Scientific Articles

Question 1

What are scientific articles?

Answer 1

A sub-category of magazine articles drawn from publications such asNational Geographic, New Scientist, Cosmos, Natureand more.

Question 2

Diction

Answer 2

Inevitably, writing about science and nature will involve using aspecialist vocabularyoftechnicalandprecise terms.

Question 3

Comparisons

Answer 3

Some scientific concepts are quite abstract or complex, so writers of scientific articles might usesimiles and comparisonsto make them easier for a wider readership to visualise.

Question 4

Visuals

Answer 4

Photographs, diagrams, charts and graphs are all likely to accompany and illustrate scientific concepts. Look out for examples ofsimplification.

Question 5

Informative

Answer 5

The purpose of scientific writing is to share knowledge, so look out for informative features such asfacts and statisticsandclear explanations. Some articles will alsosimplifyconcepts for a more general readership.

Question 6

Credibility

Answer 6

Research,authoritative sources, and quotations byexpertsmake far-out concepts more credible.

Question 7

Structure

Answer 7

Look out for bothlinearandnon-linearstructures and layouts, depending on the content. A text might provide atimelineorhistorical overview.Boxouts, summaries, explainers, glossariescan all help communicate complicated ideas.