The Chicago Guide to Communicating Science

by Scott L. Montgomery

Book Overview

For more than a decade, The Chicago Guide to Communicating Science has been the go-to reference for anyone who needs to write or speak about their research. Whether a student writing a thesis, a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0226534855
• ISBN13: 9780226534855
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

For the advanced writer looking to take it to the next level

This is a book for experienced scientist/writers interested in becoming excellent scientist/writers. For this, the author prescribes a rigorous course of critical reading, selection of writing models, and imitation. It offers little in the way of practical suggestions for the beginner, almost nothing on basic style and syntax, and nothing on how to stay motivated through the long slog of the Ph.D. thesis. (For these purposes, let me suggest "10 Lessons in Style, Clarity and Grace" by Williams, "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White, or "How to Write A Lot" by Silva) However, Montgomery discusses intelligently the distinct "scientific voice." He has insightful things to say about each of the various forms of scientific writing. I particularly appreciated his discussion of review articles; he pointed out that reviews can be organized around experimental results, theoretical concepts, the history of a field or method, among other things. This discussion helped me refine my thinking enough to write a solid outline for a current review project of mine. Although his official prescription for becoming an excellent writer may require more commitment than many are willing to make, there is still much insight here for scientists seeking to improve upon their functional, but basic, writing skills.

A Call for Elegance

Montgomery's guide deals primarily with higher level issues in science writing, at least in the first sections. However, he does follow his own advice in going from the general to the specific when he discusses particular forms of science writing, the use of graphics, and oral presentations. Montgomery has useful things to say at every turn, but I found the core strength of the book to be how he solidly and clearly gets across the idea that "true elegance in science resides in simplicity and restraint." Much of the higher level discussion deals with writing well (proficient functional communication) versus writing very well (creatively, within the constraint of restraint). Montgomery stresses the importance of reading well to writing well, and gives suggestions on how to become a better critical reader. Be forewarned: this guide does not deal with grammar, syntax or style. I read this book because I am an applied mathematician who needs to communicate results to biologists. While writing mathematics is not explicitly covered in this book, and there are major difference between scientific writing and mathematics writing, I do believe the major tenets of this guide will be useful to applied mathematicians of most any stripe.

Helpful reference book

In the realm of scientific research, technical writing skills are necessary for effective communication of ideas and results. This book is not the typical "how-to" guide to technical writing and grammar for the novice. Instead, it is a practical book packed with useful insights from an experienced scientific writer. The numerous examples of writing styles and graphics are clear and well-illustrated. Each chapter addresses important concepts in fundamental areas, such as proposal preparation, manuscript revision, and oral presentation. This is the sort of book to buy and keep as a reference as the need arises.