BIO 415 Behavioral Ecology

Written by a professional biologist who is also an experienced writing teacher, this comprehensive guide for students writing in biology, zoology, and botany provides detailed instruction on researching, drafting, revising, and documenting papers, reviews, poster presentations, and other forms of writing.

An annotated guide to selected resources in the biological sciences, presenting a wide-ranging list of important sources. Emphasizes current materials in English and includes retrospective references for historical perspective and to provide access to the taxonomic literature. It covers both print and electronic resources including monographs, journals, databases, indexes and abstracting tools, websites, and associations--providing users with listings of authoritative informational resources of both classical and recently published works. With chapters devoted to each of the main fields in the basic biological sciences, this book offers a guide to the best and most up-to-date resources in biology. Includes a supplementary website dedicated to keeping URLs of electronic and web-based resources up to date, a popular feature continued from the third edition.

Aims to strengthen you as a presenter of science and engineering. The book does so by identifying what makes excellent presenters such as Brian Cox, Jane Goodall, Richard Feynman, and Jill Bolte Taylor so strong. In addition, the book explains what causes so many scientific presentations to flounder. One of the most valuable contributions of this text is that it teaches the assertion-evidence approach to scientific presentations. Instead of building presentations, as most engineers and scientists do, on the weak foundation of topic phrases and bulleted lists, this assertion-evidence approach calls for building presentations on succinct message assertions supported by visual evidence. Unlike the commonly followed topic-subtopic approach that PowerPoint leads presenters to use, the assertion-evidence approach is solidly grounded in research. By showing the differences between strong and weak presentations, by identifying the errors that scientific presenters typically make, and by teaching a much more powerful approach for scientific presentations than what is commonly practiced, this book places you in a position to elevate your presentations to a high level. In essence, this book aims to have you not just succeed in your scientific presentations, but excel.

Designed to help scientists and engineers write about their work clearly and effectively. Includes many useful suggestions about approaching a wide variety of writing tasks from journal papers to grant proposals, as well as a concise guide to style and usage appropriate for scientific writing.

Concise and effective tips spanning all relevant areas to deliver engaging scientific presentations. Readers will strengthen their skills in preparing, practicing and delivering presentations at both physical and virtual conferences and seminars. Best practices for structuring presentations and elements to include and those to exclude such as detailed sections on the use of videos, animations and tables are included. Common errors often seen in scientific presentations are highlighted along with tips on how to interact with audiences and keep them engaged. This will be a valuable resource for scientists in all areas of chemistry and materials science as well as engineers who wish to elevate their scientific presentations. 

A guide for research methodology and scientific writing covering various elements such as finding research problems, writing research proposals, obtaining funds for research, selecting research designs, searching the literature and review, collection of data and analysis, preparation of thesis, writing research papers for journals, citation and listing of references, preparation of visual materials, oral and poster presentation in conferences, and ethical issues in research . Besides introducing library and its various features in a lucid style, the latest on the use of information technology in retrieving and managing information through various means are also discussed in this book. The book is useful for students, young researchers, and professionals.

Topics include designing visual aids, writing first drafts, reviewing and revising, communicating clearly and concisely, adhering to stylistic principles, presenting data in tables and figures, dealing with ethical and legal issues, and relating science to the lay audience. Covers all aspects of communication for early scientists from research to thesis to presentations. Discusses how to use multi-media effectively in presentations and communication Includes an extensive appendices section with detailed examples for further guidance

Given that scientific material can be hard to comprehend, sustained attention and memory retention become major reader challenges. Scientific writers must not only present their science, but also work hard to generate and sustain the interest of readers. The writer needs to have a clear understanding of the role played by each part of a paper, from its eye-catching title to its eye-opening conclusion. This book walks through the main parts of a paper; that is, those parts which create the critical first impression. Young researchers can find solid guidelines that reduce the confusion all new writers face.

Telling people about research is just as important as doing it. But many competent researchers are wary of scientific writing, despite its importance for sharpening scientific thinking, advancing their career, obtaining funding for their work and growing the prestige of their institution. This second edition of David Lindsay's popular book Scientific Writing = Thinking in Words presents a way of thinking about writing that builds on the way good scientists think about research. The simple principles in this book will help you to clarify the objectives of your work and present your results with impact. Fully updated throughout, with practical examples of good and bad writing, an expanded chapter on writing for non-scientists and a new chapter on writing grant applications, this book makes communicating research easier and encourages researchers to write confidently. It is an ideal reference for researchers preparing journal articles, posters, conference presentations, reviews and popular articles; for students preparing theses; and for researchers whose first language is not English.