Tips for Scientific Writing

Dear friends here are a few tips to be followed while writing projects, dissertations and research papers I hope that
these tips will be beneficial to you.
Abbreviations:
You should avoid abbreviations by writing out the full word (minimum, October, Virginia, first, temperature, with...).
Exceptions include common biological terms like ATP and DNA, units of measure (m, g, cm, °C), and mathematical
or chemical formulas. Sentences should never begin with an abbreviation or an acronym.

Acronyms
You may wish to introduce an acronym for a term that is repeated often: if your paper deals with soybeans, Glycine
max, you may use the full scientific name once and substitute G. max thereafter. If you are writing a paper about tidal
freshwater marshes, the first time the terms appear, you can introduce an acronym: "Tidal freshwater marshes
(TFM) are important transitional zones in the landscape." Throughout the rest of your paper, you would refer to TFM.
Chemical elements are not proper nouns, so do not capitalize them. Only the first letter of the symbol is a capital
letter: nitrogen (N), carbon (C), calcium (Ca).

Contractions
In formal writing, you should never use contractions (didn't, can't, haven't...).

Direct quotes
Direct quotes should be avoided, unless you are presenting another author's specific definition or original label. You
can usually paraphrase the writing effectively and more concisely, taking care to properly attribute the sources of your
statements.

Read and re-read the References

It is obvious when students do not understand what they are writing about, and their grades suffer as a result. Read
and re-read your references. Consult a textbook or another reference to help you resolve any aspects of the paper
you do not understand before you start writing.
Run-on sentences
You should review your writing to make sure that each sentence presents one or two clear ideas. This will also help
you organize sentences within paragraphs in a logical order.

Scientific names
Scientific names consisting of genus and species, should be underlined or italicized, with only the genus
capitalized: Homo sapiens or Ilex opaca.

Significance
In science, the word "significant" implies the result of a statistical test. It cannot be used to say, "The number of root
nodules on red clover plants increased significantly when nitrogen was added," if you did not perform a statistical test
to determine significant differences. You should analyze your results to determine whether they are statistically
significant and report the test you used, the significance level (p=0.05), calculated statistic (tcalc), and degrees of
freedom.
Slang
Do not use slang. Try to use precise, scientific terms where possible (without unnecessary jargon) and avoid
colloquialisms and figures of speech: "somewhat" rather than "sort of," "many" or "a great deal" instead of "a lot."

Spell-check
Your word processor's spell-check and/or grammar-check function is not error-free. It cannot tell you when to use
"it's" and "its," and it cannot tell you that a particular sentence does not make sense. Give yourself enough time to
proofread and correct your paper.

Tenses
When describing methods and results, you should use the past tense. The present tense is appropriate for accepted
facts, such as the background information presented in the Introduction. In addition, you may use the present tense
when you discuss your results and conclusions. Looking over other scientific papers may help you answer questions
you might have on this topic.

Units
All units of measure must be metric or SI (international System).

Tips for PhD Aspirants.

Thu, 03/03/2011 - 11:58 omi

Tips for PhD Aspirants.

Do think about whether you really want to do a PhD. Being a PhD student is not the same as being an undergrad, nor
like working as a research assistant. A PhD is extremely hard work requiring a lot of discipline and dedication.

Do choose your supervisor well. The quality of your supervisor will have a direct impact on how much you get out of
your PhD and how good (or bad) an experience it is. Don’t choose your PhD supervisor because he/she is the leader
in his/her field, in fact that’s the most likely way to find a bad supervisor. Talk to the PhD students already working in
the lab, find out whether they are happy and get information about the supervisor’s personality, level of attention (too
much/too little?) and how well they plan their projects.

Don’t leave the responsibility for your project to others. Don’t leave it to your supervisor to tell you how to work, what
to read or plan your project. This is your learning experience: Get involved and take responsibility as early as
possible.

Do get support from other PhD students. When things get tough, the only people who can understand what you are
going through are other PhD students (or former ones!). If there are other PhD students around you, arrange to go for
regular coffee/lunch breaks with them. If not, try an online forum such as the Postgraduate Forum.
Don’t waste your first year. It is easy to think that you have a long time to complete your PhD, but don’t be lulled into
a false sense of security… time has a habit of disappearing fast. Start out as you mean to go on. Establish a strict
work and study routine, and stick to it.

