文献泛读：18 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR SCI

 学术写作对于每一个科研工作者都十分重要，良好的科研写作水平有助于我们发表学术文献分享科研成果。作为英语非母语的科研小萌新来说，SCI 科研写作并不容易。那我们来听听SCI 写作的大牛给我们的建议吧，全程干货，快拿小本子记下吧！

Communicating your experimental findingswith others is your most important task as a scientist. You may make criticalobservations, develop ingenious hypotheses, design innovative experiments, andmake important and novel discoveries – but if you cannot communicate your ideasand achievements to your colleagues, your career as a scientist will be at astandstill. At the University of California in Irvine in the early 90s, myresearch led me to a citation that seemed like it might be highly relevant tomy work.

参考译文：作为科学家，与他人交流您的实验发现是您最重要的任务。您可能会进行批判性观察，提出巧妙的假设，设计创新性实验并做出重要而新颖的发现-但是，如果您无法将自己的想法和成就传达给同事，那么您作为科学家的职业将陷入停滞。90年代初，在加州尔湾市的加利福尼亚大学，我的研究使我被引证，似乎与我的工作息息相关。

Unfortunately, after going to great lengthsto obtain the original paper from an obscure journal, I was unable tounderstand the paper despite it being written in English, which was not theauthor’s native tongue. I couldn’t understand enough of the paper to confirmthe accuracy of the cited information, leading me to search for this paper.Several attempts to contact the authors failed. In the end, I was unable torefer to their work in my own papers because, while the title and topic seemedapplicable, I could not confirm that the research or findings were indeedrelevant. The ability to write well is critical to a scientist’s success.

参考译文：不幸的是，在竭尽全力从一本晦涩的期刊上获取原始论文之后，尽管论文是用英语撰写的，但那不是作者的母语，但我还是无法理解。我对论文的理解不够，无法确认所引用信息的准确性，因此我不得不搜索该论文。与作者联系的几次尝试都失败了。最后，我无法在自己的论文中提及他们的工作，因为尽管标题和主题似乎适用，但我无法确认研究或发现确实相关。出色的写作能力对于科学家的成功至关重要。

The ability to speak English well does notnecessarily translate to the ability to write English well, even for nativespeakers. Great writing and editing skills develop with experience andguidance. All the writing experience in the world will not make you a betterwriter in the absence of writing assessment or guidance. Conversely, all theassessment and guidance in the world will not make you a better writer unlessyou take the time to write.

参考译文：说英语的能力并不一定会转化为说英语的能力，即使对于母语为英语的人也是如此。优秀的写作和编辑技能会在经验和指导下发展。如果没有书面评估或指导，世界上所有的写作经验都不会使您成为更好的作家。相反，除非您花时间写作，否则世界上所有的评估和指导都不会使您成为更好的作家。

Science writing should be clear andconcise, but rules of general writing also apply to science writing. Thefollowing list contains suggestions to improve and strengthen your writingskills:

参考译文：科学写作应简洁明了，但一般写作规则也适用于科学写作。以下列表包含改善和增强您的写作技巧的建议：

1. Organize your thoughts, ideas, andaction in a logical manner. Begin with sufficientbackground information to take your reader along the pathway from yourobservations or understanding to your hypothesis. Describe the context of the backgroundto appeal to a broad group of readers. Provide sufficient context tocommunicate the significance of your inquiry and experimental findings. Omitextraneous information so that the reader can obtain a clear picture. Groupsimilar ideas together and state your ideas and thoughts concisely. Presentideas in a consistent manner throughout the manuscript. The most commonstructure of a scientific manuscript is the IMRAD (Introduction, Methods,Results, and Discussion) format.

