Couching my KISS

One piece of advice I got from one of my supervisors in regards to my proposal was, "KISS". "KISS" is an acronym for Keep It Simple, Stupid. An interesting piece of advice for someone who likes to make, "bold unsupported statements" according to another supervisor. The latter supervisor highly suggests "couching" my remarks to avoid making these overly simplistic statements. The act of couching aims to make your writing less definitive where multiple views exist. For example, one might change their writing from "blank will be impacted by blank", to "blank will likely be impacted by blank (ref.; ref.; ref.)". So "KISS" and couching might seem like they are very much mutually exclusive "styles" of scientific writing. Not the case.

For this scientific writer, I often get slammed by my reviewers (supervisors) for adding supporting information to a particular point or statement that might be better done with a series of references. This speaks to the KISS principle, where I need not add "excess" information to a point or statement where proper referencing will do. After I have "trimmed the fat" of this supporting information, I have a tendency to leave the original particular point or statement intact (i.e., as if the supporting information was still there). This is where I get slammed by reviewer (supervisor) #2 of being too definitive in my particular point or statement. Rightfully so, after trimming the fat", these points or statements seem very ultimate or final where they might need a small douse of ambiguity.

So how to make these work together? For me, after KISSing, I will be sure to rework the original point or statement that is left standing to reflect the material that was cut paying particular attention to make sure the statement is not too definitive if other views exist. Thereby, keeping the writing simple and couching.

Dyslexie -font for dyslectics

Dyslectics often have problems with reading and writing. A new typeface has just emerged specifically geared towards minimizing some of these problems. Check it out here.

"too conversational"

A comment that I find writing a lot on the REM 100 term papers that I correct is, "too conversational". This basically translates into, "you write like you talk, and you talk like an idiot". I believe that most high school English teachers teach their students that writing like you speak is wrong, because what you are saying. and ultimately writing, is a lot of "um", "like you know", and "I feel like..." 's. Writing this way is wrong because it invokes the sense of rambling, which in your term paper writing equates to wasting words or filling up space because you either don't know what to say or don't have the training to say it properly. So I believe my writing the comment, "too conversational" is usually justified.

Peering beyond the prospect of rambling, I recently ran across a blog that stated, "if you want people to learn and remember what you write, say it conversationally." That is to say, when you want people to learn what you are reading you should be writing informally, or conversationally. The blog goes on to summarize the studies that demonstrate this interesting idea. This is all well and good for the fiction and most non-fiction with the special exceptions of technical and peer-reviewed journal writing. Unfortunately, I wish to write in peer-reviewed journals where the age old paradigms of attention to formal detail and process still exist. If I ever write a book I look forward to unleashing my creative talents in story form. But, since I am not changing the format of the jornal article in my generation, back to the factory settings.

Structured Procrastination?

Yep, it's real. Check it out here.

Basically, make a list and put important things at the top. Just make sure the important things at the top are really not that pressing. Examples include make peace with God, feed kitten, and reconcile with estranged child. Wait, that second one is kinda pressing. I will be right back.

Metaphor, Analogy, or Simile

What is the appropriate use of these commonly mixed up words? Let's compare.

Metaphor: a figure of speech that uses a image, story, or tangible thing to represent another thing or some intangible quality or idea. For example, "All the world's a stage." -Shakespeare

Simile: compares two different things to create a new meaning. Often uses the words "like" or "as". For example, the world is like a stage.

Analogy: a comparison between two things that might seem different. Often used in standardized tests in the form "A is to B as C is to D".

Thanks Yahoo Answers

Condusive?

Just finished writing a email and wanted to use the word "condusive". Despite being used quite frequently in the spoken word, this word is not condusive to proper grammar. The word that one would want to use in the written word is "conductive".

Conductive: tending to produce; conducing; contributive; helpful; favorable (usually fol. by "to"): Good eating habits are conducive to good health.

Beginning a sentance with "this"

Is beginning a sentence with "this" grammatically correct?

Short answer, yes.

