Writing & Presenting in the Sciences

A guide to recent books and web resources on writing and presentation skills, public speaking and media relations.

 

Communicating Results: Writing and Presenting

Advice on Writing Theses and Making Posters / John Hoenig, VIMS Department of Fisheries Science.

  • The easy way to write a prospectus, thesis, dissertation or scientific paper
  • How to prepare a perfectly putrid poster
  • Chicago guide to your career in science: a toolkit for scientists and postdocs / Victor Bloomfield, Esam El-Fakahany. Table of Contents
    Selected Contents: Introduction: thinking about a research career -- The stages of a research career -- Conducting and presenting research -- The meaning and responsible conduct of research -- Managing time -- Finding and managing information -- Communicating -- Going to scientific meetings -- Poster presentations -- Speaking -- Writing -- Tables and graphics -- Writing and defending your dissertation -- Writing a journal article -- Writing fellowship and grant proposals.
    Q147 B56 2008

    Communicating science : a practical guide / Pierre Laszlo.
    Contents: Addressing peers -- General public -- Decision makers.
    Q223 .L37 2006

    Communicating science effectively: a practical handbook for integrating visual elements / J.E. Thomas. 2006
    Q223 C6543 2006

    Communicating in science : writing a scientific paper and speaking at scientific meetings / Vernon Booth.
    Q223 .B664 1993

    The craft of research : from planning to reporting / Booth, Wayne C.
    Q180.55 .M4 B66

    The craft of scientific presentations : critical steps to succeed and critical errors to avoid / Michael Alley.
    Q223 .A38 2003 Stacks

    The craft of scientific writing 3rd ed. / Michael Alley.
    T11 .A37 1996

    Design of scientific posters / Virginia Tech

    Doing science : design, analysis, and communication of scientific research / Ivan Valiela.
    Q180 .A1 V35 2001

    Effective communication skills for scientific and technical professionals / Harry Chambers.

    From research to manuscript: a guide to scientific writing / Michael J. Katz. 2nd ed.
    T11 K345 2009

    Guide to writing empirical papers, theses, and dissertations / G. David. Garson.
    LB2369 .G27 2002

    A guide to writing in the sciences / Andrea A. Gilpin.
    T11 .G53 2000

    Handbook of science communication / Anthony Wilson.
    Chapter 4: : Working with the media -- preparing for interviews.

    How to survive peer review / Elizabeth Watson, Fiona Godlee, Tom Jefferson. Table of contents
    Contents: Introduction -- what is peer review -- how to be a reviewer -- surviving peer review -- professional peer review -- informal peer review

    How to write a thesis / Rowena Murray. 2006.

    How to write and illustrate a scientific paper / Bjorn Gustavii. 2nd ed.
    T11 .G86 2008

    How to write & present technical information / Sides, Charles

    How to write & publish a scientific paper 6th ed./ Robert Day.
    T11 .D33 2006

    On being a scientist: responsible conduct in research./ Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy.
    Selected Contents: Values in science-- conflict of interest -- publication and openness -- allocation of credit -- authorship credit

    Peer review and manuscript management in scientific journals : guidelines for good practice / Irene Hames. Table of contents
    Q225.5 .H255 2007

    Presenting at conferences, seminars and meetings / Kerry Shephard.
    PN4121 .S423 2005

    Publish, Not Perish: The Art & Craft of Publishing in Scholarly Journals / University of Colorado Libraries
    A tutorial focusing on publishing in scholarly journals. Log in by choosing "other". In viewing this site, you will be able to:

    • Understand the role of scholarly publishing in an academic career
    • List the essential steps of planning and writing a scholarly paper.
    • Develop a personal publication plan
    • Compare and contrast the different publishing models currently in use
    • Describe the types of articles you can write
    • List the pros and cons of collaborative authoring
    • Describe the tools and resources a scholarly writer needs to have on hand

    The MIT guide to science and engineering communication / James G. Paradis.

    Rethinking the design of presentation slides/ Michael Alley.

    Science and technical writing : a manual of style / Philip Rubens.

    Scientific papers and presentations / Martha Davis.
    T11 .D324 1997

    Scientific English : a guide for scientists and other professionals / Robert Day.
    PE1475 .D38 1992

    Scientifically speaking : tips for preparing and delivering scientific talks and using visual aids/ Ann Gargett.
    Q224 .S354 2005

    Scientific writing : easy when you know how / Jennifer Peat.

