1

Learning to Write Like a Chemist

Writing, more than any other skill developed as a chemistry

student, has enabled me to advance my career.
-james B. Weissman, Pfizer Pharmaceutical Marketing

Chapter 1 introduces the basic approach to reading and writing in chemistry

used in this textbook. It also provides a brief orientation ro the textbook. By the
end of this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
t:\
t)

Identify common writing genres in chemistry and in this textbook

Describe the five essential components of genre analysis and explain why
genre analysis is so useful for developing writers

hi

Explain what is meant by audience, and idemify the audiences addressed in

this textbook

'" Differentiate between broad and fine organizational structure

t:t
ts

Explain the meaning and significance of a move and a move structure

Understand how the textbook is organized and the approach it takes to help
you improve your chemistry writing skills
Many effective writers develop their discipline-specific writing skills by read

ing and analyzing the works of others in their fields. Learning w write in chemis
try is no exception; chemistry-specific writing skills are developed by reading and
analyzing the writing of chemists. We coined the phrase "read-analyze-write" to
describe this approach and promote this process throughout the textbook. In this
chapter, we lay the foundation for the read-analyze-write approach by analyzing a
few common, nonscientific examples of writing. We use these everyday examples
(e.g., letters, recipes, jokes, used-car ads, poems) to introduce you to the process
of analyzing writing and to share with you the tools that you will need to analyze
chemistry writing in subsequent chapters.

Genre
11Jad no idea how much time 1 would spend writing in my career as

a chemistry pnifessor at an undergraduate institution. With course

materials, grant proposals, and research papers, I am always writing

something.
-Thomas]. Wenzel, Bates College

Unless you are reading this chapter very early in lhe morning, you have likely
already encountered several different types of writing today. Newspaper articles,
e-mail messages, novels, leuers, and billboards are just a few examples of writing
that people view on a daily basis. You may also have glanced at some chemis

try-specific writing in textbooks, lab manuals, course notes, reference books, or

chemical catalogs. Each of these types of writing is unique and distinguishable
from the others. This is true even if they share overlapping content. For example,
information abou the chemical properties of ethanol is presented differently in
an organic chemisny textbook, a chemical catalog, and a chemical dictionary.
The word used to describe these different types of writing is genre. For exam
ple, there are different genres in literature (e.g., poems, short srories, or romance

novels) and in film (e.g., comedy, horror, or mystery films). There are a)so differ
ent genres in chemisny. Although the word may sound a hule funny at first, you
will soon see that recognizing a chemisrry genre is the first step wward writing
successfully in that genre.

Genre
A type of writing that is distinguished from other types of writing because of differences in
content, form, style, audience, purpose, and context.

This textbook focuses on four distinct genres commonly read and written by
chemists; the four genres are addressed in these three textbook modules:
ll

Journal Anide (module 1)

Scientific Poster and conference abstract (module 2)

'-'

Research Proposal (module 3)

Make a list of five genres that a college studem majoring in chemistry might read
or write. Make a second Hst with three to five genres that a professional chemist

Writing Modules

lea


in academia, industry, or a government lab might read and write. How do these
genres differ from one another?

At the core of the read-analyze-write approach is genre analysis, a systematic

way to read and analyze w ri ting. Through genre analysis, you will identify and
examine essential components of a genre, thereby facilitating your ability to write
effectively in that genre. This textbook focuses on five such components: audience
you have likely
1spaper articles,
nples of writing
t some chemis
-rence books,

or

distinguishable

and purpose, organization, writing conventions, grammar and mechanics, and

science content. As shown in table Ll, each component can be funher divided
into two or more subcomponents. Our goal is lO teach you to analyze chemistry
specific writing according to these components and subcomponents. To get you
started, and to illustrate how genre analysis works, we begin by identifying each
component in some familiar (nonchemistry) types of writing.

1t. For example,

d di fferently in
al dictionary.
enre. For exam

Genre Analysis

A systematic way of analyzing a genre to identify its distinguishing features.

ries, or romance
e are also differ
.nny at first, you
'toward writing

Audience and Purpose

Before you begin to write, you must decide the audience that is most likely to read
your work and the reason or purpose for writing it in the first place. In turn, the
audience and purpose will influence the levels of detail, formality, and conciseness

e of differences in

that you use in your writing and the words that you choose. To illustrate this, con
sider two everyday genres: a recipe in a cookbook and a shopping list. The recipe
is written to instruct a hopeful chef (audience) how to prepare a meal (purpose):
the shopping list is written to remind a shopper (audience) what foods to buy

j and written by
nodules:

Table 1.1 Components of genre analysis addressed in this textbook.

Audience and

Organization

P u rp o se
Conciseness

Broad structure

Writing

Grammar and

Science

Conventions

Mechanics

Cont en t

Abbreviations

Parallelism

Graphics

Punctuation

Text

and acronyms
Level of detail

Fine structure

Formaning

("moves")

1islry might read

Level of formality

Verb tense

:essional chemist
Word choice

Writing

Modules

Subject-verb
agreement

learning to Write like a Chemist

Voice

Vl/ord usage

(purpose). Because of their different purposes, detailed instructions are needed

in the recipe but nor in the shopping list. (Imagine how useless a recipe would be
if il included only a list of ingredients or how unwieldy a shopping list would be
if il included instructions for locating each item in the swre!) Moreover, because
recipes are often published, the writing is more formal, with titles, headings, lists
of ingredients presented in a parallel fashion, and unambiguous, fully punctuated
sentences (e.g., Melt 2 tsp. butter in a small saucepan.). Shopping lists, on the other
hand, are scrawled out in personal shorthand (e.g., choc, OJ, mlk) with no titles,
headings, or punctuation. Thus, we can see how audience and purpose influence
the levels of detail, formality, and conciseness of a particular genre.

Audience
The people who will most likely read a specific piece of writing.

Purpose
The aims, goals, or intentions of the writer.

As a second example, consider two genres of Ieuers: a job application cover

letter and a sympathy letter to a friend. These two types of letters are sent to dif
ferent individuals (audience) with whom the w riter has different relationships and
for entirely different reasons (purpose). These differences are reflected not only in
tone (i.e., the job application letter is formal and professional, while the sympathy
letter is personal and compassionate) but also in characteristic phrases. A poten
tial employer would be quite surprised to read an application letter signed "Love,
Mario" as would a friend reading a sympathy letter beginning with "To \Vhom h
May Concern." Word choices such as these are anticipated by readers. Choosing
the right word is not easy (see figure 1 . 1 ). If expected words are missing, or a w rong
phrase is used, readers will have a difficult time following, or even recognizing,
the genre. Hence, by learning words and phrases that are characteristic of a genre,
you can make your own w riting sound more like a typical example of that gen re.

