The Chicago Guide to Communicating Science (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing and Publishing)

Whether you are a graduate student or a senior scientist, your reputation rests on the ability to communicate your ideas and data. In this straightforward and accessible guide, Scott L. Montgomery offers detailed, practical advice on crafting every sort of scientific communication, from research papers and conference talks to grant proposals, professional reports, review articles, speeches for the general public, interviews with the media, e-mail messages, and more. Montgomery avoids the common pitfalls of other guides by focusing not on rules and warnings but instead on how skilled writers and speakers actually learn their trade - by imitating and adapting good models of expression. Moving step-by-step through sample writings from a wide variety of scientific disciplines, he shows clearly and precisely where different texts can be improved, how to critique and design visuals, what the role of "experiment" is with regard to writing, and more. He also traces the evolution of scientific expression over time, providing a context crucial for understanding the nature of technical communication today. Later chapters take up the topics of Internet science; writing creatively in science, how to design and use graphics; and how to deal with the mass media. Written with humour and eloquence, this book provides a unique and realistic guide for anyone in the sciences wishing to improve his or her communication skills.