Professional writing in the sciences

Name
Instructor
Course
Date
Professional Writing in the Sciences
Science is a field where the most current work depends on the previous ones. It brings on board an array of researchers where each has a significant impact on the output. One significant requirement in sciences is record keeping. The data collected, analyzed and results at every stage counts at the end of research or scientific process. The ocean is a place regarded to have more than 80% of the life around the globe. A marine biologist is entitled to exploring every organism in the waters and maybe documents. There is no way a person will remember all the detail without writing down information at each stage of the study (Fenchel and Uiblein 314). This is, however, similar in all forms of sciences. It is evident that science is transitional and changes from one stage to another. These changes may take ages or happen abruptly. When it happens, it is one’s preparedness that can determine how fast they can react to a demanding situation. Both scientists and non-scientists view the scientific writings as a means to communicate even when physically unavailable. It is essential for one to have both scientific skills as well as the writing skills for them to be entirely relevant. Nevertheless, many scientists do not find it important to keep a record of their works. This paper assesses the importance of writing in the science profession, its impacts and how it has evolved over time. Further, it discusses how writing supports the communication between the public and the science communities.

Writing and science share a common history. In the prehistoric times, knowledge was conveyed from one generation to the next through the word of mouth or the oral tradition. The then community was preliterate. However, science was still evident through the development of astronomical knowledge. Although the ancient science was not as profound as today’s, community still explored the environment in different ways. This is evident in inventions like fire, wheels, and interaction with animals. Others include the ancient herbal medicines. However, this information was lost as soon as the individuals became incapacitated or died without having orally transferred it to the succeeding generations. The ancient societies collected certain science data such as the astronomical information in a systematic way but through simple observations. The evolution of writing enabled the knowledge to be stored and passed to generations without alterations. The first writings are dated back to the 3500BC, where the Mesopotamians used numerical data to record their observations. Later in the 1900 BC, the Babylonian astronomers recorded the movements of the celestial bodies on clay tablets (Suchan Bae 207-236). These have seen usage to date where the Mesopotamian scientists still identify seasons by referencing to the ancient calendars. These bore to the later scientists recording their research findings such as the natural philosophy of nature by the likes of Aristotle and Plato. One of the scientists who instigated the establishment of first taxonomy was Theophrastus in the 77 AD. It was not until the 16 to the 17th century when the invention of the printing media that the ancient and succeeding scientific works was recorded and appreciated. In the modern times, the scientific material is stored in both hard and soft copies thanks to the invention of computers. Today, sharing, and accessing information is as easy as tapping the search tab on the internet (Brumfiel 275). There are a wide variety of languages and forms of writings that information in science can be stored and conveyed.
Writing in science can take two different forms. The first is writing to document research and experiments. The scientists themselves do this. The essence of these writings is to keep records of all the work they have done especially in consistency with a major research aimed at making an invention or innovation. In many occasions research takes years of perusing through previous studies, doing tests, monitoring and cross-referencing with other people’s reviews. Due to the bulky information that needs to be synthesized, it is always recommended that one writes down the parts (“What Is Science Writing | MIT Grad Program In Science Writing”). Scientific records are unlike the linguistic writings in that actual dates for the tests and studies ought to be indicated, all tests need to be documented as are the new inventions. This is vital for the scientists and other academicians. First, for an invention or documentation to be approved, all research work with the specific findings must be presented and assessed by specialists in the field. Without having recorded them then, it would be very challenging to have one’s results of research or scientific innovation recognized (Wuchty, Jones and Uzzi 1037). At the same time, writing in science is imperative for the scholars. For one to understand certain scientific theories and assertions, they ought to first understand the basic idea. This can only be accessible if it were recorded in the first place. Any update may bring about discrepancies. The second is science journalism. Journalists are not experts in the field they write about. In most cases, they depend on the already documented work. Further, journalists voice certain scientific innovations where owners have not taken steps in documenting them. By writing about science, journalists help in two ways. First, they inform the audience about the basics of conventional sciences needed or encountered every day. These are information like the different categories of marine life, their behaviors, classifications, uses and precautions to be taken when interacting with them. They barely indicate the interior biology of these living things. On the other hand, they trigger further research into allegations or assertions. Once scientists read these blogs, they get the urge to either prove or disapprove the science. In so doing, more sophisticated science and explanations are generated. This is what has led to the current innovations (Live Science 1-2).
The science community is composed of members of different standards including professors, academicians, journalists, hobbyists, and researchers. Writing is used differently within the science society. However, the primary aim is to educate each other (Borchelt and Hudson 1-3). Every other member can learn from the other even if they are professors. Given that no one is all-knowing in every science, the science community informs and educates each other. Information regarding recent innovations, vast research, and occurrences worth finding scientific proof is presented in the form of writing. At the same time, the science community uses writing to reply and cross-reference one another. There are those who do it to earn a living. Writing within the science community is also used to inform one another. The greatest beneficiaries of the science writings are the learners. The writings do not only keep them informed but also help them in their academics as they can understand more in their field of study.
There is a great co-relationship between the science writers and the public. In most cases, the members of the public depend on what is reported for them to make some decisions or adopt certain practices (Jeffrey 540). The sorts of all-time science journalists like the Nat-Geo are an example of writers who have a significant impact on the public. They are contracted by either the government or private organizations to cover specific information such as marine biology. In this case, the writer gets into the physical environment, takes record of every animal, plants, environmental and geological environments or just the particular thing they are researching. After days of collecting information, they analyze it one after the other until concrete information is gotten. The analysis may involve seeking views from experts in the field. This could be used to identify certain changes in the society such as the effect of given plants, the onset of a certain genre of snakes or climatic changes that are further used to guide members of the society. However, writing also serves as a means of addressing people’s concerns that were previously raised. Where the public raises their concerns through the [public media like radios and TVs, the science community addresses these concerns through writing. This could be either to refute claims or reply to scientific eventualities that the members of the society are facing.
It is usually advised that if one lives on the shore, they ought to explore it. Every aspect of life is a science. The rocks, waters, surrounding life and humans all make science. However, the modern science is different from what has been there previously. Everyday things keep on changing. There is the introduction of new lives in the waters, generations of new rocks, vegetations, and celestial bodies. All these can be referenced in years to come if it were stored in writing. This is what makes writing in science profession a vital practice.

Works Cited
“What Is Science Writing | MIT Grad Program In Science Writing”. Sciwrite.mit.edu. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
Borchelt R. and Hudson K. “Engaging the Scientific Community With the Public.” 21 April 2008. science progress. 15 November 2016 https://scienceprogress.org /2008/04/ engaging-the-scientific-community-with-the-public/.
Brumfiel G. Science journalism: Supplanting the old media? Nature. 2009;458(7236):274–277
Fenchel, Tom and Franz Uiblein. “Marine Biology Research : Taxonomy Of Marine Organisms”. Marine Biology Research 5.4 (2009): 313-314. Web.
Jeffrey, Paul. “Smoothing The Waters: Observations On The Process Of Cross-Disciplinary Research Collaboration”. Social Studies of Science 33.4 (2003): 539-562. Web.
Science Live. “How Writing Changed The World”. Live Science. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
Suchan Bae,. “A Study On The Origin And Development Of Writing Education -Focused On The Birth Of ‘Representation’ And ‘Expression’-“. Theclassicalliteratureandeducation null.16 (2008): 207-236. Web.
Wuchty, S., B. F. Jones, and B. Uzzi. “The Increasing Dominance Of Teams In Production Of Knowledge”. Science 316.5827 (2007): 1036-1039. Web.