However, it is imperative that it is clear what the "this" is referring to. "This" should refer to something in the previous sentence. Additionally, beginning too many sentences with "this" can make your writing have a monotonous tone.

Thanks for the help other bloggers!

Way it goes...

An Important Lesson

Function for how long it takes your supervisor to return your document with comments:

t = (p x c) / (wd - sd)

where

t = time (days) until your document is returned
p = pages of document
wd = non-holiday weekdays this month
c = # of cats your supervisor owns
sd = # of sunny days in the last 20 days

If this isn't a PhD comic, it should be.

Not sure which word to use? Combine all three.

http://i.imgur.com/OlxBq.jpg

Upcoming Posts

Just got done grading a good group of Environmental Science 400-level essays. Some of the common mistakes I saw made that will make good upcoming posts are:
-excessive use of transition words and phrases
-improper word order
-failing to use the "conversation test"
-going for sheer # of features in a paragraph without merit, conciseness, or stress of important features

These will be discussed in upcoming posts along with some posts I have been keeping in my back pocket:
-need for creative thought
-expressing creative process/thought throughout your writing/research
-writing moods/modes
-solid science introductions
-framing a research question or goal

Zotero the Reference Manager

I have previously used Refworks for my reference manager, but I am not a fan of the "write and cite" manager in Microsoft word. My laboratory has access to the proprietary software Endnote, but I find that equally as frustrating. In starting with a new PhD topic, I thought a new, more user friendly, reference manger might be appropriate. I shopped around and found zotero. Zotero is an online reference manager that is fused with Mozilla Firefox. So when you are searching on something like JSTOR or Science Direct, you can click a link in the toolbar and it will automatically add it to the reference manager. Easy to use, produces a variety of bibliographies. Stored/backed-up on a cloud.

There are some known issues.

I think I will give it a whirl.

Deductive versus Inductive Research Approach

Lets review:
Deductive: more general to the more specific. Sometimes known as the top down approach. Conclusion follows logically from available facts. "Formal Logic".

Usually (i.e. traditionally) is associated with quantitative methods (objective, causation). The type of question is usually pre-specified and outcome oriented. The type of analysis is usually numerical estimation and statistical inference.

Theory -> Hypothesis -> Observation -> Confirmation

General -> Specific

Inductive: specific observations to broader generalizations and theories. Sometimes known as the bottom up approach. Conclusion is likely based on facts. Involves a degree of uncertainty. "Informal Logic" or "Critical Thinking".

Usually associated with qualitative methodology (subjective, meaningful). The type of question is usually open-ended and process-oriented. The type of analysis is usually narrative description and constant comparison.

Observation -> Pattern -> Tentative Hypothesis -> Theory

Specific -> General

Reference: Inductive and Deductive Research Approach

Capitalizing Proper Nouns

The first thing to do when deciding if to capitalize a noun is to decide if it's a proper noun or a common noun. Proper nouns are capitalized, common nouns are not. Proper nouns name specific people, places or things.

The difficulty is deciding words that go either way (e.g., Internet, Web, Website). Is a word like "Baby Boomers" capitalized or not. Since "Baby Boomers" refers to a specific thing, it is capitalized.

For more examples see Grammar Girl.

A Good Research Question/Goal/Hypothesis(es)/Objectives

Some definitions:
Research Question: a sort of "preamble" to your hypothesis(es). Something that interests you and will drive/guide your research. A single good research question will keep you interested for the duration of research, be grounded in one field or discipline, feasible within the constraints of the available resources, distinguished between what you will research, and is flexible. In qualitative research this might be known as a "research problem". Posing a direct question will make the subsequent hypothesis(es) or research questions more grounded, focused, purposeful, and directional. It is my personal opinion that the larger research question need not be explicitly stated.

Hypothesis(es) (or subsequent research questions): ways of explaining something previously unexplained. It is a form of a research question. It can be verifiable through investigations that can be reproduced. Hypotheses that can be tested are known as "testable hypotheses". The method of trying to provide the opposite of the hypothesis (what you want to show) is known as "null hypothesis".

