Unveiling the Art of Scientific Article Writing
Text Type Focus:
Scientific
Articles
IB English Language and
Literature Paper 1: Textual
Analysis
Purpose
•
General interest articles are intended to
inform
a wide readership about
a variety of topics linked to science, technology, nature and the
environment.
•
Famous sources for scientific articles include magazines such as
National Geographic, Cosmos, Nature, New Scientist
, and more.
•
As an adjunct to being informative, scientific articles also attempt to
interest
the reader in their subject matter. By
engaging
a reader in an
interesting way, it is more likely that the reader will be open to the more
difficult concepts the article might contain.
D
i
c
t
i
o
n
•
Writing about scientific topics necessitates the use of scientific language. You can expect to find
technical language
and
topic-specific vocabulary
in scientific
articles.
•
You might encounter some
jargon
, which is language that is difficult to understand for readers outside the subject area. A text with lots of
jargon
will certainly
have a niche audience.
•
However, scientific articles for a general readership will not be too difficult to understand. While the
register
might be academic, the diction will be less
technical.
•
Compare the
use of diction
in these two articles: the first is about Stethoscopes; the second about an experiment using Swamp Water. Which text is easier to
understand? Why? Can you describe the readership of each?
C
o
m
p
a
r
i
s
o
n
s
•
You may have noticed the use of
comparisons
in the text about
Stethoscopes.
•
Comparison
is a way of helping a
general readership understand more
difficult concepts.
•
Literary comparisons such as
similes
and
metaphors
are actually quite
common in scientific articles.
•
Look again at the stethoscope article
by Gavin Harris. Could you explain
the use of
comparisons
in this text?
V
i
s
u
a
l
s
•
A common saying is a picture is worth a
thousand words, and that is true in
scientific articles as well as other text
types.
•
Expect
photographs
,
maps,
diagrams,
and other types of images to accompany
the text, helping you visualize topics and
understand concepts.
•
Look at this extract from a longer text
on the life cycle of thunderstorms. How do
the visuals help you understand the
information in the text? Are there any
specific words and concepts the visuals
help you decode?
C
h
a
r
t
s
a
n
d
G
r
a
p
h
s
•
Another type of visual you might expect to see in a scientific article is the
chart
or
graph
.
•
Graphs often help
simplify
complex topics for the reader or present complex data in a
simple
form that is easier to digest than blocks of text.
•
These graphs are taken from an article about permafrost. What information do the two
graphs help you to understand in an efficient way?
S
t
r
u
c
t
u
r
a
l
F
e
a
t
u
r
e
s
•
You may have already noticed that
simplification
is a major feature of general
interest scientific articles.
•
You might also see particular features of
structure and layout
contributing to this
effect:
box-outs, bullet points, summaries
and the like might all be employed to help
important information stand out and be
easily read.
•
Notice how this National Geographic article
(about the journey of water molecules
across the universe) is prefaced by a
box out
that presents key information in a
simplified
form. You would expect the following text to
provide more detail about how water
molecules traveled from a comet to the ink
on ‘this page’.
C
r
e
d
i
b
i
l
i
t
y
•
What is the
source
of the article? Is it from a
reputable magazine or is it a blogpost? Who is
the writer of the article? Are outside
sources
or
links to follow-up information included?
•
Different texts establish credibility in different
ways. Scientific texts are made credible through
the presentation of
facts and statistics
, through
a factual
tone
, and by the inclusion of
expertise
.
•
How does this text by James Randerson build
credibility?
•
Study this text,
an article from
Science News
published in
2016.
•
Answer the
guiding
question:
In
what ways is
this text
constructed to
appeal to a
wide audience?
Y
o
u
r
T
u
r
n
Delve into the world of scientific articles in IB English Language and Literature Paper 1. Understand the purpose, use of language, comparisons, and visuals in scientific writing. Explore how these elements engage readers and simplify complex concepts through examples like stethoscopes and swamp water experiments. Gain insights into the strategies employed to make scientific articles informative and interesting for a wide readership.
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Presentation Transcript
Text Type Focus: Scientific Articles IB English Language and Literature Paper 1: Textual Analysis
Purpose General interest articles are intended to inform a wide readership about a variety of topics linked to science, technology, nature and the environment. Famous sources for scientific articles include magazines such as National Geographic, Cosmos, Nature, New Scientist, and more. As an adjunct to being informative, scientific articles also attempt to interest the reader in their subject matter. By engaging a reader in an interesting way, it is more likely that the reader will be open to the more difficult concepts the article might contain.
Writing about scientific topics necessitates the use of scientific language. You can expect to find technical language and topic-specific vocabulary in scientific articles. Diction Diction You might encounter some jargon, which is language that is difficult to understand for readers outside the subject area. A text with lots of jargonwill certainly have a niche audience. However, scientific articles for a general readership will not be too difficult to understand. While the registermight be academic, the diction will be less technical. Compare the use of diction in these two articles: the first is about Stethoscopes; the second about an experiment using Swamp Water. Which text is easier to understand? Why? Can you describe the readership of each?
Comparisons Comparisons You may have noticed the use of comparisons in the text about Stethoscopes. Comparison is a way of helping a general readership understand more difficult concepts. Literary comparisons such as similes and metaphors are actually quite common in scientific articles. Look again at the stethoscope article by Gavin Harris. Could you explain the use of comparisons in this text?
Visuals Visuals A common saying is a picture is worth a thousand words, and that is true in scientific articles as well as other text types. Expect photographs, maps, diagrams, and other types of images to accompany the text, helping you visualize topics and understand concepts. Look at this extract from a longer text on the life cycle of thunderstorms. How do the visuals help you understand the information in the text? Are there any specific words and concepts the visuals help you decode?
Another type of visual you might expect to see in a scientific article is the chart or graph. Graphs often help simplify complex topics for the reader or present complex data in a simple Charts and Graphs Charts and Graphs form that is easier to digest than blocks of text. These graphs are taken from an article about permafrost. What information do the two graphs help you to understand in an efficient way?
You may have already noticed that Structural Features Structural Features simplification is a major feature of general interest scientific articles. You might also see particular features of structure and layout contributing to this effect: box-outs, bullet points, summaries and the like might all be employed to help important information stand out and be easily read. Notice how this National Geographic article (about the journey of water molecules across the universe) is prefaced by a box out that presents key information in a simplified form. You would expect the following text to provide more detail about how water molecules traveled from a comet to the ink on this page .
Credibility Credibility What is the source of the article? Is it from a reputable magazine or is it a blogpost? Who is the writer of the article? Are outside sources or links to follow-up information included? Different texts establish credibility in different ways. Scientific texts are made credible through the presentation of facts and statistics, through a factual tone, and by the inclusion of expertise. How does this text by James Randerson build credibility?
Your Turn Your Turn Study this text, an article from Science News published in 2016. Answer the guiding question: In what ways is this text constructed to appeal to a wide audience?
