Victoria E. McMillan (PhD, Syracuse University) taught 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.
Summary
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, poster presentations, and other forms of writing.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Preface About the Author
How and Why Biologists Write: An Introduction to Biological Literature
CHAPTER 1 Locating and Using Biological Literature
Searching the Literature
Sample Database Search
Using the Internet
Reading Scientific Papers
Taking Notes
CHAPTER 2 Handling Data and Using Statistics
Getting Started
Recording and Organizing Your Findings
Using Statistics to Analyze Your Data
CHAPTER 3 Using Tables and Figures
Tables
Figures
Checklist for Tables and Figures
CHAPTER 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
CHAPTER 5 Writing a Review Paper
Choosing a Topic
Deciding on a Title
Working with the Literature
Presenting Your Material
Checklist for Review Papers
Sample Review Paper
CHAPTER 6 Documenting the Paper
Citing Sources in the Text
Preparing the Literature Cited Section
CHAPTER 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
CHAPTER 8 Preparing the Final Draft
Mechanics and Technicalities
Manuscript Format
Writing and Acknowledgments Section
Proofreading
CHAPTER 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
CHAPTER 10 Other Forms of Biological Writing
Oral Presentations
Sample PowerPoint Presentation
Checklist for Oral Presentations
Poster Presentations
Checklist for Poster Presentations
Sample Poster Presentation
Research Proposals
Sample Research Proposal
Letters of Application
Sample Cover Letter
Résumés
Sample Résumé
Sample Curriculum Vitae
