Why do we need images? Why can't we just create a data table and write a bunch of words to explain our conclusions? We've heard it said, "A picture is worth a thousand words," but what does that really mean?
Read MoreIn this blog post, I plan to:
OUCH! See? For most of you, that last bullet was cringe-worthy. That's because the bullets all follow on the preposition "to," which should be placed with "explain," "apply," and "helping." You'd never say "to helping," so it just sounds wrong.
Read MoreIf you're like many native English speakers, you're pretty comfortable speaking correctly, but writing correctly (with all those confusing "punctuation marks" and pronouns that need something called "antecedents") is a bigger challenge. What's worse is that there are so many conflicting opinions on writing. All you have to do is run a quick search for "style guide" on Amazon. The first six pages of search results return relevant products - manuals of style for writing. Where do you begin? Here are the four books I've found most helpful as a science writer.
Read MoreNothing is more frustrating than sending out a memo, or article, or paper and realizing that your reader has no idea what you're talking about! Science writing is a completely different beast from writing in any other discipline. Whether you're a great writer or have little command of the English language, it is possible for you to write excellent science papers, articles, and reports.
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