etc. 形容词重复名词中的内容
• 没有用处的副词（Adverbs）: very, really, quite, basically, generally,etc.

examples

• a majority of = most
• a number of = many
• are of the same opinion = agree
• less frequently occurring = rare
• all three of the = the three
• give rise to = cause
• due to the fact that = because
• have an effect on = affect
• based on the assumption that = if
• have been related to = be associated with

1.7 Demo Edit 1

1.6 Practice : cut the clutter!

• i. Anti-inflammatory drugs may be protective for the occurrence of Alzheimer’s Disease. => Anti-inflammatory drugs may protect against Alaheimer’s Disease.

  • protect the occurrence of sth --> protect against
  • the occurrence of Alzheimer’s Disease --> Alzheimer’s Disease

• ii. Clinical seizures have been estimated to occur in 0.5% to 2.3% of the neonatal population. => Clinical seizures occur in 0.5% to 2.3% of newborns

  • neonatal population --> newborns
  • 有数字范围，表示为估计，have been estimated to可省略

• iii. Ultimately p53 guards not only against malignant transformation but also plays a role in developmental processes as diverse as aging, differentiation, and fertility. => Besides preventing cancer, p53 also plays roles in aging , differentiation, fertility.

  • ultimately 类副词可直接省略
  • guard against = prevent from = protect against/from
  • not only,but also可与besides句型替换
  • 存在as diverse as, such as, for example时，检查是否可直接省略

• iv. Injuries to the brain and spinal cord have long been known to be among the most devastating and expansive of all injuries to treat medically. => injuries to brain and spinal cord are among the most devastating and expansive.

  • have long been known to 与 as it is well known 等清喉咙的词，可直接省略
  • all injuries to treat medically 与前面讨论的injuries有语义重复，删除

• v. An IQ test measures an individual’s abilities to perform functions that usually fall in the domains of verbal communication, reasoning, and performance on tasks that represent motor and spatial capabilities. => An IQ test measures individual’s verbal, reasoning, or motor and spatial capabilities.

  • usually fall in the domains of 多余，用in+范围或直接加范围即可
  • 存在多个名词，若主题一致，将前面的n改为adj.，省略前面的n.
  • or比较灵活，IQ测试一次性无法测出多种能力，因此用or代替and

• vi. As we can see from Figure 2, if the return kinetic energy is less than 3.2Up, there will be two elevctron trajectories associated with this kinetic energy. => Figure 2 shows that a return kinetic energy less than 3.2 up yields two electron trajectories.

  • as we can see from较为冗余，直接用show, demonstrate,illustrate代替
  • kinetic energy重复，删除重复语义
  • 同义替换：yield <-- produce=generate
  • 句型可用来表述：因某个数值低于/高于一定值，从而导致…影响。

1.5 Cut the Clutter，more tricks

采用肯定的结构，思路更清晰. Turn negative into a positive

• 语义为否定时，将not改为否定实词

  • Not honest
    Not harmful
    Not important
    Does not have
    Did not remember
    Did not pay attention to
    Did not succeed

    • dishonest
      safe
      unimportant
      lacks
      forgot
      ignored
      failed

• 语义为肯定时，将双重否定改成肯定实词

消除there be句型的多余. Eliminate there be.

• there be是常见句型，尽量减少，多余时删除
• 有时可用实义动词比be动词能将形象生动
• 检查there be是否有必要存在，

消除多余介词. Omit needless prepositions.

• that和on为较易省略的介词
• 比如that做宾语时可省略

【Note】

这些词并没有表达句子的主旨。当你选择一个长的版本，他们只是减缓了你的阅读速度，短版本也可以完成相同的工作。

“I have only made this letter rather long because I have not had time to make it shorter.” 你花了这么长的时间去写了这么长的句子，最后一步要做的确是把它缩减，对它进行提炼，把多余的杂质清除，并深入到你想表达的本质，这就是写作的优雅之处。

Get it down to the key ideas! 当你用最少的语言表达你的想法时，你的写作会更具可读性，吸引力和力量！