Don’t spend long hours in the lab for the sake of it. Make sure that when you are in the lab, you are working and not
just hanging around. Many people spend 16 hours a day in the lab, but they only actually work for eight hours or less.
An 8 hour day, with time away from the lab to relax your body and mind will keep you sharp and focused.

Do summarise your results as you go. From the beginning, get yourself into the discipline of writing a monthly
summary of experiments performed, results and conclusions and include all lab book references/data/images. The
monthly reports will link up to make a story of your research and make your write-up much easier.

Don’t underestimate how long it will take to write up. However long you think it will take you to write up, double or
even trebling it will be closer to the truth. The write-up is the hardest part of your whole PhD.
Do take every opportunity to practice and learn. Treat your PhD studies like an intensive training program. Listen to
and learn from those around you, take every opportunity to try new techniques, present data, meet other scientists.

Most importantly… have fun…coz “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.”

BOOKS TO BE FOLLOWED WHILE PREPARING

FOR NET AND GATE.
Sun, 02/27/2011 - 21:32 vishtiw

HI FRIENDS.

cracking net and gate exams requires not only hardwork but hard+smart work. the books to be followed while
preparing for these exams are crucial in deciding the outcome , so this blog is dedicated to listing the books for
various subjects/sections to be prepared (especially for csir ugc net exam - which has a mammoth syllabus). since i
am from biotechnology background i am posting here all the books that are useful and easy to understand while
preparing for biotechnology topics for these exams. i request other users ( especially of botany and zoology
background ) to list the books required for preparing for units/ topics other than those listed below. it will be a great
help for all others.

books--

immunology - janis kuby

microbiology - PCELZAR
PRESCOTT
STANIER
BIOCHEMISTRY--- LEHNINGER
HARPER'S BIOCHEMISTRY

INDUSTRIAL MICROBIOLOGY---
L.E. CASIDA

FERMENTATION TECHNOLOGY----
WHITTAKER
BIOPROCESS ENGINEERING BY SCHULER AND KARGI

CELL BIOLOGY----
LODISH
ROBERTIS AND ROBERTIS

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY----
GENES SERIES BY BENJAMIN LEWIN
(VIII , IX and X)
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY BY ALBERTS.

ENZYMOLOGY----

ENZYMES BY PALMER AND BONNER

BIOANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES( BIOPHYSICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL)-------

WILSON AND WALKER.

Analytical Questions and Discussion Blog For

NET JUNE 2011
Sun, 02/27/2011 - 15:03 kakalighoshal

Dear friends,
Countdown has started for net June 2011. This time the pattern is solely different as you all know. Here one
analytical part will be also there.So here in this blog I will post some questions & also I will expect the same from you
guys.
In every week biotecnika conduct one AIMNET test. We give exams to each module every week.Here in this blog I
am inviting all of you to post questions & doubts regarding that module.The question will be module based & the
syllabus of this quiz will be same as AIMMET. so that these wl help us to learn better. Each AIMNET will be our small
small target. We will read for AIMNET & keep posting important questions here every week. We will discuss our
problems regarding those chapters each week here and offcourse before AIMNET.
 I hope in this way we can help each other.
But the main thing which is required is your participation. June net is completely unknown to us. So its better to
read strategically from the first place to crack that exam.
All the best to all of you who are preparaing for NET exam and a great thanx to biotecnika to create such an
wonderful website.

Tips for Answering Multiple Choice Questions in

GATE & CSIR NET
Sat, 02/26/2011 - 07:43 omi

:
Tips for Answering Multiple Choice Questions

• Read the directions carefully

• Know if each question has one or more correct option

• Know if you are penalized for guessing

• Know how much time is allowed (this governs your strategy)

• Preview the test

• Read through the test quickly and answer the easiest questions first

• Mark those you think you know in some way that is appropriate

• Read through the test a second time and answer more difficult questions

• You may pick up cues for answers from the first reading, or become more comfortable in the testing situation

• If time allows, review both questions and answers

• It is possible you mis-read questions the first time

Answering options

• Improve your odds, think critically:

• Cover the options, read the stem, and try to answer

• Select the option that most closely matches your answer

• Read the stem with each option

• Treat each option as a true-false question, and choose the "most true"

Strategies to answer difficult questions:

• Eliminate options you know to be incorrect

• If allowed, mark words or alternatives in questions that eliminate the option

• Give each option of a question the "true-false test:"

 • This may reduce your selection to the best answer

• Question options that grammatically don't fit with the stem

• Question options that are totally unfamiliar to you

• Question options that contain negative or absolute words.