The

Figure l.l Even Snoopy struggles for j ust the right words. PEANUTS: United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

Writing Modules

Le.

ms are needed
ecipe would be
g list would be
eover, because
headings, lists
tlly punctuated

Word Choice
Readers expect characteristic words and phrases to be used in a genre (e.g., the word
"Discussion" is used to demark the start of a journal artide Discussion section). Effective
writers must learn to incorporate these words into their writing.

ts, on the other

w ith no titles,

pose influence

Keep in mind that both audience and purpose define a genre. Two pieces of
writing with the same i nt ended audience may be wriuen very differently if they
have different purposes. For example, a university catalog and a university stu
dent newspaper are both written for a student audience, but the two publications
are distinct from one another in many ways (e.g., organization and content).
With these everyday examples in mind, let's consider audience and purpose
for chemistry-specific genres. We begin with audience. Chemists write for many
different audiences, including students, teachers, and Ph.D. chemists, to name
only a few. Thus, it is instructive to divide audience into different categories.
For our purposes, we consider four categories: the expert audience, the scientific
audience, the student audience, and the general audience. The expert audience
includes professional chemists with advanced knowledge in a subdiscipline of
chemistry, such as biochemistry, analytical chemistry, or organic chemistry. The
subdiscipline is often reflected in the name of the journal written for experts in that

plication cover
are sen to dif
lationships and
:ted not only in
e

the sympathy

rases. A poten
r signed "Love,

h 'To Whom

It

ders. Choosing
;ing, or a wrong

field (e.g., Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry, or The journal of 01:ganic Chemistry).

The s cientific audience comprises readers with sciemific backgrounds but not
necessarily in the authors' field or subdiscipline. For example, a biologist or geolo
gist asked to review a chemist's research proposal would be considered a scientific
audience. The s tudent aud ience consists of individuals who are reading t o learn
chemistry at any level, such as a high school student reading an i mroductory
chemistry book or a graduate student studying a book on quantum mechanics.
The general audience includes readers who are interested in a chemistry topic
but with little to no formal training in chemistry, such as an English or history
teacher reading Science News or PopularScience.

n recognizing,
istic of a genre,

of that genre.

Expert Audience
Readers with expert-level knowledge in a specific area of chemistry.

WRITER Wlll
5 SEARCH HOUR'S
rHE RI6HT WORD

Scientific Audience
Readers with significant scientific knowledge, but

not in the specific area targeted in the

written work.

te,

Inc.

Writing Modules

learning to Write like a Chemist

Student Audience
Readers learning chemistry.

General Audience
Readers with little

or no ch emistry knowledge.

Together, these four audiences form a continuum thal spans a wide range of
expertise in chemistry (figure 1.2). In general, journal articles are written for an
expert audience, research proposals and scientific posters for a scientific audience,
textbooks for a smdent audience, and popular science articles for a general audi
ence. Of course, these pairings are only guidelines. A genre can change position
on the continuum if an audience is expected to have more (or less) chemistry-spe
cific knowledge. For example, a poster presented at a highly technical conference
should address an expert audience, but a poster presented at an undergradu
ate research conference should target a student or general audience. Moreover, a
single genre often addresses more than one audience. Although a journal article
is written primarily for an expert audience, pans of its Introduction section are
often written for a scientific audience. You can see that determining your audience
is an integral pan of the writing process.
In this textbook, we focus on two audiences. In module 1 ('The journal
Article") we focus on the expert audience, and in modules 2 and 3 ('The Scientific
Poster" and "The Research Proposal"), we focus on the scientific audience. There
are other genres that target these same audiences, such as technical memos and
reports, but Lhey are not covered in this textbook. An imponant goal of this

EXPERT

SCIENTIFIC

STIJDENT

Readers who are

GENERAL
Readers who have

little. if any. knowledge

very knowledgeable

about the topic

about the topic

Audience
Figure 1.2 A spectrum of genres for audiences with varying degrees of expertise.

10

Writing Modules

learni

textbook is to help you move beyond writing for a student audience (the targeted
audience in many u ndergraduate lab repons) and begin to write for expert and
scientific audiences.
Closely linked to audience is purpose; a genre is also i nfluenced by the pur
pose for the writing. Several d ifferent purposes for chemistry-specific writing
are listed below. Representative genres are shown in parentheses. This textbook
addresses only the first two of these purposes:

To present research results or convey new scientific insights (journal articles

and posters)

a wide range of
e written for an

To request funding (research proposals)

::; To teach or instruct (textbooks)

ntific audience,

,,, To convey instructions (lab or operating manuals)

:a general audi

'z:

To provide chemical information (safety data sheets)

To communicate with colleagues (memos or e-mails)

change position
1

chemistry-spe

lical conference

an undergradu
tce. Moreover, a
journal article

Look back at the lists of chemistry genres that you created i n exercise l.l. Who

tion section are

is the primary audience for each genre: general, student, scientific, and/or expen

g your audience

audience? Some genres will target only a single audience; others will target a

3.

range of audiences.
_

("The journal
("The Scientific

mdience. There
cal memos and
mt

goal of this

What are some characteristics of writing intended for a student audience? Look at
a chemistry textbook. How has the author attempted to address a student audi
ence? Consider features such as examples, illustrations, and definitions, as well as
the type of vocabulary used.

What are some characteristics of writing intended for a general audience? Find
an article in your local newspaper about a science topic. H ow has the author

GENERAL

attempted to make the anide interesting and accessible to nonscientists? Consider

Readers who have

features such as illustrations, the lengths of sentences and paragraphs, descriptive

ltle, if any, knowledge

about the topic

Writing Modules

language, and the use of direct quotes.

learning to Write like a Chemist

11

Write a sentence or shon statement related to a topic that you are knowledgeable
about (e .g. , a hobby, favorite sport,lype of music) as if you were w riti ng to a friend
with a similar imeresl. Then "translate" that sentence (or statement) for a person
who has limite d knowledge of the topic.
For example , if you were playing correspondence chess with another person , the
two of you might w rire the following to depict the first t h re e rou nds of moves:
(l)
(2)

e4

e5

Nf3

Nc6

(3)

Bc4

Be2

For a newcomer to correspondence chess, you might translate the chess "short
hand" for the firsr t hree (of six) moves as follows:
The first player (white) moves his/her King Pawn (the small white chess piece
immediately in front of the white King) forward two spaces. In reply, the
second player ( black) moves his/her King Pawn t wo spaces forward. In the
second round of moves, white moves his/her King Knight (a larger piece that
t raditionally looks like a horse) to t he open space immediately in from of the
King Bishop Pawn (the pawn i mmediately in front of the Bishop, the piece
that stands to the right of the King).

