Peer-Reviewed Literature and Scientific Writing Ecology Lab PCB 3043L Some of you may recall the discovery of a kind of life” in 2010. Scientists working at a “new national laboratory in Berkeley, California discovered bacteria that thrived in the absence of phosphorous and the presence of arsenic. Before this research was peer-reviewed, they conducted press releases describing their findings and received much attention. Shortly thereafter, many scientists working in similar fields questioned the original methods and results, and expressed distress at the lack of peer-review before the results were shared with the public. 18 months later these critics were vindicated, as attempts to replicate these findings showed many flaws in the original research and eventually disproved the results. If the Berkeley scientists had gone through the peer-review process and published their results in the primary literature instead of communicating their science through press release, the entire ordeal and a lot of embarrassment could have been avoided. Here is a recent article describing the debacle: Peer-reviewed literature is the first and most important kind of scientific writing. New discoveries are (almost) always sent to peer-reviewed journals first, and scientific progress is conducted on the backs of already published peer-reviewed articles. Knowing how to write in the style of peer-reviewed literature, and knowing what to expect from well-written articles when performing your own literature reviews, is necessary to being able to understand and conduct scientific research. The purpose of this lesson is to improve both your reading and writing abilities. a critical, active reader will teach you to recognize clear and concise writing, and to incorporate it into your own work. Noting which parts of certain papers you find difficult to read will help you avoid making the same mistakes. Similarly, being a skilled scientific writer will allow you to more easily navigate journal articles, and to better understand the research of other scientists. These two skills are inextricably linked. Scientific Writing Peer-reviewed literature almost always follows a format. You will encounter each of these sections in order, but do not necessarily need to read them in order. For example, many people prefer to skip straight to the discussion section, because they feel it helps give them more context for the rest of the paper. As you practice going through the literature, you will develop habits that allow you to grasp the research most efficiently. Title
Peer-Reviewed Literature and Scientific Writing Ecology Lab PCB 3043L Some of you may recall the discovery of a “new kind of life” in 2010. Scientists working at a national laboratory in Berkeley, California discovered bacteria that thrived in the absence of phosphorous and the presence of arsenic. Before this research was peer-reviewed, they conducted press releases describing their findings and received much attention. Shortly thereafter, many scientists working in similar fields questioned the original methods and results, and expressed distress at the lack of peer-review before the results were shared with the public. 18 months later these critics were vindicated, as attempts to replicate these findings showed many flaws in the original research and eventually disproved the results. If the Berkeley scientists had gone through the peer-review process and published their results in the primary literature instead of communicating their science through press release, the entire ordeal and a lot of embarrassment could have been avoided. Here is a recent article describing the debacle: Peer-reviewed literature is the first and most important kind of scientific writing. New discoveries are (almost) always sent to peer-reviewed journals first, and scientific progress is conducted on the backs of already published peer-reviewed articles. Knowing how to write in the style of peer-reviewed literature, and knowing what to expect from well-written articles when performing your own literature reviews, is necessary to being able to understand and conduct scientific research. The purpose of this lesson is to improve both your reading and writing abilities. a critical, active reader will teach you to recognize clear and concise writing, and to incorporate it into your own work. Noting which parts of certain papers you find difficult to read will help you avoid making the same mistakes. Similarly, being a skilled scientific writer will allow you to more easily navigate journal articles, and to better understand the research of other scientists. These two skills are inextricably linked. Scientific Writing Peer-reviewed literature almost always follows a format. You will encounter each of these sections in order, but do not necessarily need to read them in order. For example, many people prefer to skip straight to the discussion section, because they feel it helps give them more context for the rest of the paper. As you practice going through the literature, you will develop habits that allow you to grasp the research most efficiently. Title
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