    A scientist's guide to talking with the media : practical advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists /Richard Hayes.
    Contents: We need to talk -- Hope for the best, prepare for the worst -- Why reporters do what they do --
    Do you hear what you're saying? -- Mastering the interview -- A reporter's most trusted source : you --
    Choosing the right communication tools -- The scientist as celebrity and activist.
    Q225 .H39 2006

    Sharing knowledge: a guide to effective science communication / Julian Cribb.

    A short guide to writing about biology 6th ed. / Jan Pechenik.
    QH304 .P43 2007

    Speaking about science : a manual for creating clear presentations / Scott Morgan.
    Contents: The basic problem with oral presentations, and its solution -- The first steps of preparation --
    Selecting helpful images -- Beginning and ending the presentation -- Titling the talk -- Delivery --
    Fielding questions -- The job interview -- The media interview -- Making clear posters.
    Q223 .M67 2006

    A student handbook for writing in biology 2nd ed./ Karin Knisely. Table of contents
    QH304 .K59 2005

    VIMS Author Instructions : are you writing an article, book chapter or conference paper? Read more.

    Where to Publish? A handbook of journal outllets for contributors to conservaton science.
    Peter Kareiva & Chris Yaun-Farrell 2006.
    For students and young scientists wondering where to submit their manuscripts for publication.

    Writing for science / Robert Goldbort. 2006.
    Contents: Scientific English -- laboratory notes -- workplace scientific writing -- documentation of scientific sources -- scientific visuals -- scientific presentations -- scientific dissertations -- scientific journal articles -- scientific grant proposals.

    Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students
    Contents: Guidelines for writing, advice, models and exercises. Covers presentations, posters, reports, proposals and more.

    Writing papers in the biological sciences 4th ed./ Vicky McMillan.
    QH304 .M36 2006

    Writing the successful thesis and dissertation: entering the conversation / Irene Clark. 2006.

    Writing your dissertation in fifteen minutes a day : a guide to starting, revising, and finishing your doctoral thesis 1st ed./ Joan Bolker.
    LB2369 .B57 1998

    Writing successful science proposals/ Andrew Friedland.
    Q180.55 .P7 F75 2000

    Public Speaking

    7 steps to fearless speaking / Lilyan Wilder.

    The complete idiot's guide to Public speaking. 2nd ed./ Laurie Rozakis.

    In the line of fire: how to handle tough questions when it counts / Jerry Weissman.

    Mastering public speaking : how to prepare and deliver winning presentations and successful speeches / Anne Nicholls.

    Secrets of power presentations: overcome your fear of public speaking, build rapport and credibility with your audience, prepare and deliver a dynamic presentation / Micki Holliday.

    Speak with confidence: powerful presentations that inform, inspire, and persuade/ Dianna Daniels Booher.

    The truth about confident presenting / James O'Rourke.



    Science, the Media and Politics

    Communicating uncertainty : media coverage of new and controversial science / Sharon Friedman.
    Contents: Scientists' representations of uncertainty / How journalists deal with scientific uncertainty / Public responses to uncertainty / Scientists, journalists, and the meaning of uncertainty /Interpreting uncertainty : a panel discussion / Popular beliefs, media, and biotechnology / Never-ending story of dioxin / Uncertain social contract : the case of human resources for science / Reporting on the changing science of human behavior /Science in the public arena : a panel discussion / Importance of understanding audiences / Effective explanation of uncertain and complex science /
    Using systematic thinking to choose and evaluate evidence / Beyond the basics : a roundtable discussion /

    Embargoed science / Vincent Kiernan.
    An overview of news about science and medicine -- A brief history of embargoes in science journalism
    -- Accuracy in science journalism -- Costs of the embargo -- The embargo should go.
    Q225 .K48 2006

    Freedom to speak? a report card on federal agency media policies / Union of Concerned Scientists. 2008.

    Frontiers of illusion : science, technology, and the politics of progress / Daniel R. Sarewitz.
    Q127 .U6 S25 1996

    On being a scientist: a guide to responsible conduct in research / National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering and Institute of Medicine. 3rd ed.
    Q180 A1 O5 2009

    Rescuing science from politics : regulation and the distortion of scientific research / Wendy Wagner.
    Q125 .R48 2006

    The role of scientific and technical data and information in the public domain : proceedings of a symposium

    Science and the media: alternative routes in scientific communication / Massimiano Bucchi.

    Scientist's guide to talking with the media: practical advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists. / Richard Hayes.
    Contents: We need to talk -- Hope for the best, prepare for the worst -- Why reporters do what they do --
    Do you hear what you're saying? -- Mastering the interview -- A reporter's most trusted source : you --
    Choosing the right communication tools -- The scientist as celebrity and activist.

    Q225 .H39 2006

     

     

     

     

     

    08/065/09