An introduction to the use of Hilary Glasman-Deal's "Science Research Writing". This intro is for my PhD engineering students, as a strategy inroad. Sets up a comparison with Swales and Feak's "Academic Writing for Graduate Students".

1. Introduction to Science Research Writing
This textbook is very useful
for engineering students
who are writing research papers.
The approach taken here
is quite different from that of
most writing textbooks.
These remarks are tentative;
after we've used the book in the Research Writing
class, I'll revise them.
-Lawrie Hunter
Glasman-Deal, H. (2010) Science Research Writing. Imperial College Press.

2. Introduction to Science Research Writing
Key features:
1. Analysis of the 'communication
moves' in each section of the
research paper (RP).
2. Grammar and writing skills:
discussions of language features
related to each RP section.
3. Vocabulary lists: function-based lists
of vocabulary used in technical academic writing.

3. Science Research Writing
Communication moves
In this textbook, there is an
analysis of the communication
moves in each section of the
technical research paper.
"Communication moves"
is a concept from linguistics.

4. Communication moves
When we communicate,
our communication almost always
has a purpose or goal.
E.g. "Please may I have a Coke?"
Goal: getting a coke.
E.g. "Do you have any butter?"
Goal: finding out if the store has butter.
Goal: finding out where the butter is.
Goal: getting some butter.

5. Communication moves
The things we say or write
in order to achieve a goal
are called 'communication moves.'
In a research paper,
every sentence in every section
is a communication move.

6. Communication moves
Science Research Writing
teaches you how to identify the
communication moves in a RP
and guides you through the process of deciding
the communication moves
in YOUR paper.

7. Communication moves
Academic Writing for Graduate Students
also uses communication moves,
but only for the Introduction
and Discussion sections of the RP.
Swales, J.M. and Feak, C.B. (2004) Academic Writing for Graduate Students.
(2nd edition). U. of Michigan Press.

8. AWGS' moves in the Introduction RWS' moves in the Introduction
Communication moves: section section
comparison of AWGS identifies the following set of
communication moves for creating a
RWS identifies the following set of
communication moves for creating
research space in the Introduction section: a research space in the Introduction
AWGS and SRW section:
Move 1: Move 1:
establishing a research territory a. Establish the importance of your
a. by showing that the general research area field
is important, relevant, etc. (optional) b. Provide background
b. by introducing/reviewing items of facts/information (possibly
previous research (required) research)
c. Define the terminology in the
title/key words
Present the problem area and or
current research focus
Move 2: Establishing a niche. Move 2:
a. by indicating a a. Previous and/or current research
gap/questioning/extending previous contributions
research (required)
Move 3: Occupying the niche in move 2 Move 3:
a. by outlining purposes of/stating the a. Locate a gap in the research
nature of the present research (required) b. Describe the problem you will
b. by announcing principal findings address
(optional) c. Present a prediction to be tested
c. by indicating the structure of the RP
(optional)
d. by stating the value of the present
research
Move 4:
a. Describe the present paper

9. Grammar and writing skills:
In each chapter SRW explains some
language features related to the section
under discussion.
Please note that some of the language forms in SRW
are in fact informal academic English,
and thus are not suitable for use in many journals.
You have to do good dossier work to decide which
grammar forms may be used safely
in the journal that you are targeting.
Another good kind of dossier work is to sort the lists in
SRW into formal and informal, precise and vague.

10. Vocabulary lists
SRW provides function-based lists of
vocabulary that are particularly useful
in the writing of each section of the RP.
Again, you have to be careful: the words in the list are
not all suitable for writing Formal Academic English
(FAE).
Since the definition of FAE is a pragmatic definition,
you need to do good dossier work on papers in your
target journal. This kind of dossier work must be done
as far in advance of writing as possible.
I.e., please begin yesterday!