Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences [Paperback]

Vicky McMillan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312115040 | ISBN-13: 978-0312115043 | Publication Date: August 1996 | Edition: 2nd Sprl

An introduction to the aims and format of biological writing, designed primarily for undergraduates but also useful for postgraduate students preparing dissertations or journal contributions. This is a self-help manual offering straightforward solutions to common problems, and an overview of the diversity of writing tasks faced by professional biologists.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

VICTORIA E. MCMILLAN (Ph.D., Syracuse University) teaches in the interdisciplinary writing department, the biology department, and the women's studies program at Colgate University. A behavioral ecologist who has published a number of scholarly and popular articles on animal behavior, McMillan is currently focusing her research activities on reproductive strategies in insects, dragonflies in particular.

--This text refers to the Spiral-bound edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 197 pages
• Publisher: Bedford/St Martins; 2nd Sprl edition (August 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312115040
• ISBN-13: 978-0312115043
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #117,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent guide to writing as a biologist, May 23, 2000

By 

Alan R. Holyoak - See all my reviews

This review is from: Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences (Paperback)

Our biology department adopted this book as the writing guide for our biology majors a couple of years ago. It includes information about how to seek for and use biological literature, how to present data (including graphs and figures) in the context of scientific writing, and it has a great section on writing research papers. There are ample examples in the book that students can use as models.

The author presents information on framing the paper, and how to use drafts in order to produce a good product. There is also a section that addresses other kinds of writing skills used by biologists -- oral presentations, poster development, writing research proposals, and letters of application.

We encourage students to use this book in all of their courses. It is a required support text for Principles of Biology I and II, and for our junior level Orientation to Research course.

I appreciate the fact that the book is spiral bound. That makes it possible for you to have the book open by other things you are working on without it flipping shut all the time, like it would if it had a regular binding.

This book with less than 200 pp. works well for us and our students. I think it could work well for you, too.

Alan Holyoak, Coordinator of Biological Research, Manchester College, IN

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly Useful, August 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences (Paperback)

Both college students and professors will find this book very useful as a beginning guide to preparing written and oral reports. Every biology student should own this informative, easy-to-use book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scientific Papers, November 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences (Paperback)

Used it for scientific research papers in college. Great reference, easy to understand, plenty of examples.