Norms and conventions in scientific writing in English
In this section of the guide, we will introduce some of the most common norms and conventions in scientific writing.
Writing is, of course, more than grammar and vocabulary. It is also more than an individual technical pursuit. It is a social practice, and all social practices are governed by norms and conventions. There are ways of doing things that are agreed on by members of a community – explicitly or implicitly.
In scientific writing, conventions relate to aspects of writing such as style, text structure and organisation, nomenclature (the naming of concepts), the validity and use of certain types of evidence, and the referencing of sources.
In our English courses in Language and Communication , we explore these conventions in much more detail.