Most readers of t h is book are already expert enough to imerpret the following
notation, which summarizes the 1H NMR spectrum of CH1Br:
1H NMR (TMS) 8 2.68 (s, JH)
Of necessary, consult an organic textbook to remi nd yourself what t his notation
means.) Make a list of the concepts that are required to u nderstand the notation.
Which of these concepts would you need to explain to a student starting organic
chemistry that a more advance d student (e.g., a junior-level chemistry major)
would already know?

Organization
The second essential component of genre analysis is organization. If you decide to
write in a particular genre, you implicitly agree to follow the organizat ional st ruc
Lure of that genre. Such is the case for romance novelists, Disney scriprwriters,

12

Writing Modules

and "whodunit" mystery writers; all must adhere to a time-honored formula (or
risk having their work remain u npublished). Indeed, one of the best ways to learn
e knowledgeable

to write in a new genre is to analyze the organizational structure of that genre.

'Titing to a friend

Organizational structure can be divided into broad and fine structural fea

ent) for a person

tures. Broad structural features are indicated, for example, by readily identifiable

other person, the

sections or headings (e.g., Introduction, Results, and Discussion); fine structural

.
features are identified by patterns of organization within paragraphs and within

1ds of moves:

sections (e.g., from more general to more specific) and by transitions between
paragraphs. Both sets of features contribute to the readability and flow of the
written piece. A joke book, for example, can be broadly organized by type (e.g.,
knock-knock jokes, light bulb jokes, genie jokes), but a single joke can also be
organized into finer segments (e.g., opening line, punch line). We can think of

he chess "short-

these finer structural features as the many steps (or moves) t hat writers take to
progress from the beginning to the end of each section of their writing, always

hite chess piece

n

reply, the

rward. In the
uger piece that
'in

front of the

with the purpose of communicating clearly with their intended audience. Writers
who make use of conventional moves in their written work meet t he organiza
tional expectations of their intended audience. (Although the move concept, like
the term "genre ," may sound odd, its utility will become clearer as you progress
through the textbook.)

Jp, the piece

AMove
A step taken by writers to achieve part of their overall purpose. Writers who use con
ventional moves in their written work meet the organizational expectations of their readers.

t the following
The move concept is a bit easier t o illustrate with examples: hence, we do this
with two jokes. The overall purpose of a joke is to make the reader (or listener)
laugh. The smaller parts of the joke-the moves-serve as building blocks to
help the teller (writer) achieve the overall purpose of the joke.
at this notation

The first joke is a "three-men" j oke. I n table 1 . 2 , the joke itself is in the left-hand

1d the notation.

column, the moves are in the center column, and the sentences that accomplish

;;tarting organic

the moves are in the right-hand column. The joke is told in six moves (or sleps):

.emistry m ajor)

the joke setup actions l, 2, and 3: the punch-line setup; and t he punch-line deliv
ery. The second joke is a variation of a "guy-walks-into-a-bar" joke (table 1.3).
(We could not resist this joke because it pokes fun at incorrect punctuation.) The
j oke is told in seven moves: the joke setup, a four-step action/reaction sequence
between the guy (pa nda) and the bartender, the punch-line setup, and the punch
line delivery. ln both examples, the sequencing of moves plays an important role
in achieving the purpose of the jokes; if the moves were sequenced differently

If you decide to

(e.g., if the punch line were given first), the jokes would no longer be successfuL

izational struc

Thus, the appropriate moves not only must be present but also must be presented

,r

scriptwriters,

Writing Modules

in the correct order.

Learning to Write like a Chemist

13

Table 1.2 A three-men joke and its moves.

joke

Moves

Three men on death row are

Set up the joke

Illustration of Moves
Three men on death row are abom
to be execmed by firing squad.

about to be executed by firing

squad. The first man goes

Describe action

#l

The first man goes before the firing

before the firing squad, but

squad, but just as he is about to

just as he is about to be shot,

be shot, he distracts the squad by

he distracts the squad by

shaming, "Earthquake!" During the

shouting, "Earthquake!" During

confusion, he makes his escape.

the confusion, he makes his

escape. On the next day, the

Describe action #2

On the next day, the second man

goes before the firing squad. just as

second man goes before the

he is about to be shm, he distracts

firing squad. just as he is about

them by shouting, 'Tornado!" In

to be shot, he distracts them

the confusion, he makes his escape.

by shouting, "Tornado!'. In the

confusion, he makes his escape.

Describe action

#3

On the third day, the third man

goes before the firing squad.

On the third day, the third man

goes before the firing squad.

just as he is about to be shot, he

Set up the punch line

yells

just as he is about to be shot, he

yells "Fire!"

"Fire!"

Deliver the punch line

Table 1.3 A variation on a guy-watks-imo-a-bar joke and its moves.

joke"

Moves

Illustration of Moves

A panda walks into a bar and

Set up the joke

A panda walks into a bar and orders a

orders a drink. When he"s done,

he draws a gun and fires two

drink.
Describe g uy action #l

shots into the air. "What was

that for?" asks the confused
bartender. The panda produces
a badly punctuated wildlife
manual and tosses it over his

When he's done, he draws a gun and

fires two shots into the air.

Describe banender

"What was that for?" asks the confused

reaction #l

banender.

Describe g uy action #2

The panda produces a badly

punctuated wildlife manual and tosses

shoulder. ''I'm a panda," he says,

it over his shoulder. 'Tm a panda," he

at the door. "Look it up." The

says, at the door. "Look it up."

banender turns to the relevant

entr y and, sure enough, finds

Describe bartender

The bartender turns to the relevant entry

an explanation. "Panda. Large,

reaction #2

and, sure enough, finds an explanation.

black-and-white beadike

Set up the punch line

'Panda. Large, black-and-white

mammal, native to China. Eats,

shoots, and leaves."

a. joke adapted from Truss

14

bearlike mammal, native to China.

Deliver the punch line

Eats, shams, and leaves."

(2003).

Writing Modules

1. Set up the Joke

ves
th row are about
firing squad.

L-------2_. _o_e_s_ c ri-be a_n_A__c tio_ _n

__

____

; before the firing

he is about to
ts the squad by

Repeat {as needed)

Jake!" During the

3. Set up the Punch Line

:es his escape.

he second man
ng squad. just as
101,

4. Deliver the Punch Line

he distracts

"Tornado!" In
11akes his escape.

