Scientific writing is hard graft, but there are resources that can help you. Whether you are writing you thesis, dissertation, or research paper, you know you should write in a clear and concise way with the reader in mind. Still, sometimes you can be stuck.
With the following five tools, scientific writing will be easier, better, and more importantly, more fun.
Academic phrasebank
Connecting your sentences and arguments in a logical order is important. Besides, the appropriate use of transitional phrases emphasizes your message. Especially as a non-native speaker, you might not have the appropriate expressions and words at hand. Here is where an academic phrasebank can help. Sites such as the one run by the University of Manchester or REF-N-WRITE are treasure troves of phrases. They cover every aspect of your text, such as talking about results, signaling transition, or referring to sources, to name just a few. In the academic phrase bank your will find the perfect way to say it.
An online editing tool
After writing your draft, you must edit it. This can be much easier and more fun by using an online editing tool.
A good editing tool is After the Deadline. This editor helps to weed out errors and gives suggestions for a better text. A huge plus with this editor are the explanations that go with the suggestions. This way, you will become a better writer over time. Just paste your text into the online demonstration mask and start editing.
This recommendation would not be complete without mentioning the Hemingway Editor. It has a different look and feel to After the deadline. Just try which one you like better. I prefer using the Hemingway Editor for non-scientific texts. The reason for that is that it flags too many sentences as complicated in my scientific texts.
A good thesaurus
Once you put your thoughts on paper, you might notice that the words do not exactly match your intended message. Working with a good thesaurus to find the most appropriate term is a great idea in this case. The synonyms listed in the thesaurus inspire you to revise your text using the most accurate and suitable wording. Also, some good thesauruses such as Thesaurus.com list antonyms, too.
Language and grammar forums
Sometimes the correct punctuation, grammar and spelling is not immediately evident. The correct use of words and phrases can be doubtful even for experienced writers. Browsing a good grammar forum can help to find the answer to these questions. The StackExchange English Language & Usage site is a rich source of knowledge in this respect.
A good online dictionary
Use a good online dictionary such as Leo or Linguee. I use both because they each have their unique selling points. Leo has a discussion forum. There users discuss the correct use or best translations of words and phrases. Linguee on the other hand lists the words in their context in a text. This helps a lot with the correct usage of these words.