Readings about Writing

10 Ways AI Is Ruining Your Students’ Writing  (09-16-2025)
And how to help them see that AI cannot craft good essays.

The Science of Scientific Writing (PDF, 09-10-2013)
An important article (although slightly dry) on how to communicate complex ideas in clear language. Very helpful suggestions. Highly recommended.

The Art of Writing Science (Plaxco, 2010) (PDF, 04-10-2012)
In this essay, a department chair in chemistry describes what makes scientific writing successful.

Tips on Scientific Writing (PDF, 09-10-2013)
A one page handout on scientific writing.

Comments on Passive Voice from the Journal Nature (04-10-2012)
Here, three readers of Nature take up a conversation about writing in the sciences, concerns about clarity, and the role of passive voice in scientific writing.

Passive Voice in Scientific Writing (02-15-2014)
Further discussion on the use of passive voice in scientific writing, including the historical rationales, misperceptions, and the problems with its use.

How to read a Scientific Paper (PDF, 09-23-2013)
A very helpful article if you need to do lots of reading in a hurry or are preparing to write a review article. It ends with a useful note-taking template.