Scientific Writing

Chapter 7: Writing Style Specifics

Writing for Computer Science

Style Specifics

Computer Science

Information Systems

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Prepared by:

• Simin Bazel
• Zahra Hassass

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Writing for Computer Science

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Main topics

• Misused Words
• Spelling Conventions
• Jargon
• Cliché and IdiomForesign Words
• Overuse of Words
• Padding
• Plurals
• Abbreviations
• Acronyms
• Sexism

• Titles and Headings
• The Opening Paragraphs
• Variation
• Paragraphing
• Ambiguity
• Sentence Structure
• Tense
• Repetition and Parallelism
• Emphasis
• Definitions
• Choice of Words
• Qualifiers

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Titles and Headings�

• Concise and informative, not necessarily complete sentence.
• Specific, simple, to the point(content).
• Not Ok: A New Signature File Scheme Based on Multiple-Block Descriptor Files for indexing Very Large Data Bases Signature File Indexes Based on Multiple-Block Descriptor Files.
• Not too short, not too long.
• Ok:“ Limited-Memory Huffman Coding for Databases of Textual and Numeric Data” is awkward, but it is superior to “Huffman Coding for Databases”, which is far too general.
• Most be accurate (rather than ‘catchy’).Title is something people read to make decision on whether the paper is relevant to them or not.

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Titles and Headings (continued)

• Title is more towards the contribution than the scope or outcome of the work.
• Don’t start the title with “towards ….”
• Need not to be complete sentence.
• Not Ok: Duplication of Data Leads to Reduction in Network Traffic
• OK: Duplication of Data to Reduce Network Traffic
• Section heading should reflect the logical structure of the article.
• If the section is “Lists and Trees” you can have subsection as “Lists”, “Trees” but not “Other Structures”.
• If the heading is “Index Organizations” use “B-trees” and not “B-tree indexes” .
• Don’t have too many subsections and sub-subsections.
• 3 headings on a page is not good, it makes for very small text blocks.

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Titles and Headings (continued)

• Headings that are below subsections should be in-line and better not be in a line by themselves.
• Numbering:
• Essential in bigger documents. Suggestion stick to 3 levels “no more”
• Can be skipped in small documents and articles; just insure that the fount, the size and the placement distinguish the sections.

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The Opening Paragraphs�

• They are important and need to attract attention; be direct and straightforward.
• They must be very clear and to the point stating the context of the following text.
• Abstract should not have any unnecessary word.
• Not Ok: Trees, especially binary trees, are often applied—indeed indiscriminately applied—to management of dictionaries.
• Ok: Dictionaries are often managed by a data structure such as a tree. However, trees are not necessarily the best choice for this application.
• Thy don’t need to be technical (leave that for later);indicate what is done and not how.
• Avoid starting abstract or introduction with “this paper concerns” or “in this paper”.
• Not Ok: In this paper we describe a new programming language with matrix manipulation operators.
• Ok: Most numerical computation is dedicated to manipulation of matrices, but matrix operations are difficult to implement efficiently in current high-level programming languages. In this paper we describe a new programming language with matrix manipulation operators.

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The Opening Paragraphs (continued)

• Don’t begin by stating that the topic is popular or important.
• Simpler statement is better:
• Not Ok:It is important that the cost of disk accesses be reduced in query processing.
• Ok: Query processing can involve many disk accesses.

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The Opening Paragraphs, Variation

• Abstract:
• Has to be very good and provide the reader with a brief account of the paper; put the word in context and clearly state the paper’s contribution.
• Introduction is not a follow of the abstract. Even without the abstract, the paper should be complete.
• Variation (in structure, sentence/paragraph length, word choice).
• Ok: The system of rational numbers is incomplete. This was discovered 2000 years ago by the Greeks. The problem arises in squares with sides of unit length. The length of the diagonals of these squares is irrational. This discovery was a serious blow to the Greek mathematicians
• Not Ok: The Greeks discovered 2000 years ago that the system of rational numbers is incomplete. The problem is that some quantities, such as the length of the diagonal of a square with unit sides, are irrational. This discovery was a serious blow to the Greek mathematicians.

