Writing in the Disciplines

a stethoscope on a textbook

Disciplinary norms and expectations shape our writing. Click below for resources for writing in some of the disciplines at UMB. This list is a work in progress.

 

Sciences 

From UNC Chapel Hill: provides advice on precision, clarity, and objectivity in scientific writing (Note: this is just one perspective, not the only way to write scientifically)

From Nature: scientists provide advice for writing publications

From University of Wisconsin-Madison: includes a sample scientific paper with comments explaining how and why the paper is written as it is

Sample paper from National Library of Medicine

Sample paper from the New England Journal of Medicine

Nursing 

 

From Purdue OWL: an extensive list of resources for nursing students. Consultant notes: Oh formatting and citations- everyone’s favorite. Rather than reading a whole textbook about it take a look at an example! A word of caution to this tale: APA, AMA, whatever you use, are updated regularly. Be sure to uses resources that can highlight differences between editions. (Ex: APA no longer requires running heads for student submissions!). - Victoria P.

Example analytical essay and reflective essay with commentary on each section at the end. Consultant notes: Remember as you begin to gather thoughts someone has probably written in a similar format before. If you’re wondering what info should be included in what section, or when is a good time for a table, well then take a look at a sample! The example given here is long so I would recommend focusing on specific sections you have questions about. And if you scroll to the end of each example there is a reasoning and description provided. You can read what the author wrote and commentary on it! -Victoria P.

Dentistry 

 

From National Library of Medicine: what to include in dental records

 

Pharmacy 

From University of California, San Francisco: explains the differences between a letter of intent, personal statement, and cover letter for pharmacy residency programs. Provides a sample

Public Health 

 

From CDC. Downloads a PDF.