SCI写作 || unit-1.1-introduction

Education is an admirable thing.

Good writing can flip the way the world is perceived, like the silhouette in psychology textbooks which oscillates between a goblet and two faces.

——《the Sense of Style》Steven Pinker

1. what makes good writing?

1.Good writing communicates an idea clearly and effectively.

Get your ideas across clearly and effectively all right well. This is even more important in scientific writing because the whole point of scientific writing is to get your ideas across and get your results across to other scientists, policymakers, and sometimes even the lay public.

2.The other element of good writing is beautiful, elegant and stylish. (minor important than the first one.)

2. Notes:

1.Worry less about the elegant and stylish part.

We are easy to spend so much time focusing on the second element (listed above) that we forget about just trying to get our idea across clearly and effectively, and not least all sorts of problems in the writing. Therefore, keep your focus on writing's effectiveness and clarity and worry less about the elegant and stylish part.

2.Take having something to say and clear thinking.

It not only takes having something to say which is a scientist with results you have and clear and logical thinking, but it's also very important to get your arguments across in a clear and logical way.

3.Takes time, revision, and a good editor.

These points actually happen through a revision so elegant and stylish writing doesn't happen on a first draft even for professional writers.

3. Inborn talent? No, you just need the following steps:

1.Having something to say.

You must have something that you're passionate about and that you want to communicate, which sounds maybe a little trivial. You must have something to say and you're trying to get across.

2.Logical thinking.

You need logical and clear thinking and you have to be able to present your arguments in a logical way, particularly in scientific writing.

3.A few simple, learnable rules of style.Good writing can be learned.

4. Steps to becoming a better writer.

In addition to taking this class, other things you can do to become a better writer:

1.Read, pay attention, and imitate.

Reading is really a good way to be a good writer. You can read sources of professional good writing like magazines, novels, nonfiction books not necessary scientific literature, just read it and pay attention to how professional writers write and what tricks they use.

2.Write in a journal.

Writing is a skill so the more you practice the better you're gonna get in it. If you have a little time at the end of each day or the beginning of each day, try to write in a journal which could be an old-fashioned journal or an electronic journal, and try to spend a few minutes just practice some of the techniques.

3.Let go of "academic" writing habits (deprogramming step).

4.Talk about your research before trying to write about it.

Actively try to talk to your friends or yourself (just speak out) when you sit down to write your manuscript, in which you can reorganize your writing profile. Although tedious, dull, or hard to get through the scientific papers are, we can write in a more engaging and lively interesting way. So try to actively think about when you're writing and make your writing engaging but not to bore your audience that would be a great right if the scientific literature was as fun to read as a magazine or a book.

5.Stop waiting for "inspiration".

You just need to be prepared to write this we're gonna talk about in the writing process but you don't need inspiration.

6.Accept the writing is hard for everyone.

7.Revise

Nobody gets it perfect on the first try, a lot of scientists don't spend a lot of time on revision. Don't try to get it perfect on the first draft, just go through the first draft quickly and get it down on the paper, and then put your emphasis on revision. Please notice that the elegance in writing happens on revision, not on the first draft. It's an easier and more efficient way to write.

8.Learn how to cut ruthlessly. Never become too attached to your words.

9.Find a good editor.

10.Take risks and find your voice as a writer.

In your writing, sometimes you're kind of forced in this little box you're told there were all these rules you don't dare break and it really kind of boxes you in it doesn't let you find your own voice as a writer. In fact, some of these things you've been told you can't do in the past like using a dash or writing the word we that it's actually okay to do, so I'm going to encourage you to take some risks and get out of that little box and try to find your own voice as a writer and put something in your writing that's a little bit funny or provocative.

The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are.

【 注意】

中文版会在后期更新噢~

来源：斯坦福SCI写作公开课，视频资源可见哔哩哔哩；

参考资料：《the Sense of Style》Steven Pinker；

所有资料均由小编个人学习整理，并进行了删减和补充，若有错误不当之处欢迎指正。

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