Improve Your Scientific Writing: Use the Active Voice

Scientists notoriously use the passive voice. Don't! Write in the active voice for more concise and easily understandable papers and articles. What is the active voice? How can you improve your scientific writing? Mary Nicole Silvester, Guide to Creative Writing for Teens, explains it succinctly, with examples. This handout from Purdue University offers more examples and explanation about how to use active verbs. Also, the Macmillan Reader is a great resource to help you improve your writing.

Scientific writing is different from all other kinds of writing and many graduate students find it challenging to learn. For more general advice on how to write a scientific paper, check out this site. Bates College presents an excellent introduction to journal-style scientific writing.

Also don't forget the publishing resources on About Graduate School. Most students find that procrastination is a major impetus to completing any scientific writing. If that's true for you, check out this article on how to stop procrastinating and complete your dissertation.

Finally, in your later graduate school and beginning professional years, your interest may turn to writing grants. Grant writing requires special skills and techniques. Learn more about how to write a winning grant proposal with these tips and resources.