Writing Papers in Biological Sciences . . .from another thread

[FourOaks]

I saw Luann recommend the above book on another science thread and I am interested in it. I was also wondering if anyone knows of anything similar for non-biological science research papers. What about engineering, chemistry, physics, etc? Are research papers required in those fields and if so is there a helpful book for those?

 

TIA!!

[regentrude]

IWhat about engineering, chemistry, physics, etc? Are research papers required in those fields and if so is there a helpful book for those?

 

 

I can only talk about physics:

Reserach in physics means something very specific: it means finding out something new, not just reading lots of books and articles by other people. A student will have to write papers about his research as soon as he does actual research and needs to write up his results in order to get them published in a per reviewed journal. Some students do undergraduate research; some only start in grad school.

I can not recall any class work where you write a "research paper" in the sense the term is used in school, i.e. a summary of preexisting literature. (This would be part of your original paper; you need a lit study for your introduction)

As for how this is taught: by doing. The advisor will at some point ask the student to write up the paper. The student will use papers he read as models and usually produce a version that needs a lot of help. The advisor will edit and return, and the process is iterated until the paper is acceptable for submission to the journal.

I am not aware of any of my colleagues using books etc to teach their students to write papers - it is learning by doing.

[FaithManor]

I can only talk about physics:

Reserach in physics means something very specific: it means finding out something new, not just reading lots of books and articles by other people. A student will have to write papers about his research as soon as he does actual research and needs to write up his results in order to get them published in a per reviewed journal. Some students do undergraduate research; some only start in grad school.

I can not recall any class work where you write a "research paper" in the sense the term is used in school, i.e. a summary of preexisting literature. (This would be part of your original paper; you need a lit study for your introduction)

As for how this is taught: by doing. The advisor will at some point ask the student to write up the paper. The student will use papers he read as models and usually produce a version that needs a lot of help. The advisor will edit and return, and the process is iterated until the paper is acceptable for submission to the journal.

I am not aware of any of my colleagues using books etc to teach their students to write papers - it is learning by doing.

 

 

I concur! What is termed "research paper" in high school is NOT what that means in college/professional life and certainly not with the hard sciences.

 

My kids write "research papers" in high school as a way of helping them learn to sift through multiple sources of information, and then organize that information properly while discarding "junk science". It has less to do with actual discovery, than it does with maturing through the expository writing process and producing a work of some length in comparison to the standard five paragraph essay. But, it isn't research and does not require the use of the scientific method. As such, high school research papers are just another method of maturing organizational/writing skills and getting the process of documenting sources down pat. However, they are essentially large reports and shouldn't be confused with true research.

 

Our competitive rocketry team does more true research as the parameters of their challenge changes significantly each year. They have to use the scientific method and mathematical skills, research aeronautical design, and find ways to solve their problems uniquely. They've "discovered" the use of many unusual substances during the process...information that would never be gleaned from the standard texts on hobby rocketry. As such, frankly, they could compile their information and write a new model rocketry book. That would be a true research paper.

 

Faith

[Tullia]

I can only talk about physics:

Reserach in physics means something very specific: it means finding out something new, not just reading lots of books and articles by other people. A student will have to write papers about his research as soon as he does actual research and needs to write up his results in order to get them published in a per reviewed journal. Some students do undergraduate research; some only start in grad school.

I can not recall any class work where you write a "research paper" in the sense the term is used in school, i.e. a summary of preexisting literature. (This would be part of your original paper; you need a lit study for your introduction)

As for how this is taught: by doing. The advisor will at some point ask the student to write up the paper. The student will use papers he read as models and usually produce a version that needs a lot of help. The advisor will edit and return, and the process is iterated until the paper is acceptable for submission to the journal.

I am not aware of any of my colleagues using books etc to teach their students to write papers - it is learning by doing.

 

Yes, I agree with what regentrude has written; especially the part I bolded. I'd add that the degree to which a person has mastered the basics of correct usage will affect how well a student is able to benefit from the the advisor's input.

[FourOaks]

Thanks ladies! I find all of your responses fascinating to read. So very informative. Since I was not in a science field in college myself, all of the research papers that I did definitely followed right along the same lines as what I had always done in high school.

 

FaithManor -- I think your group SHOULD write a new model rocketry book!!! Have them go for it!