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Paragraphing

• A paragraph should have a single, specific topic, ideally at the beginning with the remainder of the body amplifying.
• Last sentence should have higher impact than those in the body.
• Long sentences must be broken down
• They mean that the author has not clearly separated everything in their mind
• They make readers boring (also, variation is needed) and they get lost
• Neighboring paragraphs should clearly link and make specific referrals.
• Previous paragraph on fast sorting algorithm. Next paragraph is better to start as "The fast sorting algorithm and not "This algorithm.
• You could have listed paragraphs.
• They highlight points clearly,
• context is obvious;
• points considered separately without confusion,
• and points are easy to refer to.

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Paragraphing (continued)

• They can be numbered, named or tagged (bullet point or hyphen)
• One disadvantage is that they highlight too much
• If you have something trivial, list it in a paragraph

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Ambiguity

• Not Ok: The compiler did not accept the program because it contained errors
• Ok: The program did not compile because it contained errors
• Redundant paraphrases like “when using” confuses
• Not Ok:There is a new version of the operating system, so when using the “fetch” utility, error messages can be ignored.
• Ok: There is a new version of the operating system, so the "fetch" utility's
• What does pronounce like “it”, “this”, “they” refer to:
• Not Ok: The machine crashed and it was necessary to reboot it.
• Ok: The machine crashed and had to be rebooted

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Ambiguity (continued)

• Premature use of it" leads to difficulties
• Not Ok: When it was first developed, recursive compilation was impractically slow and required too much memory.
• Ok: When recursive compilation was first developed, it was impractically slow and required too much memory.
• Readers might get confused between speed and time. So, be aware of "increasing speed", "increasing time", "improving affordability.
• Watch out for speed-time pairs (increase one, you decrease the other)

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Sentence Structure

• Should have a simple structure.
• Be clear, brief and to the point.
• Not Ok:When the kernel process takes over, that is when in the default state, the time that is required for the kernel to deliver a message from a sending application process to another application process and to recompute the importance levels of these two application processes to determine which one has the higher priority is assumed to be randomly distributed with a constant service rate R.
• Ok: When the kernel process takes over, one of its roles is to deliver a message from a sending application process to a receiving application process, and to then recompute the importance levels of these two application processes to determine which has the higher priority. The time required for this activity is assumed to be randomly distributed with a constant service rate R.

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Sentence Structure (continued)

• kernel process is the default state is irrelevant here, and should have been explained elsewhere avoid nesting sentences.
• Not Ok: In the first stage, the backtracking tokenizer with a two-element retry buffer, errors, including illegal adjacencies as well as Unrecognized tokens, are stored on an error stack for collation into a complete report Should be in the first stage, which is the backtracking tokenizer".
• Ok: The first stage is the backtracking tokenizer with a two element retry buffer. In this stage possible errors include illegal adjacencies as well as unrecognized tokens; when detected, errors are stored on a stack for collection in to a complete report.

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Sentence Structure (continued)

• Check for fractured "if" expressions
• Not Ok: If the machine is lightly loaded, then response time is acceptable whenever the data is on local disks.
• Ok: If the machine is lightly loaded and data is on local disks, then response time is acceptable.
• Ok: Response time is acceptable when the machine is lightly loaded and data is on local disks.
• Long sentences are easy to create.
• Stating a principle, qualifying it, then explaining the circumstances in which it holds and probably linking to the next subject.

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Sentence Structure (continued)

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• Replace “and” or semicolon with a full stop
• Not Ok: We collated the responses from the users, which were usually short, into the following table.
• Ok: The users' responses, most of which were short, were collated in to the following table.
• Double negatives are difficult to parse from a reader:
• Not Ok: There is no reason not to adopt the new approach.
• Ok: The new approach is at least as good as the old and should be adopted.
• "The two outcomes are not inconsistent" might mean "the two outcomes do not contradict each other" and not the two outcomes are consistent.