Hgure 1.3 A visual representation of the move structure

for a typical three-men joke.

.he third man

ng squad.
to

be shot, he

Note that the moves and their sequencing are quite similar in both jokes, bm
because the jokes come from two different genres, they are not identicaL (Even
jokes within the same genre can have slight variations in moves.) The major
difference is in the action steps: the three-men joke reiterates the action three
times (once for each man); the guy-walks-into-a-bar joke reiterates the guy action/
bartender response sequence twice.
In addition to listing the moves, as we did in tables 1.2 and 1.3, moves can also
be represented graphically using a diagram similar to a flow chan. Such a diagram

bar and orders a

is called a move structure. A move structure illustrates required moves, optional

moves (when appropriate), and the sequence of moves, including any repeated
move patterns. A move structure for the three-men joke is illustrated in figure 1.3.

:lraws a gun and

Note that, in the move structure, the three action steps (the second move) com

he air.

prise a single move that is reiterated as needed (in this case, three times).

asks the confused

a badly

Move Structure

nanual and tosses

A flowcharHike representation of the moves wit h in a genre. The diagram visual ly depicts

'I'm a panda," he
ok it up."
o

required and o ptional moves, illustrates repeated moves, and shows the sequencing of
m oves.

the relevant entry

:Is an explanation.
-and-white
ttive to China.

Using figure 1.3 for guidance, propose a move structure for the panda version of
the "guy-walks-into-a-bar" joke shown in table 1 .3.

Writing Modules

learning to Write like a Chemist

15

Table 1.4 Ana lyzin g the moves presen t in used-ca r a ds.

Car Ad

Information Presented

1995 Ford Aspire, great mpg, good relia ble car,

Year, make, model, subjective description , price,

$2000. Ca ll 774-3972

phon e n umber

94 Ford Mustang conv GT, 5.0L, 5sp, n ew tires

Year, make, model, specia l fea tures. priCe, n a me,

$ 7200/obo. David 526-0240

phone number

88 Ford Taurus wa gon, good cond, $22 00/obo.

Yea r, make, model, subjective description , price,

2 13 -1327 even ings

phone number, when Lo ca ll

94 Chrysler LaBa ron , red, l42K, spony, fun,

Year, make, model, special feamres, subjective

looks/run s grt, $2300 josh 22 6-1260

description , price, n a me, phon e n umber

1995 Ford Taurus GL, ll7K, air bags, 3.0L V6,

Year, make, model, specia l features, subjective

grea t runnin g con d, $1600. 522 -8272

description , price, phon e n umber

92 Pon tia c Bonn eville SSEi, good con d, run s

Yea r, make, model, subjective description, specia l

well, 130k mi, askin g $2700/firm. 600-1721

fea tures, price, phon e n umber

We next analyze the moves and move struct u re for another common gen re: the
used-car ad. Several examples of newspaper used-car ads are shown in table 1.4.
As you examine these ads, you will likely notice that certai n information-the
year, model of the car, price, and a phone number for contacting t he seller-is
contained in every ad. Other ypes of i nformation-such as car features and
seller's name-appear in only some of t h e ads. To keep track of the information,
and how often it appears, we list the contents of each ad in the second column in
table 1.4. Some combination of this i nformation is needed for the seller to achieve
his or her purpose (i .e., to sell the car).
Using the information in table 1.4, the used-car ad can be divided imo five moves.
ln

the first move (included in aU si x ads), the seller states the essential facts about

the car (year, make, and model). In the second move (included in all but two ads),
the seller highlights select features of the car (e.g. , new tires, ai r bags, five speeds).
ln the third move (interchangeable with the second), the writer offers a subjective
description of the car (e.g., "good cond" or "fun"). In the founh move, the writer
states the price. Finally, in the fifth move, the seller provides contact information:

(l) a phone number, (2) a contact name (optional) , and (3) when

lO

call (optional).

A move st ructu re that depicts these moves is shown in figure 1.4. Important
features about this move structure (and other move slructures in this textbook)
include the following:
'" A box is placed around each move.
'' Some moves are div ided into submoves (e.g. , moves 1 and 5 ).
Moves and submoves are numbered to convey their conventional order in
the genre . Occasionall y, moves are placed side by side (e.g., moves 2 and 3).

16

Writing Modules

leamir

r
:}

1. State Objective Facts

1.1 State year

1 .2 Report make

script ion, price,

1.3 Indicate model

es, price, name,

3. Offer Subjective Description

2. Identify Select Features

scription, price,

{if applicable)

(optional)

(e.g., new tires, all bags, mileage)

(e.g., car condition}

es, subjective

4. State Price

number
es, subjective
r
:;cription,

5. Provide Contact Information

special

5.1 Give seller's name (optional)

5.21nclude phone number
5.3 State when to call (optional)

Figure 1.4 A visual representation of the move structure for a typical used-car ad. Moves

mon genre: the

that are side by side can occur in either order.

wn in table 1.4.
formation-the

This indicates that the moves can be addressed i n either order. (Submoves

g the seller-is
ar

t hat can occur in any order are also placed side by side i n boxes but are not

features and

numbered.)

he information ,
::ond column i n

i'J

;eller to ach ieve

provide).

into five moves.

used-car ad that omits the make of the car).

lll but two ads),

n

gs, five speeds).

ses). If applicable i ndicates that the move is required only when appropriate.

1ove, the writer

For example, i f a car has special features, the seller should mention them:

tct information:

otherwise , the move should be skipped. Optional indicates that the move is

call (optional).

left to the discretion of the writer. For example, i n the used-car ad , sellers

1.4. lmportam

can decide whether to state their cars' condition , their names, or when to call .

. this textbook)

Writing Modules

Some moves or submoves are not required in all i nstances. Such moves and
submoves a re followed by the words if applicable or optional (in parenthe-

fers a subjective

tal order in

Unless stated otherwise, a move or submove is required without the move

or submove, the genre would be incomplele and i neffective (e.g., i magine a

1tial facts about

1ves 2 and 3).

Each move and submove begins with an action verb (e.g. , state, identify,

-':
''

Required Moves
Most moves a re required; that is, the genre would be incomplete or unrecognizable
without the m .

learning to Write like a Chemist

17

Occasionally, moves or submoves are required only in some instances or are left to the
discretion of the writer. We label such moves if applicable and optional, respectively.

