Scientific & Technical Writing: Find Websites
Evaluating Websites:
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Credibility: |
Is there an author listed? |
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Does the author cite sources? |
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Does the author have credentials? |
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Can you contact the author? |
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Who sponsored the page? |
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Bias: |
Is the point of view objective? |
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Is the author biased? |
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Are they selling anything? |
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Audience: |
What level is the target audience? |
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Is the content comprehensive or lite? |
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Accuracy: |
Is the information source cited? |
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Does this site contradict other sites? |
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What research methods were used? |
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Currency: |
The site was last updated when? |
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Is the information outdated? |
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Relevance: |
Is the site relevant to your topic? |
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Is the site popular or relevant? |
Professional Sites and Organizations
- American Medical Writers AssociationAMWA supports medical writers in a variety of ways including its journal, annual conference, continuing education program, and other ways.
- Council for the Advancement of Science WritingThis organization is devoted to improving the quality of scientific information reaching the public.
- Council of Science EditorsFormerly the Council of Biology Editors, the CSE is one of the foremost professional organizations involved in scientific publishing.
- National Association of Science WritersThe National Association of Science Writers was founded in 1934. The society publishes a journal, ScienceWriters, sponsors an annual conference, and otherwise supports the profession.
- Society for Technical CommunicationsThe STC is a professional society for anyone involved in communicating technical information including writers, artists, editors, etc.
- TechnicalWritingZone.comThis website has both extensive information on how to write technical publications as well as helpful information for professionals such as job advertisements.
Selected Websites
The following websites are from various university writing centers and scientific departments. They contain various help pages for writing including how to choose topics, grammar, citation manuals, and other information.
- A Guide to Writing in the Biological SciencesThis is a guide written for undergraduates in the Biology Program at George Mason University.
- The Purdue Online Writing Center (OWL)The Purdue Owl is one of the outstanding websites with information on how to write different sorts of papers and publications.
- The Writing Center (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)This website has a lot of helpful information. Among the Handouts found under Student Resources is a guide for writing a science paper.
- The EServer Technical Communication LibraryOpen access collection of over 20,000 articles on technical writing and allied topics.
- Science Program Style Guide (John Abot College)Includes information for writing laboratory reports and for other kinds of publications.
Online Books
The following online documents were written by scientists to encourage and instruct their student writers.
- Scientific Writing BookletDr. Marc E. Tischler, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Arizona
- Guidelines on Style for Scientific WritingDr. Will G. Hopkins, Department of Physiology and School of Physical Education, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science StudentsMichael Alley, editor, Communications Department, Penn State University with contributions from other schools.
Career Information
- Technical WritersOccupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011