Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences » (4th Edition)

VICTORIA E. MCMILLAN (Ph.D., Syracuse University) teaches in the interdisciplinary writing department, the biology department, and the women's studies program at Colgate University. A behavioral ecologist who has published a number of scholarly and popular articles on animal behavior, McMillan is currently focusing her research activities on reproductive strategies in insects, dragonflies in particular.

Written by a professional biologist who is also an experienced writing teacher, this comprehensive guide for students writing in biology, zoology, and botany provides detailed instruction on researching, drafting, revising, and documenting papers, reviews, and other forms of writing.

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Preface How and Why Biologists Write: An Introduction to Biological Literature

1. Locating and Using Biological Literature
Searching the Literature
*Using the Internet Reading Scientific Papers Taking Notes

2. Handling Data and Using Statistics
Getting Started Recording and Organizing Your Findings Using Statistics to Analyze Your Data

3. Using Tables and Figures
Tables Figures

4. Writing Lab Reports and Research Papers
Title Abstract Introduction Materials and Methods Results Discussion Acknowledgments Literature Cited
*Checklist for Lab Reports and Research Papers
*Sample Laboratory Report Sample Student Research Paper

5. Writing a Review Paper
Choosing a Topic Deciding on a Title Working with the Literature Presenting Your Material Sample Review Paper

6. Documenting the Paper
Citing Sources in the Text Preparing the Literature Cited Section

7. Drafting and Revising
The First Draft Practical Suggestions for Revising Checking Content and Structure Improving Paragraphs Writing Clear, Accurate Sentences Avoiding Wordiness Verb Tense Punctuation

8. Preparing the Final Draft
Mechanics and Technicalities Manuscript Format Writing an Acknowledgments Section Proofreading

9. Using Writing to Prepare for Examinations
Getting the Most Out of Textbooks Taking Good Lecture Notes Preparing for Laboratory Exams Studying for Short-Answer Questions Answering Essay Questions

10. Other Forms of Biological Writing
Oral Presentations Poster Presentations Research Proposals Letters of Application Sample Cover Letter Résumés Sample Résumés Sample Curriculum Vitae

Additional Readings References Cited Index