These definitions follow the practical approach to research (specifically step 1 and 2):
1. Identify a good research question
2. Formulate some questions (or hypotheses) that can be researched
3. Design the research investigation
4. Selected the most appropriate materials or sample to study and the tools to use
5. Gather the data
6. Analyze these data using pre-defined criteria (e.g., statistics)
7. Report on the results in the dissertation

Where goals and objectives fit in is step 3.
Research Goals: outline the strategy that best positions the investigation (research) to confirm or reject the hypothesis.

Research objectives: get you actionable information and knowledge (e.g., recommend, approve, formulate). In qualitative research these might be known as "research tasks".

Adapted from: Dissertation Success

Thus, thereby, and therefore

There isn't a verdict out on what the proper uses are of these. However, I have tried to replace these words with certain phrases to see if they still make sense. Obviously, your context matters, but it seems "thereby" is the least preferred option of the three because it usually implies a process (time-dependent).

So try replacing
therefore with "for this/that",
thus with "consequently",
and
thereby with "by doing so"or "by this/that".

Does your sentence still make sense? If it does then you have a winner! If it does not, reword trying to not use thus, thereby, or therefore, which you should probably be trying to do anyways.

If I don't write it down, does it matter?

If your like me then you read for efficiency and immediacy, kind of like a crime scene investigator. Turns out there is a name for that, "power browsing". If your also like me than you read get most of your information online. Power browsing online is re-engineering the way our brains reads, and therefore thinks. So how does this affect writing.

To the history! When Nietzche was losing his sight he bought a typewriter and learned to touch type (typing without looking at the keyboard). Nietzche's writing style changed because of this new writing medium. Friedrich A. Kittler noted that Nietzsche's prose "changed from arguments to aphorisms, from thoughts to puns, from rehtoric to telegram style".

So we know that our brains (neurologically) are reprogrammed when adapting to new mediums of writing. So what has that done to my writing? When I was a boy I wrote poetry, even through undergraduate school I frequently got the comment, "Too flowery, write like a scientist". It makes sense that I wrote most of my papers in pen on paper until my undergraduate, when I was forced (in order to become a scientist) to adopt the new medium -the computer. If my brain had not reprogrammed I would not be a scientist, but what did I lose?

Bringing me to my big question, "if I don't write it down, does it matter?" I know, very "If a tree falls in the forest......" philosophy. But we did lose something in the transition from pen and paper to computer based (later uploaded online) writing, that being creativity. Thinking like a computer (or the internet) stifles creativity. If I were going to blame someone for my stifled creativity it would be Frederick Winslow Taylor. Freddy will be the topic of another post, because if your like me (a power browser), this is where you would stop reading.

Ideas generated for this post thanks to the stunning article, Is Google making us Stupid?

Criteria versus Criterion

There are several words with Latin or Greek roots whose plural forms ending in A are constantly mistaken for singular ones.

You can have one criterion or many criteria. Don’t confuse them.

-BeeDictionary

Others: Plural/Singular
data/datum
media/medium
phenomena/phenomenon

Single (') versus Double (") quotes

Deciding whether to use single or double quotes is a style issue. Both are common in the English language; however, the single style is considered standard in British English and double style in American English. Being in Canada, this allows you to choose (poach) whichever style you prefer from either English (see post "Queens versus American English").
-wikipedia

p.s., I will now be including labels for posts for easy searching

Empty Words and Phrases

In grading a batch of REM 100 term papers (the class I TA), I have noticed that when students are presented with a lengthy assignment they begin inserting many empty words and phrases. One such example:
"Deforestation is harmful to the environment."

The use of the word "harmful" provides an immediate subjective and emotional response in the reader. In "scientific" writing this is highly frowned upon. What defines "scientific" writing might be the topic for another blog post, but peppering in extremely value-contentious words and phrases is not "scientific".

