Scientific Communication

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Scientific Communication

• Timothy G. Standish, Ph. D.

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Communication Is Central To Science

• The best use of the scientific method in
  discovering the truth about nature is wasted if
  the information is not communicated to others.
• Much of the information that is generated by
  scientists, because of its complex nature, is
  open to multiple misunderstandings and
  misinterpretations
• Because of this, scientists have developed a
  simple, but precise way of communicating with
  other scientists.

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Ockhams RazorThe law of economy or parsimony

• When looking at data, it is usually possible to
  come up with a number of different theories, some
  of which are more complicated than others
• Scientists generally agree that the most simple
  theory or explanation of data is most probably
  true
• This preference for the most simple theory is
  called Ockhams Razor, the law of economy or
  parsimony
• William of Ockham was a 14th century English monk
  to whom Entia non sunt multiplicanda entia
  praeter necessitatem (Dont multiply entities
  except by necessity) is attributed
• Others including Aristotle had invoked this
  principle before Ockham, but he stands out for
  his repeated and sharp use of the razor

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The Scientific Method
Beliefs
Hypothesis
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The Scientific MethodDoes Not Always Provide
Definitive Answers
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Separating Data and Theory

• With all the room for misunderstanding of
  science, it is vital that data and theory be kept
  as clearly distinct as possible.
• In scientific papers, different sections are used
  for data and theory. To clearly communicate what
  has been learned, it is vital that these two
  factors not be mixed together.

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Parts of a Scientific Paper(Laboratory Report)

• Introduction - The current state of science on
  the question being addressed
• Methods - Exactly what was done
• Results - Exactly what was observed
• Discussion - The authors interpretation of the
  Results
• Interpretation Introduction and Discussion
• Data Methods and Results

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The Style of Scientific Papers

• Scientific papers are generally written in the
  third person
• Avoiding the use of personal pronouns
  de-emphasizes who the author is
• In a perfect world, the emphasis in science is
  first on data, second on interpretation and
  finally on the authority who is writing the paper

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