Scientific Paper Pre-reading Questions by alex

Try to answer the following questions about the way to read a scientific paper.

Task 1: Basic Structure

1 What is the main purpose of a scientific paper?

2 Scientific papers usually follow a __________ format?

What do you think is the missing word?

3 So what does the sentence in question 2 mean?

4 Put the following sections in the order that they appear in a scientific paper.

a) Results, b) Materials and Methods, c) Acknowledgements, d) Introduction, e) Abstract, f) Discussion, g) References

i) _____ ii) _____ iii) _____ iv) _____ v) _____ vi) _____ vii) _____

Compare your answers with your group members.

Task 2: Expression

Now, in your own words describe the function of each section.

Task 3: Details of the sections of a scientific paper?

1 In what way do the Abstract and the Introduction differ?

2 What two purposes of the Discussion section?

3 Who might be mentioned in the Acknowledgements?

4 If the author of a paper is testing a hypothesis, what does he/she do? Where does he/she do this?

5 What is a ‘legend’? Can you think of a synonym for legend?

6 There are two types of legend. How are they different?

7 Why are Results and Discussion sometimes combined?

8 Where might we see a Summary?

9 Where are questions posed in the Introduction usually answered?

Compare your answers with your group members.

Task 4: Other formats

1 In what way do articles in the journals Nature and Science differ from normal scientific papers? Why is this?

2 How many sections are there in a Nature or Science article?

Compare your answers with your group members.