I recently read a paper that deals with these empty words and phrases. The author had this to say:

"We don’t listen any more. Perhaps this is because words are very cheap and so many are thrown away each day. Our loss of critical listening skills leaves us vulnerable to manipulation by words which have no meaning but seem to describe a desirable situation. These empty words can evoke a strong, reflexive reaction just like the leg movement when the knee is stuck. In both cases the reaction is produced without the stimulus passing through the brain."

"Empty phrases are meaningless and loaded with emotion. Their use takes away the opportunity for calm, objective discussions of risk, time scales, degree of disturbance and the important ecosystem characteristics of recovery and adaptability."

While I don't agree with the author entirely, I think he hit on what empty words and phrases are with that last quote. This may sound a lot like my "ambiguity" post from a while back. That being, REM 100ers using to many ambiguous words, but I think it worth posting again in this incarnation.

Is "different than" incorrect grammar?

Yes, "different than" is bad grammar. The correct phrase is "different from". An amusing blog has this to say:

"A sensible discussion of different from versus different than may be found in Theodore M. Bernstein's The Careful Writer, published in 1965. Bernstein favors the former usage in most instances. So does the usage panel in my 1976 American Heritage Dictionary. The argument has nothing to do with Latin. People say different than out of the mistaken belief that different is a comparative adjective and thus takes than, as with better than, faster than, etc. But it's not a comparative (diff, differ, diffest?), it just looks like one. Different is used to draw a distinction and thus properly takes from, as do separate from, distinct from, apart from, etc. (One recognizes that we say in contrast to; one also concedes that another false comparative, other than, is firmly entrenched in the language. Never mind, this is English. One does the best one can.)"
-The Straight Dope

To summarize:
different= distinction, not comparative.
than = comparison
then = time

Method of Multiple Working Hypothesis

I have chosen to use the method of multiple working hypothesis for my current PhD research.

This method was championed by T.C. Chamberlin in the 1890s and was directed to me by Dr. David Gross of the University of Illinois. An encapsulation can be found under the title: T.C. Chamberlin's "Method of Multiple Working Hypotheses": An encapsulation for modern students. A more recent article that uses multiple working hypothesis can found under the title: Patters of Gap-Phase Replacement in a Subalpine, Old-Growth Forest, by Dr. Kenneth Lertzman.

The main idea behind using multiple working hypothesis is to get away from the ruling theory, i.e., the trap assumes your research will lead to meaningful results. Using multiple working hypothesis makes it more likely that the researcher will see the interaction of several causes, promote more thoroughness than research directed toward one hypothesis, and avoid the pitfall of accepting weak or flawed evidence for one hypothesis when another provides a more elegant solution.

The major drawback of framing your research in this manner is that of indecision. As you balance the evidence for various hypothesis, it is possible to rush to a (false) conclusion. Keeping an open mind, and above all, WRITING YOUR HYPOTHESES DOWN, will help avoid this pitfall.

My current hypotheses are:

In my research, I will examine how carbon management should be conducted in Canada's National Park with respect to the following (mostly not mutually exclusive) hypothesis:
1. Previous Flux of Carbon
-carbon management should be determined by analysis of previous fluxes of carbon from deglaciation to the present (Holocene)
2. Future Flux of Carbon
-carbon management should be determined by modeled future fluxes in carbon
3. Park Management Practices
-carbon management should be determined by best practices identified by park managers

My previous hypotheses were:

The data presented in my research will be examined with respect to the following (mostly not mutually exclusive) hypotheses:
a. Liming [4] –Chemical Option
-reacting CO2 rich power plant gases with limestone to form Ca2+ and bicarbonate in solution, which can then be released and diluted in the ocean
b. Direct Injection via Platform [2] – Physical Option
-injecting liquid CO2 from a platform (e.g., retrofitted oil rig) at depth (>3,000m) in the ocean
c. Surface Nutrient Pipe Translocation [5] –Biological Option
- deploying a large number of floating “pipes” in the ocean that act to translocate nutrient-rich seawater from below the mixed layer to the ocean's surface (upwelling), the nutrient supplied should enhance the growth of phytoplankton and consequently the export of organic carbon to the deep ocean via the biological pump

Next post will be on "strong inference".

