Write Like a Chemist: A Guide and Resource

by Marin S. Robinson, Fredricka L. Stoller

Overview

Write Like a Chemist: A Guide and Resource focuses on four types of writing that are common in chemistry: the journal article, conference abstract, scientific poster, and research proposal. Users of the book will learn to write through a host of exercises, ranging in difficulty from correcting single words and sentences to writing professional-quality papers, abstracts, posters, and proposals.

This second edition of Write Like a Chemist has been updated to include new excerpts from the primary literature and other chemistry genres, updated tables and figures that can be consulted for chemistry-specific writing patterns and practices, infographics developed by inChemistry that convey essentials for writing conference abstracts and preparing scientific posters, a scientific poster template and corresponding model poster that can be used for poster creation, and updated exercises and task types. Additional resources for students and instructors have been placed on the Write Like a Chemist companion website, which includes exercises, answer keys, and a separate and secure section with materials for faculty adopting the book for a university course.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190098957
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	11/11/2022
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	10.07(w) x 6.99(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

Marin S. Robinson is Professor Emerita at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. She taught organic chemistry for 25 years with research interests in atmospheric chemistry and disciplinary writing. She served as Chair of the chemistry department for 6 years. In her spare time, she enjoys music, reading, swimming, and hiking.

Fredricka L. Stoller is Professor Emerita at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, where she taught in the MA in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics programs. Her areas of professional expertise are disciplinary writing, second-language reading, and language-teaching methodology. She has co-authored articles and book chapters on chemistry writing with M. S. Robinson in the Journal of Chemical Education, English for Specific Purposes, Journal of English for Academic Purposes, English Teaching Forum, and edited volumes on disciplinary writing.

Table of Contents

Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments

List of Figures and Table with Typical Move Structures (i.e., Organizational Patterns)
List of Tables with Common Verb Tense-Voice Combinations and Their Functions

Section 1 Writing Modules
Chapter 1 Learning to Write Like a Chemist

Module 1 Journal Article

Chapter 2 Overview of the Journal Article
Chapter 3 Writing the Methods Section
Chapter 4 Writing the Results Section
Chapter 5 Writing the Discussion
Chapter 6 Writing the Introduction
Chapter 7 Writing the Abstract and Title

Module 2 Conference Abstract and Scientific Poster

Chapter 8 Writing the Conference Abstract and Title
Chapter 9 Preparing a Poster

Module 3 Research Proposal

Chapter 10 Overview of the Research Proposal
Chapter 11 Writing the Goals and Importance Section
Chapter 12 Writing the Approach and Methods Section
Chapter 13 Writing the Outcomes and Impacts Section

Section 2 Writing Conventions

Chapter 14 Figures and Tables
Chapter 15 Citations and References
Chapter 16 Language Tips

References
Index

Editorial Reviews

"Anyone teaching a college course in professional writing for chemistry students would do welll to consider using this thorough, detailed, and systematic book as the textbook. It offers excellent support for students and a solid framework for teachers. Enterprising students who don't have access to a course could profitably use this book on their own, too. Robinson and colleagues have succeeded in producing the "guide and resource" promised in their subtitle for chemists who write - a strong contender for the definitive book in the field."—Technical Communication

"Write Like a Chemist is the most thorough treatment of writing in a specific discipline that I have ever seen. Anyone who is serious about learning to write in chemistry should own this book; anyone who is interested in researching or teaching writing for any discipline will benefit from looking at the approach taken here." — English for Specific Purposes

"The authors have prepared an excellent resource and supplement to The ACS Style Guide. Write Like a Chemist is highly recommended to scientific and chemical educators and professionals as well as students. The reviewer regrets not having this recourse available during his education and professional career."—Robert E. Buntrock, Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling

"An outstanding addition to the literature on teaching writing in science."—Journal of Chemical Education

"This work distills into one reference a skill set that is oo often assumed by the field to be 'something you just learn' or is somehow gained through exposure and osmosis. The authors have tackled an enormous task in this text by presenting the content as both a 'teachable' text and a desk reference to be re-visited as needed."—Timothy Vail, Northern Arizona University

"This is an outstanding text for the novice science writer as well as the experienced professional. Write Like a Chemist beautifully satisfies the need for a practical writing text aimed specifically at the chemical sciences that has long gone unfulfilled."—Ellen Fisher, Colorado State University

"In my opinion, Write Like a Chemist is a text that fills a critical void in the education of writers of science. This particular book is unlike anything else that is currently on the market. I wholeheartedly believe that it will change the way we teach undergraduates how to 'write like a chemist.'"—Timm Knoerzer, Nazareth College

"With this text almost any chemistry faculty member can teach writing in the chemistry genre. That is what makes it so useful."—Donald Paulson, California State University

"As someone who has thought a lot about teaching writing to chemists, I am very impressed with this book. It approaches the writing tasks systematically, providing guidance in organization through an analysis of the most common move structures employed in scientific writing."—Jeffrey Kovac, University of Tennessee

"With extensive exercises, this work helps teach the professionally essential function of writing to students of chemistry regardless of their career path; the book is also an essential "remedial" reference for both professional chemists and scientists in other disciplines. Highly recommended."—Choice Magazine

"... when writing about chemistry, we must conform to a set style. The US authors..explain this clearly and correctly...I would recommend anyone with a large research group to purchase a copy as a useful resource for the laboratory, especially if there are some researchers for whom English is not their first language."—Chemistry World

From the Publisher