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Sentence Structure (continued)

• Avoid sing-song phrases (like rhymes):
• Not Ok: Classifying handles can involve opening the files they represent Do you mean "handles of classifying“.
• Ok: Classification of handles can involve opening the files they represent change "ing" to “-ation of”.
• Check your writing using elementary questions such as:
• s each sentence motivated by the preceding text?
• Can you identify the sentence's purpose, that is, is it necessary?
• Could it be simplified? And so on
• Tense: Most text is in past or present tense. Present tense is used for eternal truths or for statement about the text itself
• "the algorithm has asymptotic cost O(n), not "the algorithm had asymptotic cost O(n).

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Sentence Structure (continued)

• "Related issues are discussed below" than to write "related issues will be discussed below
• Use past tense to describe work and outcomes
• Write "the ideas were tested by experiment", not "the ideas are tested by experiment
• Tense: Mixing past and present is occasionally correct
• Not Ok: Although theory suggests that the Klein algorithm has asymptotic cost O(n ), in our experiments the trend observed was Q(n).
• References are discussed either in past or present tense. Present tense is preferred but past tense is force by context.
• Ok: Willert (1999) shows that the space is open.
• Ok: Willert (1999) has since shown that it is open.
• Future tense is used in conclusion.

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Repetition and Parallelism �

• Repeating words or phrases can become monotonous for the reader.
• Avoid starting sentences with the same words.
• Be watchful of sentences that begin with "however", "moreover". "therefore", "hence", "thus", "and", "but", "then", "so", "nevertheless", or "nonetheless". Also, don't use the pattern, “First, Second,... Last,…”
• Concepts that relate are better to be explained in parallel.
• Not Ok: Access is fast, but at the expense of slow update.
• Ok: Access is fast, but update is slow
• Lack of parallel structure can result in ambiguity.
• Not Ok: The performance gains are the result of tuning the low-level code used for data access and improved interface design.
• Ok: The performance gains are the result of tuning the low-level code used for data access and of improved interface design.

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Repetition and Parallelism (continued)

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• Standard form parallels
• On one hand ? First? One approach is?
• Better to be in list form
• Not Ok: For real time response there should be sufficient memory parallel disk arrays should be used, and fast processors.
• Ok: Real-time response requires sufficient memory, parallel disk arrays, and fast processors

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Emphasis

• The structure of a sentence focusing' on a word can change by rearranging the words.
• Not Ok: A static model is appropriate because each item is written once and read often.
• Ok: A static model is appropriate because each item is only written once but is read often.
• Inappropriate stress can lead to ambiguity; In the following example, stress must be on response and not memory.
• Not Ok: Additional memory can lead to faster response, but user surveys have indicated that it is not required.
• Ok: Faster response is possible with additional memory, but user surveys have indicated that it is not required

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Emphasis (continued)

• You can give emphasis with italics (but don't over do k); italicize part of the sentence and make it the opening sentence of a paragraph
• The use of capitals is a no-no (at least for emphasis); Be aware of words like emphatic "certainly", "indeed" to indicate emphasis.
• Ok: The data structure has two components, a vocabulary containing all of the distinct words and, for each word, a hit list of references.

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Definitions �

• Definitions (Terminology. variables, abbreviations, acronyms)
• When something appears for the first time explain it (define it)
• Use emphasis to make the user notice the definition
• Not Ok: We use homogeneous sets to represent these events
• Ok: We use homogeneous sets to represent these events
• Ok: To represent these events we use homogeneous sets, whose members are all of the same type
• Ok: (multiple explanation): Compaction, in contrast to compression, does not preserve information; that is, compacted data cannot be exactly restored to the original form.
• Sometimes use examples in the absence of the definition

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Choice of Word

• Trend for short, direct words leading to emphatic writing.
• use "begin rather than "initiate", "first and "second" rather than "firstly and "secondly", "part" rather than "component", and "use" rather than utilize.
• Use specific and familiar words, it is for clearer reader (and writing).
• Not Ok: The analysis derives information about software .
• Word information means many things
• Ok:The analysis estimates the resource costs of software
• It is OK if you reuse a word if it means you are avoiding generalities/ambiguities.