参考译文：1. 以合理的方式组织您的想法，想法和行动。首先要有足够的背景信息，以使您的读者了解从观察或理解到假设的过程。描述背景内容以吸引广大读者。提供足够的上下文来传达您的询问和实验结果的重要性。省略无关的信息，以便读者获得清晰的图片。将相似的想法归为一组，并简要陈述您的想法和想法。在整篇论文中以一致的方式介绍想法。科学手稿最常见的结构是IMRAD（简介，方法，结果和讨论）格式。

2. Provide clear descriptions. Repeating the background or concepts may be necessary when theconcept is complicated. You may need to explain the concept from differentviewpoints. Start simple and then advance the complexity only as far asnecessary to get the concept across. Consider your audience as you write. Areyou are writing for a general audience or a specialized audience? Will youraudience understand the terms of art (i.e., phrases or words common to yourparticular field of study) or concepts that underlie your field and yourresearch, or is some prior explanation needed? Keep your explanations simple.

参考译文：2. 提供清晰的说明。当概念复杂时，可能需要重复背景或概念。您可能需要从不同的角度解释这个概念。从简单开始，然后将复杂性扩大到尽可能使概念得以传播的程度。在撰写时请考虑您的听众。您是在为普通读者还是专业读者写作？您的听众是否会理解艺术术语（即，您的特定研究领域共有的短语或单词）或构成您的研究领域和研究基础的概念，还是需要一些事先解释？保持您的解释简单。

 

3. Simplify your word choices.Use simple straightforward language. Your manuscript will be read bystudents and researchers alike – make it easy for them to understand and careabout your research even if they are not in your field or are not proficient inEnglish.

参考译文：3. 简化您的单词选择。使用简单明了的语言。学生和研究人员都会阅读您的手稿，即使他们不在您的领域或不精通英语，也使他们易于理解和关心您的研究。

 

4. Write concisely. Note that “concise writing” is mentioned several times in thisarticle. Science writing must be concise. No one appreciates long and orunnecessary descriptions or paragraphs. Use simple and direct language.

参考译文：4. 简明扼要。请注意，本文多次提到“简洁写作”。科学写作必须简明扼要。没有人喜欢冗长或不必要的描述或段落。使用简单直接的语言。

5. Use passive and active voiceappropriately.In science writing, it is importantto know when to use passive and active voice. Active voice is more natural,direct, and engaging, and should be used when referring to widely acceptedfindings. The Introduction section should mainly be written in an active voice,because you are telling the story of “what is”. When referring to the findingsof a specific study, however, passive voice should be used. In the Methods andResults sections, passive voice should be used to discuss what you did and whatyou found. In the Discussion section, a mixture of passive and active voice isacceptable, but take care not to mix the two together in a single sentence.

参考译文：5. 适当使用被动和主动语音。在科学写作中，了解何时使用被动和主动语音非常重要。主动语态更自然，直接和引人入胜，应在提及广泛接受的发现时使用。简介部分主要应该以活跃的声音写成，因为您讲的是“什么是”的故事。但是，当提及特定研究的结果时，应使用被动语态。在“方法和结果”部分中，应该使用被动语音来讨论您所做的事情和发现的事情。在“讨论”部分中，可以混合使用被动语态和主动语态，但是请注意不要将二者混为一谈。

6. Select the appropriate words.Selecting the appropriate words can be challenging. The best wordsaccurately capture what the author is trying to convey. If a word is notsufficiently precise, use a thesaurus to replace the word or phrase with a moreappropriate word. Precise words allow for specific, clear, and accurateexpression. While science writing differs from literature in that it does notneed to be colorful, it should not be boring.

参考译文：6. 选择适当的单词。选择合适的单词可能会很困难。最好的话准确地记录了作者试图传达的内容。如果单词不够精确，请使用同义词库将单词或短语替换为更合适的单词。精确的单词可以表达具体，清晰和准确的文字。尽管科学写作与文学的不同之处在于它不需要丰富多彩，但也不应感到无聊。

7. Broaden your vocabulary. Use clear, specific, and concrete words. Expand your vocabulary byreading in a broad range of fields and look up terms you don’t know.

