Many think that science and writing aren’t intimately connected. Well, they actually are. Science writing is something that most in the scientific field use in order to discuss findings and further information. But, how can one get better at this? What skills does one need to create amazing science writing? Well, there are a few important items to keep in mind.
This article will discuss these skills, and how to improve them to make your science writing the best it can be.
1. Get to the PointIn science writing, it’s important that the point is immediately met. This means that any unnecessary fluff is axed from the paper whenever it can happen.
This is often a huge part of science writing. What this means is to start reducing the presence of “it is” and “there are.” This also includes contractions.
Apostrophes are used way too much in written English, especially “it’s” and “there’s”, and these actually don’t improve one’s scientific writing. It’s best to start reducing the presence of these apostrophes, or putting them in the correct place.
Instead of using “it is” all the time, try to use “our” in its stead. Also, begin to omit any lines that say, “it’s important”,” “it’s predicted that,” “there’s evidence suggesting that,” etc. These sound wordy, and they don’t really make you sound persuasive or concise, and it drags the paper on.
2. Begin with Correct QuestionsA common mistake many who get into science writing is they don’t ask the correct questions. But, these questions are how one creates a clear structure. Start to center the ideas of each of your papers with the six questions: who, what, where, when, how, and why. By having each of these clearly delineated, laying it all out at the beginning, you can have a great start.
Once done, start to expand on each of these, going into detail within the document. Make sure that the purpose and intent are there as well.
Typically, a thesis statement is a good way to communicate intent, and a way to create an effective document as well.
3. Focus on the Person Reading ThisWith science papers, it’s important to consider who is actually going to read the document. Does the reader know about detailed subjects within the realm of science, such as thermodynamics, or are they looking at how science affects the area?
By asking who’s going to read it, what they know about it, the experience and attitude, or even their involvement and interest, you can craft a paper that is interesting, and fitting for the reader. Chances are that if they’re not that involved, they don’t want to hear you talk on and on about a topic they don’t understand. With that, it’s better to give an introduction to the topic, and then get to the point.
4. Use Active VoiceThe active voice is something almost all academic papers need to have, especially science ones. Active voice showcases that the person is doing something. For example, “the cat chased the mouse” is an active voice, whereas “the cat was chasing the mouse” is passive.
The active voice sounds more interesting in science papers, but there is an old belief that passive voice is what you need for them, to create a sort of “distance.” That’s not true at all, and it actually creates messy sentence structures, and the writing sounds dull. Also, avoid using first-person narration, but instead create an active third-person voice.
5. Avoid JargonRemember, you’re a scientist, so you know your way around all of the little abbreviations and such. But, the reader might not. This can create a lot of confusion, and it might make the reader not want to read the essay.
It’s important that these acronyms, abbreviations, and the like are what people in your community know. If you’re writing for the community, you don’t have to avoid this as much, but if it’s for the general reader, just remember to choose things they know, and provide a definition as needed. It’s often overestimated how much people know, and soon, a reader has to go through different words and phrases that are technical, and sometimes confusing.
So, use your discretion with this. Give it to someone similar to the reader, and ask them if they understand the material. Then, you can spot where you need to fix the presentation of the issue.
6. The Opening MattersYou need a catchy opening. You want something that pulls the reader in and gets them to focus.
You can paint a scene, show the reason for this essay, or the like. This will suck the reader in.
Also, do make sure that at the end of the essay, you put the conclusions and recommendations. The last thing that you want is to bury the reader with recommendations in the middle because chances are they’ll be pulled off the course and never finish the essay.
These tips will allow you to create a scientific essay or dissertation that you can be proud of. They’re simple things, but they can make a difference in the nature of the paper. Remember, you do need writing skills for science writing, and while it is a bit different, it is still a form of writing at the core of it all, and important to understand.
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Finances are always a factor when buying anything, and mobiles are no exceptions. And whilst top-end flagship phones are going for close to 600,000 nowadays, there are plenty of budget options available. In fact, there are more budget Android phones than ever on shelves, some for as low as 20,000. The real question though is whether those cheap Android phones are worth it, so let’s take a look…
It’s Cheap for a Reason
Let’s start with the basic truth: a cheap Android is cheap for a reason. That reason might not necessarily be a bad reason, but it’s there. No matter what you might think from spec sheets, reviews, or advertising, a cheap Android is NOT going to offer you a comparable user experience to something more expensive. However, you might not be looking for a flagship user experience. There are really two things that make a cheap Android phones cheap.