Double Affirmative?

Does it exist? You can have a double negative, which can either mean "No" or "Yes" depending on the context (e.g., "not hardly"). But what about a double affirmative? Say, "yes mostly"? I ask you, the blog reader. I have not found any info on this matter.

When to indent your quotations

While I will likely only ever paraphrase someone in my academic writing, it is good to know the rule of when to indent a "long quotation". The rule is 5 or more lines in MLA style (Purdue Writing Lab). But wait, I learned more. If you quote even a few words in text you should cite your source immediately thereafter and not at the end of the sentence. For example:

According to some, dreams express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184), though others disagree.

And, of course, you can omit parts of quotations using the "(...)".

-Purdue Writing Lab

Where to identify sources in your writing?

There is very little information on this subject on the web, but in general:
If your sources are very important to your ideas, you should mention the author and work in a sentence that introduces your citation. If, however, you are only citing the source to make a minor point, you may consider using parenthetical references, footnotes, or endnotes.
-Plagerism.org

In my experience reviewing literature, I have found that if you are paying tribute to a particularly novel idea or theory you probably should cite them at the beginning of the sentence, usually before writing on their novel idea or theory.

E.g., Marchetti (1977) proposed that directly injecting CO2 into seawater below 3,000m, given average temperature and pressure, will sink to the ocean floor.

In my experience, putting the source at the beginning of your sentence, negates the necessity to reference the source parenthetically at the end of the sentence (e.g., Marchetti, 1977). Note: this does not negate the need to reference them in your references, bibliography, or literature cited.

When should I use an ampersands(&)?

Only under the following circumstances:
-in certain company names, e.g. Smith & Jones Consulting.
-if space is very limited, e.g. in a table with a lot of text.
-when artistic considerations dictate, e.g. a logo.
-In MLA or APA citations the ampersand is used when citing sources in text such as (Jones & Jones, 2005). In the list of references, an ampersand precedes the last author's name when there is more than one author.

Do not use an ampersand in general writing simply to abbreviate the word "and". For example, we write:

We need to reorder toner cartridges and paper.

not:

We need to reorder toner cartridges & paper.

betterwritingskills.com

The Hook

An essay's "hook" is the first few sentences that serve to draw and inspire the reader to continue reading. This is something that usually serves as a place for "writer's block", but it doesn't have to be. Since this should be something that is the most interesting aspect of your unwritten essay, the best tip I have heard in constructing a good hook is to write the essay first. Seems like common sense, but it is definitely something that my REM 100 students do not take into account. Most of the students open with the original question that inspired them to write the essay in the first place. This tact is great except for one small detail, they open their essay with a question. Without getting into the actual merits of opening your essay with something like, "Have you ever imagined where a bra comes from?", I would like to explore some easy alternatives to the question "hook".
Try completing these sentences:

When I was thinking about this, I couldn't believe that______.

It was amazing to me that ________.

Imagine what it's like to_______.

The image I can't get out of my head is ______.

Taken from ehow.com "How to write a hook for an essay".

After writing the "hook", have someone else look it over and ask them, "after reading the first X sentences were you interested in reading more?". If the answer is yes, you have your "hook".

Serial Comma,,, 1,2, and 3?

The serial or oxford comma is the comma before "and" or "or" in a list of three or more items. I have always omitted this comma, but I have come to learn that this is largely a popular media (e.g., newspaper) thing. There is not written rule on weather or not to use one in a list, however, it has become the convention to use it to add consistency and clarity. Per usual, Grammar Gril has the final say,
"Consider this sentence: I went to see Zack, an officer and a gentleman.
Without the serial comma—I went to see Zack, an officer and a gentleman—it could mean that Zack is both an officer and a gentleman, or that I went to see three people: Zack, an unnamed officer, and an unnamed gentleman.
With the serial comma—I went to see Zack, an officer, and a gentleman—it could still mean two different things. It could mean I went to see three people (Zack, an unnamed officer, and an unnamed gentleman), or it could mean I went to see two people (Zack, who is an officer, and an unnamed gentleman)."

