Scientific English for MolMed grant proposal workshop (+ avoiding typical “non - native” mistakes) Joy Burrough-Boenisch unclogged.english@gmail.com 2018
“It is always important to follow all instructions given in the request for proposals (RFP)….Many proposals with great ideas are rejected because they fail to follow all RFP guidelines.... Sloppy formatting or grammar and spelling errors will reflect poorly on the credibility of everyone involved with the project. ” Dr Karina Stokes in American Medical Writers Association Journal , March 1, 2012
Topics ➢ scientific English ➢ learner English ➢ some non-native errors ➢ some Dutch influences to avoid
Scientific English is the English scientists write to communicate with other members of their “tribe”. It’s formal, concise, precise. Ideally, it’s clear and readable.
Influences on your scientific English ➢ “School” English ➢ Books/courses on writing ➢ Reading English-language science papers ➢ Journal requirements ➢ Your native language ➢ Conventions of science writing in your culture ➢ Dutch colleagues/lecturers/supervisors
Influences on your scientific English ➢ “School” English ➢ Books/courses on writing ➢ Reading English-language science papers ➢ Journal requirements ➢ Your native language ➢ Conventions of science writing in your culture ➢ Dutch colleagues/lecturers/supervisors
Things to get right ➢ One style of English (UK or US) ➢ No errors of grammar or spelling ➢ Appropriate tone (not pompous, not too informal) ➢ No unnecessary words ➢ No ambiguity (e.g. about “universal truths” versus “your own findings”)
US or UK English?
UK or US? ➢ Set the “language” option to UK or US and be guided by the spellchecker ➢ Use a good dictionary
No errors of grammar or spelling?! ➢ Everybody makes mistakes when writing ➢ Editors and software programs expect native speaker (NS) mistakes and errors ➢ But non-native speakers (NNSs) make different mistakes and errors
Not all grammar errors are flagged
Tone: Too informal There was some activity that couldn’t be visualized with immunoblotting. The equivalent scan after locoregional injection via the hepatic artery showed a lot more liver metastasis
Tone: Too informal There was some activity that couldn’t could not be visualized with immunoblotting. The equivalent scan after locoregional injection via the hepatic artery showed a lot much more liver metastasis
What clogs up non-native scientific English?
What clogs up non-native English? Learner errors (learner English) Mother tongue/culture interference - linguistic transfers - transfers of conventions
Learners of English have a limited general vocabulary don’t know better alternatives overuse/repeat words & phrases but scientist learners of English also use complex scientific terms!
➢ Transfers - linguistic transfers - conventions from your writing culture
“False friends” Actual aktueel (Dutch) / actuel (French) / aktualny (Polish) / atual (Portuguese) = current/topical eventueel (Dutch) / eventuàl (Slovenian) Eventual / eventual (Romanian) / = any/possible eventualmente (Italian) Eventually =if necessary, possibly eventualmente (Portuguese) = occasionally
“This also seems to stroke with the literature review” ????!!!!
“Dutch” Latin Used in Dutch Equivalent in English c.q. or (if any/as the case may be/where appropriate) criterion criterium decade decennium in this case i.c. / in casu ditto idem
Beware of transferring punctuation conventions! ’ - ( ) , . : “ ” ;
Transfer of punctuation In Dutch these are plurals! baby’s camera’s, embryo’s idea’s …in English they are possessives: The baby’s mother The camera’s shutter speed
Hyphens transferred from Dutch Dunglish English PhD-student PhD student oncogenic protein-complexes oncogenic protein complexes iPS-differentiation iPS differentiation MRI-scanner MRI scanner
Brackets ( ) are used differently & more frequently in Dutch than in English In scientific English, brackets are not used in running text to indicate alternatives. They indicate “asides” ( terloopse opmerkingen )
Example of “Dutch” brackets misleading a journal reviewer (clinically important) prostate cancer Reviewer asks why authors have included data on low-risk prostate cancer!
Confusing brackets in Dutch-authored scientific English an inflammatory and fibrotic response in (proliferative) vitreoretinal disorders primary tumors and their (brain) metastases patients with a submucosal (T1b) tumor submucosal (T1b) esophageal adenocarcinoma
Embedded brackets are permitted in social science (re)production, (dis)ability, (dis)abled
Unacceptable embedded “Dutch” brackets MiRNAs suppress protein translation through (im)perfect binding to complementary sequences through imperfect and perfect binding through imperfect or perfect binding
Unacceptable embedded “Dutch” brackets (un)sterile gloves should be worn
Unacceptable embedded “Dutch” brackets (un)sterile gloves should be worn gloves should be worn
Non-native errors when using the present tense ➢ Using the present tense to report past events/actions (minutes of meetings, research methods) ➢ Using “is” to mean “was” (this is also a transfer from Dutch)
“is” + past participle generally signals present tense & signals a “truth”! The three interferon beta preparations approved for treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) differ in dose and frequency of administration. Interferon beta-1a 30 μg is administered once a week, interferon beta-1a 22 μg or 44 μg is given three times a week, and interferon beta-1b 250 μg is administered on alternate days.
Wrongly transferring Dutch “is” + past participle to signal past tense! ➢ Our new baby-boy is born on the 18th. ➢ Recently it is decided that in 2020 nearly zero emissions have to be achieved ➢ A prototype of this system is developed by Lokhorst (1993).
➢ Our new baby boy was born on the 18th. ➢ Recently it was decided that in 2020 nearly zero emissions have to be achieved ➢ A prototype of this system was developed by Lokhorst (1993).
We studied 10 post-cardiac surgery patients during a PEEP trial directly after they arrived at the ICU. This short waiting period is chosen in order to prevent irreversible alveolar collapse.
“are” + past participle signals the present So far, the cases with typical primary immunodeficencies are identified.
“are” + past participle signals the present So far, the cases with typical primary immunodeficencies are identified. So far, the cases with typical primary immunodeficencies have been identified.
English in grant proposals • Persuasive • Promotional • Promissory
Improving your grant proposal Check out excellent applications and study the persuasive language used https://www.dartmouth.edu/gps/resources/te mplates.html#nsf
• Current understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underly Histoplasma pathogenesis remains limited. Unlike opportunistic pathogens, the fungal pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum can cause disease even in immunocompetent hosts by parasitizing phagocytes of the host. Only a few virulence factors have been identified and characterized to date. In this proposal, we will use a forward genetics approach to discover the virulence factors that enable Histoplasma to subvert the defenses of the macrophage, Histoplasma's primary host cell.
The proposed research is significant, because it will determine which structural and mechanical characteristics should be therapeutic targets. It is also significant because it will develop a platform that can be extended to study other pathogens (or commensals) and synergies to open new avenues for biofilm therapies. This work will develop foundational resources that will be used by other researchers, for P. aeruginosa and other organisms. The proximate expected outcome of this work an understanding of which biofilm structural and mechanical characteristics contribute to clinical impact. The results will have an important positive impact immediately because they will establish better understanding of biofilm infection, virulence, and resistance to antibiotics and the immune system for an important pathogen, and long-term because they lay the groundwork to develop a suite of techniques for better treatment of biofilm infections.
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