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Choice of Word (continued)

• Overused abstract terms: "important", "intelligent", "method", "paradigm", "hard", "performance", "semantic", "difficult", "efficient“.
• Using a word twice in a sentence is fine, instead of replacing with a less specific synonym; Repeating a word is fine in scientific writing.
• Not Ok:The database executes on a remote machine to provide better security for the system and insulation from network difficulties.
• Ok: The database executes on a remote machine to provide better security for the database and insulation from network difficulties
• Not Ok:There are some times that appear inconsistent.
• Ok: Some of the times appear inconsistent.

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Choice of Word (continued)

• Words do change: "datum" is now rarely used. "data" is used for both singular and plural. But, use "automaton" instead of "automata" for singular case.
• Don't use words that you don't know.
• Not used nowadays: "notwithstanding, "whilst", "amongst.
• Never use slang words in technical writing.
• Indian writers sometimes write "different from" where a British writer would write "in contrast to “ .
• Use "cannot" in preference to " can’t " .
• Excessive claims are to be avoided: "our method is an ideal solution to these problems" or "our work is remarkable" are not acceptable.

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Qualifiers and Padding�

• Qualifiers
• Might, may, perhaps, possibly, likely, likelihood, could.
• Use only once per sentence.
• Not Ok: It is perhaps possible that the algorithm might fail on unusual input.
• Ok: The algorithm might fail on unusual input.
• Double negatives are a form of qualifier.
• Avoid qualifiers like "very, "quite", simply", "totally", "completely", “truly”, “highly” “usually”, "accordingly" "certainly" "necessarily", and "somewhat"
• Not Ok: There is very little advantage to the networked approach.
• Ok: There is little advantage to the networked approach.

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Qualifiers and Padding (continued)

• Padding
• Use of phrases like 'the fact that", 'of course', in general should be avoided.
• "note that" and "the fact that" are not padding.
• Introduction of quantities: 'a number of instead of 'several.
• Phrases involving the word "case" ("in any case", "it is perhaps the case") are also suspect.
• Rarely a reason to use: "it is frequently the case that" instead of“ often.
• a number of" can be replaced by "several", "a large number of" by“ many.
• Not Ok: A well-known method such as the venerable quicksort is a potential practical alternative in instances of this kind.
• Ok: A method such as quick-sort is a potential alternative.

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Misused Words

• Which, that, the: Use "which" only when it cannot be replaced by "that“
• Not Ok: There is one method which is acceptable
• Ok: There is one method that is acceptable
• Remove the word "the" if removing it don’t change the meaning
• Less (continuous quantities), fewer (discrete quantities): ("it used less space") ("there were fewer errors)

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Misused words (continued)

• Flammable and inflammable now means the same; before they were only opposites.
• Affect (influence or causing effect), effect(consequence)
• Alternate (other or switch between), alternative (one or any of a set of others that can be chosen), choice (with only one alternative, there is no choice); "alternative" and "choice" are not synonyms.
• Assume (for now, take as being true), Presume (take for granted.
• A fact is assumed as the basis of an argument, an event is presumed to have occurred.
• May (personal choice), might, can (indicate ability)
• Ok: Users can access this facility, but may not wish to do so.

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Misused Words (continued)

• Basic (elementary, foundation), fundamental.
• Novel, Complex, Sophisticated (not new or novel, but either advanced or complex)
• will, Shall; "shall" is rarely preferred to "will". Both could be deleted easily.
• Compile (assemble, gather, collect), Compose (invent, prepare); Composed means "made up of.

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Spelling Conventions

• Spelling conventions
• Use spell checker [All these are acceptable: "disk or "disc": hard disk is more common than "hard dis"& "compact disk"; "enquire" or "inquire"; "biased" or "biassed"; "dispatch" or despatch")
• UK vs US spelling. -or OR-our, centre OR center, catalogue OR catalog, analogue OR analog, acknowledgement OR acknowledgment, judgement OR judgment, ise OR ize, vse OR yre, and more
• Be consistent, lookup the countries dictionary

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Jargon�

• Jargon terms used in a specialized vocabulary or mode of speech familiar only to a group or profession
• Like "CPU" instead of "the part of the computer that executes instructions
• Avoid but sometimes difficult not to use. Be consistent
• Words with different or multiple meaning (As, database consists of records)
• Not Ok: The transaction log is a record of changes to the database.
• Ok: The transaction log is a history of changes to the database.