Bottom line, use it!

-Grammar Girl

Getting Started

You can't change something unless you have something to change.
Things to start with:
Title: Carbon storage in lacustrine and peatland systems in Canadian National Parks
Looking at theses in my area (paleolimnology, time to hop off to the library.......

Theory or Law?

If you read anything about the Intelligent Design debacle you might have heard something along these lines:

"There is still doubt about the theory of evolution, that is why it is still a theory."

This argument is really a misnomer of "theory". The word theory in the theory of evolution does not imply doubt from mainstream science regarding its validity; the concepts of theory and hypothesis have specific meanings in a scientific context. While theory in colloquial usage may denote a hunch or conjecture, a scientific theory is a set of principles that explains observable phenomena in natural terms. Evolution is a theory in the same sense as germ theory, gravitation, or plate tectonics. Put another way, a scientific theory summarizes a hypothesis or group of hypotheses that have been supported with repeated testing. A theory is valid as long as there is no evidence to dispute it. Therefore, theories can be disproven. Basically, if evidence accumulates to support a hypothesis, then the hypothesis can become accepted as a good explanation of a phenomenon. One definition of a theory is to say it's an accepted hypothesis.

Example: It is known that on June 30, 1908 in Tunguska, Siberia, there was an explosion equivalent to the detonation of about 15 million tons of TNT. Many hypotheses have been proposed for what caused the explosion. It is theorized that the explosion was caused by a natural extraterrestrial phenomenon, and was not caused by man. Is this theory a fact? No. The event is a recorded fact. Is this this theory generally accepted to be true, based on evidence to-date? Yes. Can this theory be shown to be false and be discarded? Yes.

What about the Law?

A law generalizes a body of observations. At the time it is made, no exceptions have been found to a law. Scientific laws describe things, but they do not explain them. One way to tell a law and a theory apart is to ask if the description gives you a means to explain 'why'.

Example: Consider Newton's Law of Gravity. Newton could use this law to predict the behavior of a dropped object, but he couldn't explain why it happened.

-Scientific Hypothesis, Theory, Law Definitions

The Space Between

I was born after the modern computer was invented, however I was trained in typing using typewriter typeset. Learning typewriter typeset equates to one thing in modern word-processing: I use two spaces after the end of sentence punctuation instead of one. Apparently, this is still cool, but going out of style. According to The Chicago Manual of Style (1), the AP Stylebook (2), and the Modern Language Association (3) all recommend using one space after a period at the end of a sentence. Furthermore, page designers have written in begging me to encourage people to use one space because if you send them a document with two spaces after the periods, they have to go in and take all the extra spaces out.
-More about that on the famed Grammar Girl website

So, I know it's a hard habit to break, but I suppose I will give it a try.

Colons

I was recently writing my Teaching Philosophy statement and I opened up with this gem:
"As a teacher, my goals are: to encourage students to be active learners; to give instruction in new ideas that foster passion; and to create connections between the field of environmental science and the practice of environmental science."

My editor was quick to point out that semicolons are never needed in a list when commas will do the trick. Which got me to thinking about the colon and lists. Grammar girl once again has an amazing page on the issue. Basically, colons are the mark of "expectation or addition". That's because the colon signals that what comes next is directly related to the previous sentence. Which brings us to the golden rule of colons:

only use colons after statements that are complete sentences.

It would be wrong to say, "Grammar Girl's favorite hobbies are: skiing and reading" because "Grammar Girl's favorite hobbies are" is not a complete sentence by itself. (And, really, who would rather ski than stand on one foot?) You can often fix those kind of sentences by adding the words the following after your sentence fragment. For example, it would be fine to say, "Grammar Girl's favorite hobbies are the following: skiing and reading" because you've made the thing before the colon a grammatically complete sentence by adding the words the following.

Thanks again Grammar Girl