1. Lab Safety in SAFS Lab Safety in SAFS Exits Eyewash and safety shower Proper clothing Emergency situations Behavior in lab and on field trips Animal Use Certification Clean workspace

2. Reading & Writing Scientific Papers FISH 210

3. Lab Overview Paper writing Paper writing - What is the purpose of scientific writing? - Basic components of a scientific paper? - Common mistakes - Paper guidelines for Fish 210 Using the library Using the library - Resources available at UW - How to find primary literature Paper review Paper review - Discussion on how to be critical of a paper - Review an assigned paper in groups

4. What is the purpose of scientific writing? Create a concise manuscript that cleanly presents & interprets your research. Create a concise manuscript that cleanly presents & interprets your research. Relay how findings are both unique & important. Relay how findings are both unique & important. Clearly define scope of work ( You are not trying to win the Noble Prize with your undergradute or graduate thesis paper ) Clearly define scope of work ( You are not trying to win the Noble Prize with your undergradute or graduate thesis paper ) What is scientific literature? What is scientific literature? - peer reviewed papers, not popular literature, theses, textbooks, internet sites (typically), etc.

5. Basic Components of Scientific Papers Title Title Abstract Abstract Introduction Introduction Materials & Methods Materials & Methods Results Results Discussion Discussion Literature Cited Literature Cited Typical format of most peer reviewed journals. However, some do not follow this format!

6. Title Descriptive, informative & short (10-12 words). Make objective of study clear & include key words – titles used by library search engines & retrieval systems. Should NOT confuse reader with knowledge in your field (like these guys).

7. Abstract Provide enough information to enable reader to determine: – – What you did – – How you did it – – Your major results – – The significance of results People read quickly to assess relevance & quality of paper. Difficult to write & should be written after the rest of the paper.

8. Introduction Provides a context for your research Provides a context for your research Motivate the reader & review the relevant literature Motivate the reader & review the relevant literature End Introduction with clearly defined hypothesis being tested & focused objectives of study End Introduction with clearly defined hypothesis being tested & focused objectives of study (<-- Avoid this man) (<-- Avoid this man)

9. Materials & Methods Should make research reproducible Should make research reproducible –Detail experimental design –Describe equipment used –Define formulas and symbols –Identify statistical approach Do not simply list your protocol, write it out if possible Do not simply list your protocol, write it out if possible

10. Results Introduce the principle findings. Introduce the principle findings. Present tables and figures in this section. Present tables and figures in this section. Include descriptions of important numbers, as well as the results of any statistical tests. Include descriptions of important numbers, as well as the results of any statistical tests. –Example: “There was a significant difference in the volume of the mascot animals (t = 2.21, p = 0.001). West Coast mascots were twice as large as East coast mascots (Fig. 1).” Do NOT mix Results & Discussion Do NOT mix Results & Discussion

11. Results Bad Figure

12. Results Good Figure

13. Discussion Structured like pyramid. Structured like pyramid. –Specific findings to broader context Describe meaning of findings Describe meaning of findings –What is the story of data? Interpret, draw conclusions from, & discuss significance of results Interpret, draw conclusions from, & discuss significance of results Acknowledge speculation Acknowledge speculation Mention additional hypotheses developed from results & suggestions for future studies Mention additional hypotheses developed from results & suggestions for future studies

14. Literature Cited This section should list references This section should list references –only those used in paper –mostly in introduction & discussion. Cite articles within body of paper in two ways: Cite articles within body of paper in two ways: –1) Jones et al. (1987) found strong evidence for a relationship between depth and diet. –2) A relationship between depth and diet has been demonstrated in several pelagic fishes (Jones et al. 1987).

15. Common Mistakes Significantly erode the quality of your paper Avoid cliches like the plague - they are old hat. Parenthetical remarks (however appropriate) are (usually) unnecessary. Also too, never use repetitive redundancies. No sentence fragments. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than you have to; it is highly superfluous. Don't use no double negatives. One word sentences? Eliminate. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement. And finally, proffread carefully to see if you any words out.

16. Paper Guidelines for Fish 210 Format paper after Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (CJFAS). Minimum of 10 pages, typed, double-spaced text – NOT including title pages, figures, tables, references, etc.). Minimum of 10 relevant references, NOT including e-reserve. – mixture of peer-reviewed primary research and grey literature articles. Limit abstract to 200 words. Figures & tables NOT embedded in the text. Literature Cited formatted as in CJFAS. This title is available online. Generally, use the past tense when writing scientific papers. If you have ANY questions, ask us instead of writing a poor paper.

17. Recommendation for Success Robert Day’s book “How to write and publish a scientific paper” Oryx Press, 5 th edition

18. Paper Review Discussion on how to be critical of a paper Discussion on how to be critical of a paper Review the assigned paper in groups Review the assigned paper in groups Reconvene as group to discuss Reconvene as group to discuss