Analogous move st ructures are used th roughout this textbook to illustrate

major sections of the journal article, poster, and research proposal. The move
snuctures are meant to guide you in reading and w riti ng these genres. Like t he
used-car ad, most moves are required, but a few are not. For example, in the
Methods section of a journal article, the move "Describe Numerical Methods" is
labeled

f applicable (see figu re 3.1) because not all authors use numerical methods

i n their work Similarly, the submove "preview key findings" in the lmroduction
secr ion is labeled optional (see figure 6.1) because it is the author's prerogative to
include that move or not. Of course, we cannot possibly know what is applicable
for all individuals reading this textbook, so, as a writer, you will need to decide for
yourself which moves and submoves are most relevant for your own purposes.

Moves highlight the fine organizational struc t u re of a genre and help w achieve
the purpose of the genre. With this in mind, what is the purpose of the used
car ad genre? Could you achieve this purpose if your ad was missing one of the
required moves? On the other hand, i f your ad contains all of the required moves,
are you guarameed to achieve your purpose?

-'0):
"'

The Right Answer?

Exercise 1.8, like many exercises in this textbook, is designed to get you thinking about
writing; hence, it will have several "right" answers (although some answers may be better
than others).

Writing Conventions
Every genre has its own writing conventions (the third essential component of
gen re analysis), and chemistry-specific genres are no exception. Writing con
ventions, as the name impl ies, are generally accepted (and expected) pranices;
they are not 'right" in the absolute sense ( u nlike most rules of grammar and
punctuation). Writi ng conventions are governed by rules of writing that should
be followed within a panicular genre but often vary across genres. (Thus, if you
wr ite in more than one genre, you will need to learn the w riting conventions for
each gen re.)

18

Writing M odules

learnir

r=
s or are left

to

the

:spectively.

Writing Conventions
Rules of writing that a re fo llowed within a particular genre, but often vary across genres.

ook to illustrate
?Osal. The move

Exam ples include h ow to for m at g raphics, h ow to cite references, when to c a pi t a lize,

and whether to use past or present tense.

genres. Like the

example, in the
ical Methods" is
merical methods
the lmroduction
's prerogative to
hat is applicable
eed to decide for
wn purposes.

One writing convention that varies across genres is formatting. Consider, for
example, the formatting of business leners; typically either indented paragraphs
or blocked paragraphs separated by spaces are used. These variations in format
ting lead to noticeable differences in appearance. Or consider the formatting used
in a telephone book. Lasts names are bolded and in uppercase, followed by a
lowercase first name (e.g., MILLER Albert); for an extra fee, you can request addi
tional holding and/or a larger fom size (e.g., CHICAGO TITLE INSURANCE).
If telephone book entries were formatted differently (e.g., first name followed by
last name), the genre would hardly be recognizable, and the information provided
would be more difficult to access.

help to achieve
)Se

of

the used

:;sing one of the

equired moves,

Formatting
Writing conventions specific t o a genre th at d ictate the a ppearance and physical
placement of written elements in, for exam ple, t a bles, figures, references, headings, and
number/unit com binations.

Chemistry-specific genres also have formatting rules. There are formatting

nking abo ut
m ay be better

rules for tables, figures, in-line citations, references, and number/unit combina
tions, to name only a few. The rules reflect reader expectations with regard to font
size (e.g., in poster titles), holding (e.g., in labeling, where I can be used to repre
sent a chemical compound), italics (e.g., in references, where volume numbers are
italicized), and placement (e.g., in citations, where numbers are superscripted).
The rules also dictate whether or not to include a space between a number and
its unit. For example, which is correct: lOmm or 10 mm, 100 C or 100 C?
Formatting conventions will help you answer this question.

component of
Writing con

:ted) practices;
grammar and
ng that should
;_

(Thus, if you

onvemions for

The use of abbreviations and acronyms is another writing convention that var
ies across genres. In every genre, we see abbreviations and acronyms for words
and phrases that are used repeatedly in that genre (and often, these abbreviations
appear to be a foreign language to newcomers to that genre} For example, the shop
ping list uses "choc," OJ," and "pb" for chocolate, orange juice, and peanut butter,
respectively; the used-car ad uses "mpg," "sp," and "obo" for "miles per gallon,"
"speed," and "or best offer," respectively. To write effectively in chemistry, you need
to learn the standard abbreviations. Although you may already be familiar with "m"
for meters and "g" for grams, you may be less familiar with ")lg" for micrograms and

Writing Modules

learning to Write like a Chemist

19

"h" for hours. With abbreviations such as t hese, chemists omit the "s" for plural units
("g" not "gs" for grams) and seldom use periods ("min" not "min." for minmes).

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Abbreviations and acronyms are agreed-upon short forms for commonly used words and
units.
When spoken aloud, abbreviations are often pronounced letter by letter (e.g., A-C -5),
whereas acronyms form a pronounceable word {e.g.,

NASA).

Genres also vary by their conventional uses of verb tense (past present, or
,

future) a nd voice (acti ve or p ass i ve voice). For exampl e most jokes (including the
,

three-men joke) are wld (or wrinen) in present tense {"Three men arc about to
be execuled" as opposed to "Three pe o ple were . . about to execmed"). Present
. . .

tense is used to make rhe joke more vivid for the lisrener or reader. jokes also tend

to be told in active ra the r than passive voice:

Active

A panda walks into a bar and orders a drink.

Passive A bar is emered by a panda, and a drink is ordered .

In this textbook, we examine how rense a nd voice are used i n journal a rticles,
posters, and proposa ls. As we will see, all tenses and both voices a re used, depend
ing on which genre, or section of a genre, is being written .
Writ i ng conventions may seem a bit picky w you at this point; however, by
adhering to t he writing conventions of chemists, you take an i mportant step toward
sounding like an expert chemist. If y o u submit a journal article, for example, with
improperly formatted units and figures, incorrect abbreviations, and inappropriate
verb tenses (e.g. , present tense in sentences that are conventionally w riuen in past
tense), readers may judge you as a careless scientist and d ismiss your work.

Look back at the sentence(s) that you w rote i n exercise 1.5. List a ny special writ
ing conventions that you used. Would others interested in this LOpic know and
use the same conventions?

Grammar and Mechanics

The fourth component of gen re a n a lysis addressed i n t h is textbook relates
to grammar a nd mechanics. Unlike writ i ng conventions, which va ry across
genres, grammar and mecha nics ar e gov erned by rules ha t apply to many

20

Writing Modules

"s" for plural un it s

formal written genres, though variations exist, for example, in spelling and
punctuation. (The rules may be altered intentionally in creative writing genres

for m inu t es).

such as poetry or fiction writing.) A l tho ugh grammar and mechanics are not
the focus of this textbook, we do point out common pi t f a lls experienced by
novice writers. As shown in table l.l, these include errors in parall el ism ,
'/used words and

punct u a t ion , su bjec t-verb agreement, and correct word usage (e.g., affect vs .
e ffect).

