3 ms·

When I was doing my PhD, I was really in love with such guides. There is also the book Bugs in Writing by Lyn Dupré. Looking back I'm not so sure about the uti

by mo_42 3y ago

When I was doing my PhD, I was really in love with such guides. There is also the book Bugs in Writing by Lyn Dupré. Looking back I'm not so sure about the utility in scientific writing. Every research community has its own jargon. If don't stick to it, you're going to have a hard time. Today, I very much enjoy these again because most writing happens in a blog. I would add to that list (not original from me): - Dangling comparison: if you use the comparative, you need to name both things. Counter example: "On Saturdays, it's better to stay in bed longer". Better than what? Longer than what? - Adjectives: don't use them in technical writing unless they have a specific meaning (e.g., very likely was defined as a certain probability threshold before).

ReactiveJelly 3y ago
Longer than when it's not a Saturday
- atahanacar 3y ago
  Longer than staying in bed shorter when it's a Saturday.
cratermoon 3y ago
> When I was doing my PhD What field, if I may ask? There's an article titled "Writing higher education differently: a manifesto on style" by Helen Sword <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03075070802597101 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03075070802597101> advocating for academic writers to "express complex ideas clearly and succinctly; write with originality, imagination and creative flair; convey enthusiasm, commitment and a strong sense of self; tap into a wide range of intellectual interests; avoid excessive jargon; employ plenty of concrete examples and illustrations; demonstrate care for their readers; and know how to tell a good story" Also, academics may appreciate the book Writing for Social Scientists, by Howard S. Becker. This is true even if your field is is not social science. You can probably safely skim most of the chapter on "Writing With Computers", as it was first written in 1986 (back when typewriters were being replaced with "word processors") and revised in 2007.
- mo_42 3y ago
  > What field, if I may ask? It was in CS actually. So writing in social sciences doesn’t seem too appropriate. Thanks for the other hint though. Seems quite interesting and seems similar to: How to write a great research paper [1] [1] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WP-FkUaOcOM https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WP-FkUaOcOM
  - cratermoon 3y ago
    > writing in social sciences doesn’t seem too appropriate. I'm disappointed. I specifically mentioned how the book is applicable across academic fields, because I suspected the typical HN poster would be in sci/tech and would have a bias against the social sciences. Sometimes I hate being proven correct.

by mo_42 3y ago

ReactiveJelly 3y ago

Longer than when it's not a Saturday

atahanacar 3y ago
Longer than staying in bed shorter when it's a Saturday.

cratermoon 3y ago

> When I was doing my PhD What field, if I may ask? There's an article titled "Writing higher education differently: a manifesto on style" by Helen Sword <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03075070802597101 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03075070802597101> advocating for academic writers to "express complex ideas clearly and succinctly; write with originality, imagination and creative flair; convey enthusiasm, commitment and a strong sense of self; tap into a wide range of intellectual interests; avoid excessive jargon; employ plenty of concrete examples and illustrations; demonstrate care for their readers; and know how to tell a good story" Also, academics may appreciate the book Writing for Social Scientists, by Howard S. Becker. This is true even if your field is is not social science. You can probably safely skim most of the chapter on "Writing With Computers", as it was first written in 1986 (back when typewriters were being replaced with "word processors") and revised in 2007.

mo_42 3y ago
> What field, if I may ask? It was in CS actually. So writing in social sciences doesn’t seem too appropriate. Thanks for the other hint though. Seems quite interesting and seems similar to: How to write a great research paper [1] [1] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WP-FkUaOcOM https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WP-FkUaOcOM
- cratermoon 3y ago
  > writing in social sciences doesn’t seem too appropriate. I'm disappointed. I specifically mentioned how the book is applicable across academic fields, because I suspected the typical HN poster would be in sci/tech and would have a bias against the social sciences. Sometimes I hate being proven correct.