Chapter 2 Before you Write
2.1 Key Insights
The first principle of good scientific writing comes into play even before we sit down to write. Scientific writing is:
Contextual: Your writing is a vehicle used to deliver a specific message to a specific audience.
What is your message, and to whom are you communicating?
2.2 Before you Write
2.2.1 Step 1: Identify your Target Audience
Scientific writing is just a specialised form of communication. Like all modes of communication, it is necessarily targeted to a specific audience. Identifying your target audience before you begin writing is key to knowing how to frame your material.
2.2.2 Step 2: Know your Take-home Message
Your research article should have a clearly-stated key take-home message. What is the key conclusion you are trying to communicate to your audience?
2.2.3 Step 3: Sketch an Outline
It’s easy to get lost in the details, but you’ll need to frame your research by thinking about the big picture. This means that, after you’ve identified your key take-home message, you need to put it into a broader framework.
Write a complete sentence that answers each of the following questions. If you have a hard time writing a complete sentence, just begin with some key words. You can fill in the blanks afterwards.
Remember, the details will come later. At this point you just need to have a broad overview.
Exercise 2.9 (Key interests.) Write a sentence addressing the key interests of your target audience. This refers to the first step, above, and may include possible applications of your research in a wider context. e.g. product or drug development, informing policy decisions, laying the theoretical foundations for further applied research.