参考译文：7. 扩大词汇量。使用清晰，具体和具体的词。通过阅读广泛的领域来扩展词汇量，并查找您不知道的术语。

8. Avoid filler words. Filler words are unnecessary words that are vague and meaningless ordo not add to the meaning or clarity of the sentence. Consider the followingexamples: “it is”, “it was”, “there is”, and “there has been”, "it isimportant", “it is hypothesized that", “it was predicted that","there is evidence suggesting that", “in order to”, and "thereis a significant relationship". All of these phrases can be replaced withmore direct and clear language. See our list of words and phrases to avoidhere.

参考译文：8. 避免使用填充词。填充词是不必要的词，含糊不清，无意义或不会增加句子的含义或清晰度。考虑以下示例：“是”，“曾经”，“有”和“有”，“重要”，“假设为”，“预计为”，“有”证据表明“，”为了“和”存在重大关系。所有这些短语都可以用更直接，更清晰的语言替换。请在此处查看避免使用的单词和短语列表。

9. Read what you write. Make sure to vary sentence length to keep the reader from gettinglulled to sleep by a monotonous rhythm. Do not, however, make overly long orcomplicated sentences that hinder the reader’s ability to follow your story.Reading the manuscript yourself after some time away or having someone elseread the manuscript will help you to refine the readability.

参考译文：9. 阅读您写的内容。确保改变句子的长度，以防止读者因单调的节奏而沉迷于睡眠。但是，请勿写太长或太复杂的句子，以免妨碍读者追踪您的故事。一段时间后自行阅读手稿或让他人阅读手稿将有助于您提高可读性。

10. Optimize paragraph and sentencestructure. Each paragraph should present a singleunifying idea or concept. Extremely long paragraphs tend to distract or confusereaders. If longer paragraphs are necessary, alternate them with shorterparagraphs to provide balance and rhythm to your writing. A good sentenceallows readers to obtain critical information with the least effort. Poorsentence structure interferes with the flow. Keep modifiers close to the objectthey are modifying. Consider the following sentence: “Systemic diseases thatmay affect joint function such as infection should be closely monitored.” Inthis example, “such as infection” is misplaced, as it is not a joint function,but rather a systemic disease. The meaning is clear in the revised sentence:“Systemic diseases, such as infection, that may affect joint function should beclosely monitored.”

参考译文：10. 优化段落和句子结构。每个段落都应提出一个统一的想法或概念。极长的段落会分散读者的注意力或使他们困惑。如果需要较长的段落，请用较短的段落替代它们，以使您的写作保持平衡和节奏。好的句子可以使读者以最少的努力获得关键信息。较差的句子结构会干扰流程。使修改器靠近要修改的对象。考虑以下句子：“应密切监视可能影响关节功能的系统疾病，例如感染。”在此示例中，“诸如感染”被放错了位置，因为它不是关节功能，而是全身性疾病。修改后的句子中的意思很清楚：“应密切监视可能影响关节功能的全身性疾病，例如感染。”

 

11. Use transitions to control the flow.Sentences and paragraphs should flow seamlessly.Place transitional phrases and sentences at the beginning and end of theparagraphs to help the reader move smoothly through the paper.

参考译文：11. 使用过渡句控制流程。句子和段落应该顺畅地进行。在段落的开头和结尾处放置过渡短语和句子，以帮助读者在论文中平稳移动。

12. Word repetition: Avoid using the same word or phrase over and over when another moredescriptive word or phrase could be used. Ensure that you do not sacrificeprecision for variability. See our science-related Word Choice list here.

参考译文：12. 单词重复：当可以使用另一个更具描述性的单词或短语时，请避免重复使用相同的单词或短语。确保不牺牲准确性以确保可变性。请在此处查看与科学相关的单词选择列表。

13. Improve readability with consistentformatting.Although in many cases it is no longernecessary to format your manuscript for a specific journal before peer review,you should pay attention to formatting for consistency. Use the same font sizethroughout; headings should be bolded or not bolded, all uppercase or not,italicized or not; and references should be provided in an easy-to-follow,consistent format. Use appropriate subheadings in the Materials and Methods,and Results sections to help the reader quickly navigate your paper.