Reason 1: HardwareThe primary reason for that cheap price tag is going to be hardware. Manufacturing costs have to be cut in order to keep consumer prices low, and downgrading hardware is the easiest way to do this. A cheap Android will likely have lower processing and chip specs (meaning less power), lower display specs (meaning less clarity in the screen), and less special features (such as great cameras, tons of internal memory, that kind of thing).
Lower hardware specs aren’t necessarily a dealbreaker though. In all honesty, the kind of top end specs that you’re getting on a flagship phone is far more than most regular users will need, so sacrificing on these a little to get a lower price doesn’t have to be negative.
Reason 2: Long-Term ReliabilityThe secondary reason there might be more important, however, and that’s one of reliability. First up, cheap Android phones are generally not as robust as their more expensive brethren. This can mean that they break easily, casings crack, screens shatter, they just don’t survive everyday life as well as pricier models.
But more importantly, cheaper Androids can suffer in the update department. Phone updates are important. An update gives you more security, allows you to use the latest apps, and basically keeps things running smoothly on your phone. But a lower priced phone (especially if it’s an older model) may only support updates for a limited amount of time. This makes the mobile’s long-term outlook pretty bleak.
You know the saying ‘you get what you pay for’? In terms of long-term reliability, this is certainly true. So if you’re looking for a phone that’s going to last you a while, then a low price Android might not be the best decision.
So What Do I Look For?
Going low price isn’t always a bad thing, and if you’re on a budget, then, by all means, go for a low priced Android. But you do need to shop a little more carefully than those people who opt for flagship models.
The first thing you should be looking for is specs. Mediocre specs are fine, but you don’t want to go too low or you’ll risk having a phone that won’t do what you need. Look for processing power that’s more than 1.2 GHz, look for a chipset that’s no more than 3 years old (easy to check on the chip manufacturer’s Wiki), look for a display that’s at least 720p, and look for a bare minimum of 8 GB of internal memory (though 16 GB is much better).
If you’re looking for something that’s reliable, then see what the hand feel is like. Does the phone feel robust in your hand, is it sturdy? Consider investing in a cover and screen protector, just to keep your phone safe. There’s not a lot you can do about updates since that’s outside of your control. But newer phones are more likely to receive updates for a longer period of time, so look at models that are no more than 2 years old. Also, look for the most recent version of Android that you can find (since the newer the Android version is the more likely you are to receive updates on it).
Is It Really Worth It?
It’s tough to say whether a cheap Android phone is really worth it since that’s really going to depend on your situation and the phone model you choose. But think about the maths. You could spend, say, 360,000 Naira on a top end phone that will last you for a solid five years or so (historically, manufacturers support updates on their top end models for at least five years). Or you could spend 50,000 Naira on a phone that’s going to last you for maybe a year and will then need replacing (which, if you had to do that every year for the five year period that you’d have that top end phone would still end up costing you 400,000, so you’re not getting great savings).
Of course, you might not need to replace that cheap phone every year. But by spending a little more, on a decent mid-range phone, you’ll increase your chances of being able to keep your phone for longer and maintain some resale value. It’s all a matter of risk taking and, frankly, luck.
Bottom Line TimeThere is nothing wrong with not opting for an expensive flagship phone. In fact, you’ll probably be better off since most users don’t need all the functions and power of a top end model anyway. But you should know that the cheaper the model you opt for the more likely it is that your new phone isn’t going to last very long.
While there’s nothing wrong with going budget, the safest option is to go for the best phone that you can reasonably afford. Go for the top end of your budget, rather than being tempted by low, low prices. If you can afford 50,000, don’t go for the 30,000 option. There are plenty of decent cheaper Android phones on the market, but finding them is a question of doing your research and being prepared to take the risk that you could be buying yet another phone in a few months time.
Related Topics How to Buy a Smartphone Best 4G Phones Cheap Android Phones Best Android Phones Compare Prices of Mobile PhonesThe post Is a Cheap Android Phone Really Worth It? appeared first on Nigeria Technology Guide.