:ter (e.g., A-C -S),

Grammar and Mechanics

Grammar: Rules for combining words into meaningful sentences (e.g., subject-verb

pasl, present,
s

or

(including the

n arc . . . about to
cuted "). Present
.jokes also tend

agreement).
Mechanics: Rules for spelling and standard punctuation (including the use of apostrophes,
hyphens, and capitalization).
In general, rules of grammar and mechanics are followed across formal written genres,
though variations exist (e.g., British and American spelling).

Word Usage

ournal articles,
used,

depend-

The term word usage refers to correct and incorrect uses of words and phrases. For
example, there is a right way and a wrong way to use such words as affect and effect and

spectra and spectrum.

H;

h o wever, by

ant step wward

In contrast, the term word choice refers to choosing among several conventionally
accepted words and phrases for a particular audience.

example, with

:l ina ppropr i at e
written in past

ur work.

The panda joke (table 1.3), adapted from a b estselling b ook entitled Eals,
Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation (Truss, 2003), illus
trates the importance of correcr punctuation (specifically, the troublesome
comma). How should the punch line be p u nctuated in the panda joke to provide

y special writ
pic know and

a proper definition of a pand a? Here is what we recommend:

Punch line Panda. Large, black-and-white bearlike mammal, native to
China. Eats,-shoots, and leaves.

Corrected

Panda. Large, black-and-white bearlike mammal, native to

China. Eats shoots and leaves.

Like punctuation, the misuse of c om monly confused words (e.g., its/it's, affect/

tbook relates
1

vary across

,ply

effect, comprise/compose, fewer/less) can result in miscommunication and

undermine the message conveyed in your writing.

lo many

Writing Modules

learning to Write like a Chemist

21

Consider the following sentences. Choose the correct word in each. What rule
guided your choice? (See appendix A for assistance, if needed.)
a. The hum an w rist is comp rised/composed of eighL bones, but the ankle has only
seven.
b. Fewe r/Less samples were used in the original series.
c. The new procedure affected/effected the yield .
d. The instrumem was chosen for i t 's/its detect ion limits.

Science Content
It goes without say i ng that having a crystal clear understanding of a
subject is a prerequ isite to effectively wri t i ng a bou t i t .

-joseph H. Ald stadl , Un iversity of Wisconsi n-Milwaukee

The fifth and last essential componem of genre analysis addressed in this textbook
is science content. It is i mpossible lo w rite a dear and effective paper if you lack a
d ear understanding of the chemistry involved understanding the chemistry and
writing about t hat chemistry go hand in hand. Writing is also an effective tool
for learning c hemist ry. Chemists often "rhink through their hands" ( i . e., through
writing). You w ill fi nd that as you w rite about your science, you will gain deeper
insights and knowledge of t hat science.

Content
The topic(s} covered in a given genre; content is expressed through both text and graphics.

Every gen re has rules (often unspoken) restricting appropriate content for
t hat genre. A joke restricts content by appropriateness depending on t he audi
ence, some content may be viewed as offensive rather than funny. A used-car ad
restricts content by topic (you must advertise a used car, not a used refrigerator)
and by space (you pay by the word, so you describe the car in a precious few li nes,
using standard abbreviations). journal articles also restrict conlenl; a chemist ry
related journal art icle must be wri u en about novel research in a subfield of chem
ist ry. Although a chemist could write a paper that describes how a cake is baked
(''After mixi n g , the i ng redients were heated in an oven for 60 m i n at 1 76 C."),
we aH know that such a paper would never be published in a chemistry journal,
even if it adhered to all other defining characteristics of that gen re. However dear

22

Writing Modules

lean

t he organization and w riting a re, if the content differs from the expectations of
the gen re , it will not be recognizable as a n instance of the genre. Thu s , a genre
ch. What rule

requires not only appropriate organization and language, but also appropri ate
content.

mkle h as only

Content is typically expressed in one of two ways: text (prose , written language)
and graphics (photograph s , drawings, figures, etc.). Used-car ads, for example,
may include a photograph of the vehicle, whi le recipe cards may include pictures
of the prepared dish. Chemistry genres are no exception. Chemists express their
content with graphics (tables, figures, and schemes) in addition to text. One key
to clear chemistry writing i s the appropriare and effective use of both forms of
expression. In t hi s textbook, we illustrate how chemists use text and graphics
to communicate content effectively, and how the authors weave back and forth
between the two to tell a story of scientific discovery.
As you analyze t he ways in which chemists communicate conten t , don't be
surprised if you learn some new chemistry, too. Although the primary focus
of t h is textbook is writing, we believe that your chemistry knowledge will also
expand as you read , analyze , and write.

this textbook
r

if you lack a

hemistry and
effective tool
(i .e. , through

Read and analyze the following excerpt from a M aterial Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
for barbecue lighting fluid . Comment on as many of the five essemial writing
components a s you can: audience and purpose, orga nization, writing conven
tions, grammar and m echanics, and science content.

l gain deeper
SECTION 2: COMPOSITION/IN FORMATION ON I N G R E DIENTS"

and graphics.

HAZARDOUS I NGREDIENT NAME

CAS No

CONTENT

RISK

C LASS

Petroleum DistiHate (Kerosene)

64742-47-8

99%

R65

Xn

Benzene (CAS No 7 1 -43-2) will not normally be presen t , but always be less t han the 0 . 1 %
w/w marker level i n t he 2 1 st A T P to t h e Dangerous Substance Directive. Barbeque Lighling
Fluid is not classified as a carcinogen under 67/548/EEC and t he UK CHIP Regul ations.

content for
:m

the audi

used-car ad
refrige rat or)
us few lines,
1

SECTION 3: HAZARDS IDENTI FICATION

INGESTION
SK I N CONTACT

Harmfu l if swallowed in l arge amounts.

Un likely to cause irritation to skin on single
exposure. Prolonged exposure m ay defa t t h e

chem i stry

skin leading to dermatitis.

ld of chem
tke is baked

EYE CONTACT

May cause irritation and reddening of t h e eyes.

l t 1 76 C."),

I NH A LATION

Vapour a t h igh concentrations may cause

Hy journal,

d izziness, headaches, nausea.

)wever clear

'riting Modules

learning to Write Like a C hemist

23

Ex ercise 1 . 1 1 (Continued)

PHYSICAL A N D CH EM ICAL HAZARDS

Toxi c t o aq uatic organisms, ma y ca use long

term effects in th e aquatic environmen t

a. Adapted from Bird Brand Material Safety Data Sheet. Product: Barbecue Lighting Fluid. http://www.
birdbrand.co.uk/msds/Barbecue%20Lighter%20Fluid.doc (accessed June 2004).