参考译文：13. 通过一致的格式提高可读性。尽管在许多情况下，不再需要在同行评审之前对特定期刊的稿件进行格式化，但您应注意格式化的一致性。始终使用相同的字体大小；标题应加粗或不加粗，是否全部大写，是否斜体；并且引用应以易于遵循的一致格式提供。在“材料和方法”以及“结果”部分中使用适当的副标题，以帮助读者快速浏览您的论文。

14. Use parallel construction tofacilitate understanding.Your hypothesis,experimental measures, and results should be presented in the same order in theAbstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Tables. Words orphrases joined by coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, nor, or, so, andyet) should have the same form.

参考译文：14. 使用并行构造以促进理解。您的假设，实验方法和结果应以相同的顺序显示在摘要，简介，方法，结果，讨论和表格中。通过协调性连词（以及，但是，for，nor，或，如此，至今）连接的单词或短语应具有相同的形式。

15. Maintain consistent use of labels,abbreviations, and acronyms. Measures andvariable/group names and labels should be consistent in both form and contentthroughout the text to avoid confusing the reader.

参考译文：15. 保持标签，缩写和首字母缩略词的一致使用。在整个文本中，度量，变量/组的名称和标签在形式和内容上应保持一致，以避免混淆读者。

16. Use abbreviations and acronyms toaid the reader. Only use abbreviations/acronyms tohelp the reader more easily understand the paper. A general rule of thumb is touse only standard, accepted abbreviations/acronyms that are used at least threetimes in the main text of the paper. Whenever using an abbreviation/acronym,ask yourself “Does this help me or the reader?” Exceptions may apply for thoseabbreviations/acronyms that are so commonly used that spelling them out mightconfuse the reader.

参考译文：16. 使用缩写词和首字母缩写词来帮助读者。仅使用缩写词/缩写来帮助读者更轻松地理解本文。一般的经验法则是仅使用标准的，可接受的缩写/缩写，在本文的正文中至少使用3次。每当使用缩写/缩写时，问自己“这对我或读者有帮助吗？”例外情况可能适用于那些常用的缩写词/缩写词，以至于拼写它们可能会使读者感到困惑。

17. Minimize pronoun use for clarity.Make sure every pronoun is very clear, so the reader knows what itrepresents. In this case, being redundant may contribute to the clarity. Don’trefer to this or that, making the reader go back to the previous paragraph tosee what this or that means. Also, limit or avoid the use of “former” andlatter”.

参考译文：17. 为了清楚起见，请尽量减少代词的使用。确保每个代词都非常清楚，以便读者知道它所代表的意思。在这种情况下，冗余可能有助于提高清晰度。不要指代这个或那个，而是让读者回到上一段来了解这个或那个的含义。另外，限制或避免使用“前”和“前”。

18. Read your writing out loud. Read your final paper out loud to check the rhythm, find words andphrases that are repeated too many times within and between sentences andparagraphs. You will often find words that are unnecessary and can becompletely eliminated or replaced with alternative word choices.

参考译文：18. 大声朗读您的文章。大声朗读您的最终论文以检查节奏，找到在句子和段落之间以及句子与段落之间重复太多次的单词和短语。您通常会发现不必要的单词，可以完全消除这些单词或将其替换为其他单词选择。

 Remember, your writing is your chance to showthe scientific world who you are. You want to present a scholarly, clear,well-written description of your interests, ideas, results, and interpretationsto encourage dialogue between scientists. Change your goal from that of simplypublishing your manuscript to that of publishing an interesting manuscript thatencourages discussion, and inspires additional questions and hypotheses due toits fundamental clarity to the reader.

参考译文：请记住，您的写作是您向科学界展示自己的机会。您想对您的兴趣，想法，结果和解释进行学术性，清晰，写得很好的描述，以鼓励科学家之间进行对话。将您的目标从只发布您的手稿的目标更改为发布有趣的手稿，以鼓励讨论，并由于其基本的读者可读性而激发了其他问题和假设。

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