EASA-450 Scientific Communications, Spring 2005
Martha
Davis - Chapter 3, Organizing and Writing a Rough Draft
Get
Started!
Just
beginning the task may take some effort - procrastination is so easy
Do
you have the material at hand?
What
is your style? - do you outline, do you write in a stream of consciousness,
do you write best under pressure?
Have
you thought about what you want to say? - if not it will be painfully clear
pretty soon
Tips
If
you are having trouble, try the following:
outline
the parts of the document (IMRADC)
jot
down subjects or ideas to be presented in each section
get
your initial thoughts down on paper fast - while your thoughts are flowing -
revision can wait till later
if
you can't write directly on the computer screen, use a pencil outline on
paper first
generally
you start in the middle - with methods and results - later you add an
introduction, discussion and conclusions
write
freely and in your own style - this is the place to express yourself
check
out Ransom's Rules
As
you Proceed
Once
you get going, remember:
express
main ideas in paragraph form - these can be self contained or linked
use
section headings and subheadings liberally - they help the organization
proceed
in logical order, not chronological order - you are rarely writing a
travelogue
you
are writing for clarity, not to impress the audience with your English
skills or eloquence
do
not worry about perfection - just steamroll ahead for as long as you can!