What to Expect
My graduate a dvisor told
students: Writing i s
idea in

me

something many l imes that 1 now tell my

thinhing. In orde r lo t ruly communicate a scientfi c

precise written form , o n e really needs to think long a n d h ard

abou t the best way lo accomplish that goal.

-Al exander C r ushow, R ider Universi ty

Each module in Section l of this textbook begins with an introduction to the

(hi

targeted genre, including an overview of t he sections that commonly compose the

genre. The remainder of the module examines each of those sections in greater
dept h . For example, module l , "Thejournal Anicle", includes an introductory chap
ter followed by individual chapters dedicated to the different seclions of a journal
article: the abstract, lmroduction, Merhods, Results, and Discussion (although nor
in that order). Most chapters begin with an authentic example of the targeted sec
tion from the chemistry literature, taken largely from American Ch emical Societ y
(ACS) j ourn als, which you will become quite familiar with by t he end of this book

You are asked to read the example (multiple times) a nd analyze it for its essential
components (audience and purpose, organization, w riting conventions, grammar
and mechanics, and science content). The rest of the module includes excerpts
from rhe chemistry literature, explanations, and exercises designed to strengthen
your ability to read, analyze, and w rite in that genre. I me rspersed throughout the
chapters are "Writing on Your Own" step-by-step tasks that will guide you in writ
i ng i n the target genre. While you w rite, we suggest ways for you to improve your
writing through multiple revisions of your work

ACS (American Chemical Society}

The premier American professional organization for chemists, chemical engineers, and
other professionals interested in chemistry (ht tp://www.acs.org).

Module 2 ("The Scientific Poster" and conference abstract) and module 3

("The Resea rch Proposal") a re organized similarly w module 1 they include an

24

Writing Modules

le

introduction to the genre, authentic examples of the genre, a detailed discussion

of each section composing the genre, and Writing on Your Own tasks. Through
use

l ong

rt en t
mp://www.

this combination of reading, analyzing, and writing, you will learn to recognize
t he defining characteristics of four important genres in the field of chemistr y and
to incorporate those c haracteristics into your own writing of those genres.
Section 2 of the text book includes chapters t h at are relevant to t he four genres
covered in section 1. In these chapters, you w ill learn to format tables, figures,
and schemes (chapter 16) as well as citations and references (chapter 17). In the
last chapter (chapter 18) , you will find useful hints for the final stages of revision
for all your written work.
Additional language tips-related to audience and purpose, writing conven
tions, and grammar and mechanics-are included in appendix A. Each tip has
explanatory notes, examples, exercises, and an answer key, making self-study
easy. Appendix B repeats, for easy reference and accessibility, the move structures
included in the texrbook.

:tion to the
)mpose the

in greater

ctory chap

Chapter Review
As a review of what you've learned in this c hapter, define each of the following
terms for a friend or colleague who is new to the field of chemistr y :

:>f a journal
_though not
1rgeted sec

cal Society
f t his book.

word choice

ACS

genre

optional move

audience

genre analysis

purpose

word u sage

content

move

required move

writing conventions

formatting

move structure

ts essential
;, grammar
s excerpts

Similarly, explain the following to a f riend or colleague who has not yet given much
thought to chemistry genres geared toward expert and scientific audiences:

strengthen

Genres commonly used by chemists at various levels in their training

ughout the
ou in writ
prove your

;.,

Five components of genre analysis and how they facilirate the read-analyze
write approach to writing in chemistry
Audiences that scientific writing typically addresses
Common purposes of scientific writing
Differences between broad and fine organization

rs,

and

Relationship between a genre's move structure and its organization

Exam ples of formatting, word choice, and word usage that are both appropri
ate and inappropriate in chemistry-specific writing genres
Two different means of communicating science content

module 3
mclude an

ting Modules

Learning to Write Like a Chemist

25

Additional Exercises

Use what you k now about audience and purpose to place each of the genres intro
duced in this textbook (journal art icle, scientific poster, and research proposal)
on t he following continua.

Persuasive

More prescribed

More visually appealing

Less prescribed

Less visually appealing

Skim the poem "Next Slide, Please," w r itten by Roald H offmann , who i n 1 981
shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Kenichi Fukui . In t hi s poem , Hoffmann
pokes fun at seminar presentations. The poem serves as a n example of a genre
lhat d i ffers in many ways from the scientific papers writlen by t his world-re
nowned chemis[ .
a. Who is Hoffmann's audience?
b. Wha t was h i s purpose for writing t h i s poem?
c. Although you may not have read m a ny of H offmann's scienti fic papers,
s peculate on ways in which this poem is d ifferent in orga n ization , writing
conventions, grammar a nd mechanics, and science content from the many
journal an ides r hat he has writ len for expen audiences.

Nex! Slide, Please

there was no question t ha the reaction worked
but transient colors were seen
in the slurry of sodium methox id e in dichloromethane
a nd we got a whole lot of producs
for whi ch we can't son out the kinetics

26

Writing Modules

lea

the next slide will show

t he most important part
very rapidly
w ithin two minutes
and I forgot to say on further warming
genres int ro

we get in fact the ketone

ch proposal)

you can't read it on the slides

but I refer to t he structure you saw before
the low temperature infrared spectrum
as I say
gives very dire ct evidence

rsuasive

so does t he N M R
w e calcu lated it
throwing away the geminal coupling
which is of cou rse w rong

escribed

there's a difference of 0.9 pans per m illion

and it is a singlet
and sharp
which means two t hings

ppealing

either
you're doing t he N M R in excess methoxide
and it's exchanging
or
I would hazard a guess

ho in 1 9 81
,

Hoffmann
of a gen re
world-re-

that certainly in t hese nucleophilic conditions

t here could well be
an alternative pat h
to t he enone you see there
it's difficult to see
you could monitor this quite well in the infrared
I'm sorry in the N M R
m y time i s u p I see

ers,
:vriting
e many

well this is a brief summary of our work

not all of which
I've had time to go into
in as much det ail as I wanted
today.
(Hoffmann, 1 987: pp 51-52)

