Author Michaela Panter, PhD

Although list formatting is relatively flexible, especially when involving bullet points, lists typically adhere to a few key rules.

This tip reviews how to properly use parenthetical elements, clauses and phrases that can help clarify meaning in your scientific writing.

• Chemical elements present some unusual exceptions to normal rules for usage of indefinite articles (a and an)
• Choose the article based on the sound of the element when sounded out fully (e.g., 'silver' not 'Ag')
• For isotopes, consider the sound of the element symbol first

• The term relatively, most commonly defined as meaning “in comparison,” can be confusing to use
• 'Relatively' already implies comparison, so it does not need to be used with a comparative (-er) adjective form
• 'Relatively' can also be defined as 'slightly,' but this usage is not preferred in scientific writing

In this article, we provide the conventions of some of the more complex punctuation rules (quotations within quotations, ellipses, etc.) within quotation marks.

• Latin terms such as e.g. or in vitro are extensively used in scientific writing
• Keep in mind that e.g. and i.e. are not combined with etc.

This article provides multiple tips for breaking up complicated sentences and improving the clarity of your work in the process.

• There are many reasons to strive for effective word choice, or 'diction,' including improving your style, tone, and content.

• The conjunctions 'and and 'or' have very different meanings, yet they are still confused at times
• Take care when describing your results; using 'and' in place of 'or' could cause the reader to misunderstand your observations
• Consider adding 'both' or 'either' for clarity