Writing in the Biological Sciences: A Comprehensive Resource for Scientific Communication (5th edition) By Angelika H.Hofmann, New York, New York: Oxford University Press. 2024. pp. 408. $49.99 (paperback). ISBN 978‐0‐1976‐6540‐4

Scientists are often limited to the written word via publications as a means of communication. This communication includes conveying knowledge gained to colleagues, stakeholders, technical professionals, and students. Scientific communication is challenging because of the diversity in knowledge bases of the groups mentioned. Writing in the Biological Sciences is a useful tool for a spectrum of scientific writers. The layout of the book is well outlined in the table of contents, and it has a pattern of development that seems to chronologically follow a career in science. Readers can choose to begin with the fundamentals in the early chapters or advance all the way to research proposals for those associated with academia or application documents germane to industry. Each chapter is broken down into sections, all starting with the learning objectives that are written in an easily digestible format. Writing in the Biological Sciences could become a textbook or resource for high school students, graduate students, or early career professionals still mastering the art of scientific writing. Hofmann often alludes that the content will primarily be used by undergraduate college students; however, an instructor of a writing-intensive course may want to use the book as a supplement and not as a primary textbook. Part I (Scientific Writing Basics) begins with the basics of writing scientifically and discusses the diversity across scientific disciplines. The first chapter (Science and Scientific Communication) highlights the fundamentals of scientific writing, ethics, tips that lead to success, and what readers can expect from the book. Chapter 2 (Fundamentals of Scientific Writing—Words and Word Location) provides the basics of technical writing and offers specific examples of words that are redundant and can be omitted; I am sure we have all heard “be more succinct” or “be direct.” Table 2.1 (p. 16) contains commonly confused terms and phrases. For example, we have all been humbled by whether to use “affect” or “effect,” and Table 2.1 clearly defines words such as these. Appendix A also elaborates more on commonly confused and misused words. Chapter 2 also defines the appropriate syntax of a sentence relative to scientific writing; these concepts seem simple enough, yet they are easily forgotten. Scientific writing has evolved, so Chapter 3 (Fundamentals of Scientific Writing—Technical Style and Sentence Structure) explains the shift, for example, from passive voice to a first-person, active voice. Chapter 3 also outlines when to use present and past tense, how to avoid faulty comparisons, and how to use correct parallel form. Fundamentals of Scientific Writing—Composition of Paragraphs (Chapter 4) focuses on creating cohesive, coherent paragraphs. Not only does Chapter 4 offer examples of dos and don'ts, but it also includes details on how to correct the issues. Part II, Working with Data and References, opens with Chapter 5 (Data, Figures, and Tables) about legalities regarding data collection and record-keeping via laboratory notebook. This information can help prevent major errors while conducting research that could eventually lead to publication. Chapter 6 (Basics of Statistical Analysis) could serve as a supplement in a statistics course catered to individuals who need to see practical applications and real-world examples. This chapter also includes a list and description of various software packages. Although included in Part II about data and analysis, Chapter 7 (Literature Sources) explores scientific literature searches and commonly used databases. Chapter 8, Literature Citations and Plagiarism, provides strategies to prevent the most intimidating factor when scientific writers are in the pursuit of publication—plagiarism. The unfortunate part about plagiarism is that some of the offenses are unintentional, yet the consequences are substantial. Fortunately, this chapter teaches writers how to paraphrase and identify potential plagiarism. Details of scientific writing commence in Part III (Introductory Writing) with the basics of laboratory reports and research papers (Chapter 9). Chapter 9 introduces the IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) method and how to apply it to scientific papers. Titles may not be given the respect they deserve, but titles influence what papers get read (and then cited), so Chapter 9 also evaluates the choice of titles. Chapter 10, Sample Reports, teaches the structure of writing about experiments, including lab reports and project papers. If you feel as though your report or manuscript could be improved upon, then Chapter 11 (Revising and Editing) delivers. This chapter also comes with a dose of reality and cynicism; for instance, do not wait until the day before a paper is due to start writing. The main benefit of Chapter 11 is the checklist provided to self-evaluate your writing, which forces authors to critically analyze their own writing. As writers, we also need to be competent reviewers and readers. Chapter 12 (Reading, Summarizing, and Critiquing a Scientific Research Article) gives the reader instructions on navigating a research paper because reading scientific papers can be an intimidating task. The checklist in Chapter 12 provides the reader with ways to self-assess their comprehension of a research paper. Hofmann discusses a diverse range of scientific writing in Chapter 13 (Term Papers and Review Articles) and explains how term papers and review articles are related, particularly as it relates to formatting and organizational flow. Sufficient and effective note-taking is an essential skill that is paramount to our success as writers, so Chapter 14 (Note-Taking and Essay Exams) provides tactics and tools to prepare for exams and when writing. Beyond traditional writing, Part IV (Advanced Scientific Documents and Presentations) focuses on oral presentations (Chapter 15), posters (Chapter 16), research proposals (Chapter 17), and job applications (Chapter 18). Organization is one of the most important components when gaining an audience's attention, but even more so for oral presentations, so Chapter 15 identifies issues that may arise when compiling your presentation. Poster presentations are commonly used to passively present research. Chapter 16 gives precise instructions on how to arrange and create visually appealing posters to attract an audience. If you find yourself in a position seeking funds for research, then Chapter 17 on research proposals will guide you through the components of a functional proposal to ensure your proposal is competitive. When your funding is not coming from grants, then it is coming from your place of employment. For that reason, Chapter 18 covers polishing your resume and developing a purposeful personal statement. One notable shortcoming of the fifth edition of Writing in the Biological Sciences, especially in this day and age, is its omission of artificial intelligence (AI) as a research and writing tool. Artificial intelligence is increasingly used for generating or troubleshooting code, assisting with data visualization, and even writing or grammatical improvement. Hopefully, the sixth edition will include guidance on when and how to employ such tools responsibly without compromising academic integrity. While this book is utilitarian in nature, catering to the audience using factual scientific examples keeps the reader engaged. Overall, I found Writing in the Biological Sciences useful, especially during a semester when I took a graduate-level scientific writing course. Writing in the Biological Sciences covers more than high-level, technical writing, so this book has a place on the shelves of everyone in the biological sciences.