writing in the disciplines

why write in biology?

Biologists write more than you might expect. They write for the obvious reason of conveying the results of their research to their colleagues. But they write for many other, and equally important, reasons as well. Biologists write to record their day-to-day work in the laboratory or in the field; they write grant proposals to win funding for their research; and they write reviews of each other's work. While these types of writing might appear quite diverse, several key attributes tie together writing in biology. Writing in biology must be clear, concise, and logical. Even when they write only for themselves, biologists must convey information accurately and precisely—often in limited space.

In biology, as in many other disciplines, the writing skills you learn can be used outside the classroom, and beyond college. Through writing in biology you can learn to record your thought processes logically, pose a hypothesis, report the methodology used to test this hypothesis, and present your findings to the appropriate audience, from colleagues, whether in the laboratory or in the workplace, to those who make funding or policy decisions.