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Cliche and Idiom�

• Misunderstanding such phrases, from different cultures.
• “follow suit”, “up to scratch”, “reinvent the wheel”, “go through with a fine-tooth comb”, “flat out”, “cut and dried”, and “bells and whistles”.
• Idiomatic phrases are also poor choices in scientific writing.
• "crop up, "lose track", "come to grips with", "it turned out that", "play up", "stacked deck", and "right out“.
• Avoid clichés like: "vicious circle", "as a matter of fact", "tip of the iceberg knotty problem, "in the final analysis, "every effort was made", "vexed question“.

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Foreign words, and overuse of words

• Foreign words
• Some think it adds pizzazz to the article; don't use weird characters ()
• Some phrases are not universally understood: mutatis mutandis, prima facie, circa, mea culpa, and vice versa
• If words use Latin character set, use those characters. Don't write Berstédt as "Borstedt“
• Overuse of words
• Repetition should be eliminated when the same word is used in different senses, or when a word and a synonym of it are used together.
• Not Ok: Values are stored in a set of accumulators, each initially set to zero.
• Ok: Values are stored in a set of accumulators, each initialized to zero

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Padding

• Use the minimum number of words of minimum length, in your writing.

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Plurals

• Plurals
• Variant plurals are slowly becoming less common: Formulas instead of formulae, indexes instead of indices.
• Not Ok: The range of numbers that must be considered are easy to identify
• Ok: The range of numbers that must be considered is easy to identify
• When describing classes don't use excessive plurals, consider rephrasing
• Not Ok: Packets that contain an error are automatically corrected.
• Not Ok: Packets that contain errors are automatically corrected

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Plurals (continued)

• Variant plurals are slowly becoming less common: Formulas instead of formulae, indexes instead of indices, schemata instead of sachems
• Indices is used in context of array and not databases.
• Ok: A packet that contains an error is automatically corrected.
• Not Ok: These kinds of algorithms are irrelevant.
• Ok: (Classes may not need a plural): These kinds of algorithm are irrelevant.
• Ok: Algorithms of this kind are irrelevant
• "radii" is not yet "radiuses", and "matrices" is not yet "matrixes.

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Abbreviations

• Non native speakers might find them difficult
• No. (number)- i.e. (that is)- e.g. (for example)- c.t (in contrast to)- w .r .t (with respect to), use them with correct punctuation
• Avoid using concoctions such as "1st or "2nd“.
• Avoid abbreviations such as "Fig", "Ale" unless preferred by specific journal
• Avoid "etc, "so on.
• Never write "etc., etc" or "etc.
• Use ellipsis (indicates that some text is omitted) in quotations only
• Not Ok: Methods available are random probing, extrapolation, etc.
• Ok: Methods available include random probing and extrapolation.
• Ok: Methods such as random probing and extrapolation can be used

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Acronyms�

• Explain them the first time, don't use full stops
• "www is usually denoted by "the Web" or "the web"
• "Local area LAN network is different from "LAN
• Abbreviations end with a stop but it is unusual to put stops in acronyms.
• "CPU" is correct, "C. P. u. is acceptable, "CPU:" is incorrect
• Don't introduce them unless they are frequent

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Sexist Language�

• Try and avoid gendering your text.
• Rephrase by either using 'they’ or
• Rephrase all together.
• Not Ok: A user may be disconnected when he makes a mistake
• Ok: A user may be disconnected when they make a mistake.
• Ok: Users may be disconnected when they make a mistake
• Ok: A user who makes a mistake may be disconnected.
• Don't use ugly constructs such as "s/he" or engage in reverse sexism by using "she" unless it is absolutely impossible to avoid a generic reference.

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• Writing style
• General guidelines
• Specific instructions of do's and don'ts relating to
• Titles and headings, Structure, paragraphs
• Sentences, Wording, misused words
• Abbreviations, Acronyms
• Tense, spelling conventions, definitions
• Ambiguity, emphasis
• Repetitions and parallelisms

End Summary

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