Science writers, wo rking for m agazines such as Science News and

Popular Science,

translate discoveries reported in journ al articles (written for expert audiences)

ing Modules

learning to Write like a Chemist

27

into anides that a more general audience can understand. Consider t he fol
lowing example, where we juxtapose an original passage from Nat u re with its
t ranslation in Sc ience News. Both passages explore why staggered ethane is more
stable t han its eclipsed conformer. You may have learned in organic chemistry
that t he eclipsed conformation is higher in energy because of s teric (crowding)
effects, but computational results suggest that the real reason has LO do with
hyperconjugation .
a. Read and compare the titles of the Nat u re and Science News articles. What
difference(s) do you notice?
From Natu re: Hyperconj ugation Not Steric Repulsion Leads to the Staggered
Structu re of E thane
From Science News: Molecular Chemistry Takes a New Twist

b. Now read and compare the two passages below. Iden t i fy at least three differ
ences in the writing styles for t he t wo audiences.
This structu ral preference is usually auribmed w steric effects. 1-7

H ere, we

report . . . t hat ethane's staggered conformarion is the result of . . . hypercon

jugation . (From Pophristic and G oo dman, 2001)
Textbooks . . . pin it on s o - called steric effects . . bm . Poph ristic looked
.

at t h e other known influence on ethane's twisting-a quantum

mechanical effect known as hyperconjugation . "The electrons of one
methyl group j ump over to the other methyl group," says Goodman .
(From G orman, 2001)
c. Select a concept that most chemistry majors are fami liar w i t h but that
the general public is not (e.g. , t he resonance structures of benzene or the
molecular shape of water). Write an explanation of the concept for a general
aud ience.

Below are five examples of a gen re t h at you are l i kely familiar wit h, the
Acknowledgmems sec t i on. Acknowledgmems are com monly included as a
shon sec tion at the end of journal arti cles , just before the References section .
Usi n g t h e j oke and used-car ad examples in this chapter as guides, conduct
a full an alysi s of the genre of t h ese Acknowledgment s sections, usi ng the five
examples as representat ive samples of the genre. Speci fically, ide m i fy the
following:
a. The intended audience and p urpose of the genre (consider level of detail,
formality, conciseness, and word c hoice)
b. The w ri t i ng conventions of he genre (e.g., abbreviations and acronyms, verb
tense, voice)

28

Writing Modules

learn in

der t h e fol
:u re

c. The ways in which the coment is communicated in the genre (wpic, text,
graphics)

with its

mne is more

d. The fine organizational structure of the genre. Do this by proposing a move

c chemis try

strucmre (similar to figures 1 . 3 and 1 .4) for the genre (not the i ndividual

(crowding)

acknowledgments). Assign move l abels t hat reveal the actions taken by the

to do with

writers. (Hint: There are some optional moves, i.e. , moves that do nOl appear
in all examples; be sure to indicate which moves are optional in your move

5.

structure.) Arrange the boxes so that t hey reflect the typical organization of

What

j ournal-article Acknowledgments sections.

1e Staggered
ti

(From Prevedouros et al . , 2004) We are grateful w the UK Department of

the Env i ronment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Air Quality Division
for financial support . We also wish to thank Anna Pal m of the Swedish

tree differ. . Here, we

.

hypercon-

Environmental Research Institute and Dr. Knut Breivik of the Norwegian

Institute for Air Research (N ILU) for t heir helpful comments .
-- (From H u a nge et al . , 2004) We gratefu lly acknowledge the supp ort from
t he N ational Nature Science Foun dation of China (20375005) and the
Bilateral Scienti fic and Techn ological Cooperation Flanders Belgium

)Oked

China (Ol l S0503).

(From Raczynsk a and Darowska , 2 004) E . D.R. and M . D . (SG GW) thank

f one

the Pol i sh State Committee, t h e Conseil General des Alpes M aritimes,

man .

and the French Ministry of H igher E du cation and Research for fi nancial support and t he Warsaw Agricu l tural University for the l e ave of

:hat

absence. J . D. was financially supported by the U .S . D O E O B E R Low Dose

or the

R adiation Research Program. Ab initio calculations were carried out at the

a general

I nterdiscipli nary Center for Molecular Modeling (IC M , Warsaw).

tt

(From Dick and McGown, 2004) This work was supported by the National
Institutes of Health (Grant lR03 AG2 1742-0l).

"

(From Vitoria et al., 2004) This study has been fi nanced by CICYT Proj ect
REN2002-04288- C02-02 of the Spanish Government and partially by

wit h , t h e

luded as a

SGROl-00073 of the Catalohian G overnment. We would like to thank the

Serveis Cientificotecnics of the University of Barcelona (Spain).

:es sect ion .

:s, conduct
ng the five
iemify the

deta i l ,

Access the homepage for Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN) through the ACS
\Veb site. On the C&EN homepage, find and select the last issue of the previ
ous year, which will have a cover story t itled "(Year) Chemistry Yea r in Review."
Open the cover story and read several of the chemistry highlights. Describe the

.yms, verb

iting Modules

intended audience and purpose of these highlights .

learning to Write like a Chemist

29

r.
-:!---:: .

Reflect o n what you h ave learned from this chapter. Select one of the reflection

- .

tasks below, and w rite a thoughtful and thorough response:

a. Reflect on the idea of audience in scientific w riting.
"'' What d id you know about audience before reading t hi s chapter? Where
did you learn it?
r

What audiences have you w ritten for i n the past? What types of w riting

"'

H ave you written for an expert audience before? What challenges do you

did you do for these audiences (e.g., l ab repons , journal a rticles)?

think you'll encounter writing for a n expert audience?
b. Reflect on the relationship between read ing and writing in chemistry genres.
H ow might your w riting improve by reading aUhentic examples of chem i
c a l w ri ting (e.g . , journa l an ides, posters, research proposals)?
:t

How m ight your read i ng improve by lea rn i ng ro w rite in profession a l

genres of chem i st ry?
What aspects of your reading a nd writing do you hope will improve?
Why?

c. Reflect on the value of genre analysis activities and their role in the read
analyze-write approach to writing.
; :1

What are you l ikely to learn from engaging i n genre a nalysis activities?
H ow might your reading and writing abil ities improve as a result of genre
a nalysis?
Which focal poin ts of genre analysis (audience and purpose, organization,
w riting conventions, g rammar and mechanics, and/or science content)
do you think will be most useful to you w hen you attempt to w ri te for an
expert audience? Why?

d. Reflect on the value of move structures.

What is the value of depicting the fine organization of chemistry genres
through move structures?
H ow might move struct ures help you w it h your wriling?
Why might chemical w riting be structured in such formulaic ways?

30

Writing Modules

Modt

Write Like a Chemist

A Guide and Resource

Marin S. Robinson
Northern Arizona University

Fredricka L. Stoller
Northern Arizona University

Molly S. Costanza- Robinson

Middlebury College

James K. Jones

New York

Oxford

Oxford University Press

2010