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Reading Scientific Text

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Trisha Mae Quiban
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18 views28 pages

Reading Scientific Text

Uploaded by

Trisha Mae Quiban
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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READING

SCIENTIFIC
TEXT
SCIENTIFIC TEXT
Scientific text is informational text. It includes many
facts, ideas, concepts, and procedures. The purpose for
reading scientific text differs from the purpose for
reading a fictional text. Scientific text is read to gain
knowledge in a particular area of science. It is
characterized by:
CLARITY : Scientific writing must be clear and concise to avoid
misunderstandings.
OBJECTIVITY: It should present information in a neutral and
unbiased manner.
PRECISION: Scientific text uses precise language and avoids
vague or ambiguous terms.
EVIDENCE-BASED: All claims must be supported by empirical
evidence.
STRUCTURE: Scientific texts typically follow a specific structure,
such as the IMRAD format
COMMON TYPES OF SCIENTIFIC

• RESEARCH PAPER - present research findings

• REVIEWS - summarize and analyze existing research on a particular topic.

• TEXTBOOKS - provide introductory or advanced information


on a scientific subject.

• SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES- These can be found in scientific journals and often


cover a specific topic or experiment.
4 MAJOR
COMPONENTS

Scientific literature consists of many


different components often divided
according to the age of the information
presented.
Textbooks, reference books, A good starting point for
handbooks of data understanding a new field.

An overview of recent
Review articles and
work in the field, useful as
monographs of similar work
an indication of key issues
done in a particular area of
in the field and areas for
study
further research.
Details from original
Journal articles in current studies, useful evidence
literature or illustrations on which
to base theories or
opinions

A catalogue of information
Scientific abstracts and
in a field, with reference
citations a summary of
details so that you can find
current and historical
and read the studies that
information.
are most relevant to your
work.
STRATEGIES FOR READING SCIENTIFIC
PAPERS AND TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS
In scientific reading there will be several purposes for reading. A
good reader will adapt his/her style accordingly.

1. Skim
2. Read the whole article more
carefully
3. Look up words
4.Take notes
5. Summarize
6. Make Connection
Skim
Start by reading the abstract to make sure the
article is relevant to your topic. Then skim the
introduction before skipping to the results
and/or discussion section.

• YOU MIGHT SKIM READ.


Read the whole article
more carefully
If, based on your skim, the article still
seems relevant now take the time to
read through the whole article.

•YOU MIGHT READ SECTIONS VERY


CAREFULLY
Look up words

Look up words and concepts you aren't


familiar with as you read. Start familiarizing
yourself with some of the topic's background
and vocabulary.
Take notes
It help you understand what the article is
driving at. Try highlighting quotes or sections
that have bearing on your topic.

• make notes about specific ideas and


examples you can use .
Summarize

After you finish reading through the article,


write a quiet summary or reflection while the
article is still.
Make connections
Think about how the article relates to your
overarching topic. Does it add something
new to your discussion? Will it help you show
a new angle to your topic? Consider how the
article ties in with the other sources you have
read
READING ESSENTIAL TEXTS

• Read the introduction and


summary sections of chapters.
These will often provide a concise
statement of the authors'
intentions and major points.

• Skim the headings in each


relevant chapter or section.

•‌ Read the first and last sentences


of paragraphs.
READING ESSENTIAL TEXTS
• READ the relevant sections
of the whole work carefully, •Look at the information
SECTION BY SECTION, about the authors of the
MAJOR POINTS OR IDEAS in text and the date when the
your own words and book was first published. It
recording which sections helps you to understand the
are of particular interest so authors' point of view and
that you can find them again where their work fits in with
later. other publications in the
same field.
The reading of current
READING literature in the form of
journal articles is often the
JOURNAL most daunting task for
undergraduate students.
The material is usually
ARTICLES written by experts in the
particular field and for
other experts in that field.
Reading should be in two stages. Firstly,
try to discover the "meaning" by
previewing the article.

•Look at the title: it should describe the study


briefly.

•‌ Read the abstract. The abstract is a concise


overview of the article. It should contain:
•‌ Look for these elements as you read the
abstract.

•Read the summary/conclusions. If the abstract


indicates the article may be useful, look for a
section titled "summary/conclusions" and read
it. If this section does not exist, skim read the
discussion.
Identifying
structure
Five common types of structure used in scientific texts are:

GENERALIZATION For example:


plant may have a
the extension or clarification of main growth response. This
ideas through explanations or happens when ...
examples
ENUMERATION For example:
At the store, I bought
making or stating a list of things one salt, pepper, flour,
after another sugar, baking soda, and
cinnamon.

SEQUENCE
Common sequence words are
first, next, second,
a connecting series of events meanwhile, suddenly, and
or steps finally.
For example:

FIRST' signals the first thing someone did in a story or


the first step in a procedure. NEXT signals the next
event in a story or the next step in a procedure.
'MEANWHILE signals an event that overlapped in time
with the previous event described, while SUDDENLY'
signals an unexpected event or interruption.
'FINALLY' signals the last event in a story, or an event
after a long delay or long sequence of events.
For example:
if you were classifying clothing
CLASSIFICATION you might classify by color and
put all green clothes into a
grouping items into classes category, with all red clothes in
a separate category, and all blue
clothes in a third

For example :
COMPARISON / CONTRAST Comparison: apples and oranges
are both fruit
examining the relationships between two or Contrast: an apple has a thin
more things, comparison one similarity , skin that we can eat; an orange
contrast one difference has a thick skin that we cannot
eat
THE MAIN IDEA &
CONTROLLING IDEAS

Identifying the main idea and the controlling idea in a topic sentence
involves breaking down the sentence to understanu the core
message and the supporting details or concepts that elaborate on
that message
THE MAIN IDEA &
CONTROLLING IDEAS

1. Identify the Main Idea (Topic):

The main idea, also known as the topic, is the central concept or message of
the topic sentence.

Look for the most general and essential information in the sentence. What is
the sentence primarily about?
THE MAIN IDEA &
CONTROLLING IDEAS

2. Identify the Controlling Idea (Supporting Details):

The controlling idea provides specific details, examples, explanations, or


evidence that support or clarify the main idea.

It serves to expand upon the main idea, giving it context and depth.
SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENT

A scientific argument is an explanation or


point of view related to the natural world
that is based on evidence and logic. That
argument might be counter to the
generally held opinion, but it's always
based on actual data. If it isn't based on
data, it's still an argument; it's just not a
scientific one.
THANK YOU
FOR
LISTENING!

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