MetaStructure

Manuscript Structuring

Audience identification, journal selection, methods section detail, supplementary materials, integration of equations, title and abstract design, signposting, structural coherence, analysis of effective papers.

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Required readings (before class)

• Sand-Jensen (2007) How to write consistently boring scientific literature

To do (before class)

Look over slides.

Class structure

Discussion of slides & Sand-Jensen (2007).

Remaining time: Analysis of effective papers

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Further readings

• Forscher 1963) Chaos in the Brickyard

• How to construct a Nature summary paragraph

• Swales & Feak (2004) Academic writing for graduate students: Essential tasks and skills

• Pechenik (2025) A Short Guide to Writing about Biology. Chp. 1 General Rules

• Pechenik (2025) A Short Guide to Writing about Biology. Chp. 6 Revising

• Savage & Yeh (2019) Tips from a Pulitzer prizewinner

• Harley et al. (2004) Scientific Writing And Publishing - A Guide For Students

• Schimel (2014) Writing Science How to Write Papers That Get Cited and Proposals That Get Funded

• Singh Chawla (2025) Catchy, clear, concise: Three-part phrases boost paper citations

• Weinberger et al. (2015) Ten Simple (Empirical) Rules for Writing Science

• Orwell (1946) Politics and the English language

Math/theory-relevant papers

• Ellner (2006) How to write a theoretical ecology paper that people will cite

• Fawcett & Higgins 2012 Heavy use of equations impedes communication among biologists

• Ou et al. (2022) Writing accessible theory in ecology and evolution: Insights from cognitive load theory

• Shaw et al. (2024) Six personas to adopt when framing theoretical research questions in biology

• Shoemaker et al. (2021) Writing mathematical ecology: A guide for authors and readers

Exemplary writing recommended by colleagues

• Wiens & Embert (2024) How life became colourful: colour vision, aposematism, sexual selection, owers, and fruits. Biological Reviews

• Gabay et al. (2019) Inter-Partner Specificity Limits the Acquisition of Thermotolerant Symbionts in a Model Cnidarian-Dinoflagellate Symbiosis. ISME Journal

• Maruyama et al. (2022) Heat Stress of Algal Partner Hinders Colonization Success and Alters the Algal Cell Surface Glycome in a Cnidarian-Algal Symbiosis. Microbiology Spectrum

• Matthews et al. (2017) Optimal Nutrient Exchange and Immune Responses Operate in Partner Specificity in the Cnidarian-Dinoflagellate Symbiosis. PNAS

• Parkinson et al. (2018) Subtle Differences in Symbiont Cell Surface Glycan Profiles Do Not Explain Species-Specific Colonization Rates in a Model Cnidarian-Algal Symbiosis. Frontiers in Microbiology

Additional resources

• My LaTeX manuscript template

• Squibler's Most Dangerous Writing App - Don't stop typing or all progress will be lost!

• BioRender - "Professional" science figures

• Writing with AI speech recognition

• OSU's Written Feedback service -Submit your writing for a written response from a writing consultant

• OSU Writing Intensive Curriculum Program external resources

• Duke Graduate School Scientific Writing Resource

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