• Try substituting a qualified term for the absolute one, like frequently for always; or typical for every to see if
you can eliminate it

"All of the above:"

• If you know two of three options seem correct, "all of the above" is a strong possibility

Number answers:

• toss out the high and low and consider the middle range numbers

"Look alike options"

• probably one is correct; choose the best but eliminate choices that mean basically the same thing, and thus
cancel each other out

Double negatives:

• Create the equivalent positive statement and consider

Echo options:

• If two options are opposite each other, chances are one of them is correct

• Favour options that contain qualifiers

• The result is longer, more inclusive items that better fill the role of the answer

• If two alternatives seem correct,compare them for differences, then refer to the stem to find your best
answer

Guessing:

• Always guess when there is no penalty

• for guessing or you can eliminate options

• Don't guess if you are penalized for guessing and if you have no basis for your choice

• Use hints from questions you know to answer questions you do not.

• Change your first answers when you are sure of the correction, or other cues in the test cue you to change.

• Remember that you are looking for the best answer not only a correct one, and not one which must be true
all of the time, in all cases, and without exception
• Q.5 - Tissue plasminogen activator
why?- coz it is da 1st commercial pdt frm animal cell culture, all others are experimental nd suffer many
drawbacks...

• Q.7 - 12
why?- coz in metaphase II, da chromatids are not yet seperated as it is still in two celled stage.

• Q.8 - Tetraploid
why?- dey want us to write aneuploid..bt think...see da question, it just says 16 chromosomes, it could be 3N+6/5N-
2/4N....so it is a general statement...(tetraploid is possible nd it is included in da polyploid option)..jus by saying tht it
is tetraploidy becoz it has 16 chromosomes. ..exactly wht dey want us to think..

• Q.18- core polysaccharide

why?- plzz refer prescott nd i thnk it shouldnt be in da category of doubts..remember, websites can be decieving but
a Standard, authenticated textbook can never be wrong...

• Q.24- a1 nd b2 domains only...(option A)

why?- plzz refer kuby(immunology) pg 174....fr more clarification

• Q.32- answer is C (both I and II are true).

why?- coz mny viruses like SV40 nd fr R-DNA we use a promoter ( in dis case enhancer) fr initiating replication
and regulating it. this also has a role to play in hormone dependentgrowth whch is targeted by sum viruses. But a
word of caution,,, for GATE level (option B must be assumed as rite)....

• Q42. A
why?- no coments plzz refer RAZDAN..

• srry didnt attempt Q.48 and Q.49...bt (B) and (C) are da most probable answers..

• Q.61.. C
why?- jus thnk, would u console sum1 or talk abt wht r da causes of death?

• Q.64.. A
why?- i dnt understand it, it is jus a formula based question, the cost per unit will be the same for all as da material
is same only the quantity is tht differs,, dey purposefully said fixed cost reduces with q, does nt mean tht F will
reduce when q will reduce.on the contrary, dey are inversely proportional.....nd tht dey want us to think tht,, ohh it is
inverse na so max product will give min cost...TRUE bt nt total cost ( only the fixed cost). In shortdey have given da
question so many twists tht we would frgt to see the simple logical methodology to solve the problem..I guesss cos
its GATE nd nt sum tech interview! LOL!

• Rest all questions, i guess are nt tht tough to solve.

• Ppl are saying tht GATE 2011 is easier thn GATE 2010- true, but 2010 paper was pretty straightforward
wid less confusions (tougher though) dis time paper is simple bt wid many trapdoors..if u knock on any one of
thm.....i dnt need to tell abt the consequences......So dey hve smartly reduced the difficulty of da paper but
maintaining the overall integrity and the name (lets rephrase IZZAT) of GATE.
So the cutoff would be more bt one thng `s fr sure it aint leaving 40( possibly 35-40)...so a mark of 50 previous year
yielded 100 rank., den dis yr max 150 is my guess.
I may be wrong, i havent guessed the possiblity of many students above 50...like previous yr.. ,many were in 40-45
range nd very few in 50 above range....,,

• my conclusion - it will be different, bt nt tht grt to cause a massive panic or likewise, massive happiness....