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Physics & Astronomy
Scientific Writing
Scientific writing or science writing usually refers to research articles reporting original research in journals. Science writing also includes other kinds of writing such as review articles (which summarize and synthesize previous research articles on a specific topic), annotated bibliographies (which aid others in performing their research), abstracts or notes (which summarize experiments or studies), and grant proposals (which seek funding for research). The point of science writing is for a scientist to communicate with an audience of peers. Since the purpose is communication and not entertainment, scientific writing should be precise, clear and objective.
Here are some resources to help you write for academic science audiences:
- How to Write a Good Scientific Paper - by Chris A. Mack
Free PDF Download
ISBN 9781510619135
Publication Date: 2018
Writing for a peer-reviewed scientific or engineering journal requires learning and executing a specific formula for presenting scientific work. This book is all about teaching the style and conventions of writing for a peer-reviewed scientific journal. From structure to style, titles to tables, abstracts to author lists, this book gives practical advice about the process of writing a paper and getting it published
Writing Scientific Research Articles by Call Number: e-book (available to eligible UTSA users)ISBN: 9781118570661Publication Date: 2013 2nd editionThis book shows scientists how to apply their analysis and synthesis skills to overcoming the challenge of how to write, as well as what to write, to maximize their chances of publishing in international scientific journals.
Conducting Research Literature Reviews by Call Number: JPL 3rd Floor, Q180.55.M4 F56 2014ISBN: 9781452259499Publication Date: 2014Offering a step-by-step approach to conducting literature reviews, the Fourth Edition features: setting standards for evaluating the quality of research and other literature; extracting and recording information from articles and studies; synthesizing what the reader finds either descriptively or via a meta-analysis; recording and storing the results in a virtual file cabinet; and how to use bibliographic software.
Science Research Writing for Non-native Speakers of English by Call Number: JPL 3rd Floor, PE1475 .G57 2010ISBN: 1848163096Publication Date: 2009This book is designed to enable non-native English speakers to write science research for publication in English.
How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper by ISBN: 9780313330278Publication Date: 2006To be useful, scientific research needs to be explained clearly to others to colleagues, to administrators, to foundations and governmental bodies, and to the public. This thoroughly revised edition of the classic "How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper" gives beginning scientists and experienced researchers alike practical advice on writing about their work and publishing what they write. The core of the book consists of a how-to guide to writing and publishing research articles for scientific journals, explaining every step of the process, from choosing a suitable journal for your work to presenting the results and citing references. "How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper" is the essential guide every scientist needs to achieve success in today's competitive environment. This revised edition of "How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper" provides such practical advice for anyone working in any scientific discipline who needs to communicate his or her work effectively to others."
Managing Citations
AIP & APS Style Guides
AIP and APS styles are both commonly used citation formats in Physics & Astronomy. The preferred style to use depends on where you plan to publish, or what your particular class or professor requires.
AIP style was developed by the American Institutre of Physics for use with all scientific research and is the most commonly used citation style for Physics & Astronomy
AIP Style Manual by
ISBN: 088318642XPublication Date: 1998-04-01This work is intended for those involved in writing and publishing in physics: authors, editors, publishers, proofreaders, copy-editors, bibliographers and students.
- APS Style ManualThe APS Style Manual was developed by the American Physical Society and is commonly used for APS publications.
AIP & APS Style Examples
AIP
Order Number. A.A. Author, B.B. Author, C.C. Author, Journal Name (using abbreviations) Volume Number (in Boldface), Starting page number, (year).
1. D. Voss, Science 282(5387), 221 (1998).
APS
Author AA, Author BB. Title. Publication Title Volume number: Pages Used, Year Published.
Voss, D. How matter can melt at absolute zero: Physics.(quatnum mechanics; crowd behavior of electrons). Science 282:221-223, 1998.
AIP
Order Number. A.A. Author (or corporate author), Title of web page, <URL> (Accessed date).
2. C. Cofield, Gravitational Waves: Ripples in Spacetime, https://www.space.com/25088-gravitational-waves.html (Accessed March 6, 2018)
APS
Author, AA, Author, BB. Title [Online]. Year Published. http://Website URL [Date Accessed].
Cofield, C. Gravitational Waves: Ripples in Spacetime [Online]. 2017. https://www.space.com/25088-gravitational-waves.html
AIP
Order Number. A.A. Author, B.B. Author, and C.C. Author, Title (Publisher, Location of Publisher, Year), Page number
3. Calmet, X., Carr, B., & Winstanley, E., Quantum black holes (Heidelberg, New York; 2014), p.85
APS
Author, AA. Title. City: Publisher, Year Published.
Calmet, X, Carr, B, & Winstanley, E. Quantum black holes. New York: Heidelberg, 2014.
AIP
Cite references in the order of appearance using superscript numbers
Near the horizon of an extreme Kerr black hole, dynamics are governed by infinite dimensional conformal symmetry1.
APS
Cite references in the order of appearance using numbers in parenthesis
Near the horizon of an extreme Kerr black hole, dynamics are governed by infinite dimensional conformal symmetry (1).
CSE Style Guide
CSE style was developed by Council of Science Editors for use with all scientific research and is the most commonly used citation format in the science disciplines.
Scientific Style and Format by ISBN: 9780226116495Publication Date: 2014Developed by the Council of Science Editors (CSE), the leading professional association in science publishing, this indispensable guide encompasses all areas of the sciences.
Whether online or in print, the eighth edition of Scientific Style and Format remains the essential resource for those writing, editing, and publishing in the scientific community.
CSE Style Examples
Author, A, Author, BB, Author, CC. Year. Article title. Abbreviated journal title. Volume(issue):pages.
Example:
Greer, E, Blanco, M, Gu, L, Sendinc, E, Liu, J, Aristizabal-Corrales, D, Shi, Y. 2015. DNA methylation on N-6-adenine in C-elegans. Cell. 161(4): p. 868-878.
Author, A, Author, BB, Author CC. Title of Web Page. [Internet] Title of Web Site; [cited date]. Available from URL
Example:
Edgley, M. 2015. What is C elegans? [Internet] University of Minnesota; [cited 2018 Mar 6]. Available from https://cbs.umn.edu/cgc/what-c-elegans
Last, AA, Last B, Last CC. Year. Book Title. Edition. Place of publication: publisher. Number of Pages.
Example:
Olsen, A, Gill, MS. 2017. Ageing: Lessons from C. elegans. Cham: Springer International Publishing.433
Include the author's last name and publication year. For a direct quotation, include the page number.