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Science Writing and Style Guides
Books, Web Resources, RefWorks, and EndNote

Contact information:
Andrea Twiss-Brooks
atbrooks@uchicago.edu
773-702-8777
John Crerar Library - JCL 132


Online Guides and Lists for Scientific Writing

Chicago Manual of Style
The web version (limited to U of Chicago users) of the venerable comprehensive handbook of style, this provides general guidance, as well as specific examples of correct style and citation

Science Writing Aids
Science Writing Aids -- includes links to sites for software and other tools, nomenclature guides and science writing manuals and style guides

Citation Styles/Online!
Includes a "chapter" on citing online resources

APA Style for Electronic Resources
Annotated list of examples of how to cite in APA style for electronic resources (provided by Trinity University Library

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) - 5th edition, 2001
Restricted to University of Chicago users

Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students
Created by contributors from Virginia Tech, University of Texas, University of Illinois and Georgia Tech. Includes exercises and examples, as well as links to other science writing guides and sites

Guidelines for NASA Technical Reports Preparation
This guide is intended specifically for technical reports submitted to NASA's publishing program

Duke University Guide to Library Research
Guide to correct citing of sources

APA Manual Crib Sheet
A summary of rules for American Psychological Association style. Consult the full manual for more detail

Cyberbee
Web page with a collection of online tools to create formatted citations. Most tools are forms based -- users enter the parts of the reference, select a style and click a button

Promoting Integrity in Science Journals Publications
Council of Science Editors' white paper on the roles and responsibilities of editors, authors, peer reviewers, and the publishers in science journal publication

Individual journal requirements
For specific guidelines for journal articles, consult the journal's guidelines for authors (also called submission guidelines or instructions to authors). Many journal home pages in this list have this information available even to non-subscribers. University of Chicago users will be able to access the real-life examples of scientific writing style applied -- the articles themselves

​RefWorks

RefWorks is an online research management tool that helps you collect, organize, and share citations from library databases and catalogs. RefWorks also helps you create and format bibliographies and footnotes in a wide variety citation styles (Chicago, MLA, APA, Turabian, etc.) for your papers and research projects. Go to library RefWorks webpage for more information.

EndNote

EndNote is an desktop software research management tool that helps you collect and organize citations from library databases and catalogs. EndNote also helps you create and format bibliographies and footnotes in a wide variety citation styles (Chicago, MLA, APA, Turabian, etc.) for your papers and research projects. Go to library EndNote webpage for more information.

Books in the University of Chicago Libraries


This is a selected list of style guides, handbooks on technical writing, and related topics.

Call number Title / Author Imprint University of Chicago Location
Q180.55.M4 B66 2008
The craft of research / Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams. 3rd edition. (Series: Chicago guides to writing, editing, and publishing) Chicago : University of Chicago press, 2008. Crerar Library
Q180.58.K360 1985 Writing the laboratory notebook /
Kanare, Howard M.
Washington, D.C. : American Chemical Society, 1985. Crerar Library
Q223.C66 2006 Communicating science effectively: a practical handbook for integrating visual elements / Jane E. Thomas London: IWA Publishing, 2006 Crerar Library
Q223.H3444 2008 Handbook of public communication of science and technology / edited by Massimiano Bucchi and Brian Trench London; New York: Routledge, 2008 Crerar Library
Q223.H345 1998 Handbook of science communication / compiled by Anthony Wilson [et al.] Bristol; Philadelphia: Institute of Physics Pub., c1998 Crerar Library
Q223.P33 1997 The MIT guide to science and engineering communication / James G. Paradis and Muriel L. Zimmerman Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press, c1997 Crerar Library
Q225.5.H255 2007 Peer review and manuscript management in scientific journals: guidelines for good practice / Irene Hames Malden, MA; Oxford: Blackwell Pub., 2007 Crerar Library
Q225.5.L630 1992 Science as writing / David Locke New Haven : Yale University Press, c1992 Crerar Library

QD8.5.A250 1997
QD8.5 .A25 2006

The ACS style guide : a manual for authors and editors /
Dodd, Janet S., 1944-

Washington, DC : American Chemical Society, 1986, 1997, 2006 Crerar Library Reference
QD9.15.E23 2004 The art of scientific writing : from student reports to professional /
Ebel, Hans Friedrich. (2nd edition)
Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, c2004. Crerar Library
QD9.15.W75 2008 Write like a chemist: a guide and resource / Marin S. Robinson Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, c2008 Crerar Library
T10.5 .M65 2003 The Chicago guide to communicating science / Scott L. Montgomery. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 2003. Crerar Library
T11. S528 1999 How to write & present technical information / Charles H. Sides (3rd edition) Phoenix, Ariz. : Oryx Press, 1999 Crerar Library
T11.A37 1996 The craft of scientific writing /
Alley, Michael. (3rd edition)
Englewood Cliffs, Prentice-Hall, 1996 Crerar Library
T11 .B396 2005 A guide to writing as an engineer / David Beer, David McMurrey. (2nd edition) Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley & Sons, c2005. Crerar Library
T11 .D417 2004 Developing quality technical information : a handbook for writers and editors / Gretchen Hargis ... [et al.]. (2nd edition) Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall PTR, c2004. Crerar Library
T11.D324 2005 Scientific papers and presentations / Martha Davis (revised edition) Burlington, Mass.: Academic Press, 2005 Crerar Library
T11.D33 2006 How to write and publish a scientific paper /
Day, Robert A. and Barbara Gastel (6th edition)
Philadelphia : ISI Press, 2006 Crerar Library Reference
T11.F52 2006 A field guide for science writers : the official guide of the National Association of Science Writers / edited by Deborah Blum, Mary Knudson and Robin Marantz Henig (2nd edition) New York : Oxford University Press, 2006 Crerar Library
T11.G626 2006 Writing for science / Robert Goldbort New Haven: Yale University Press, c2006 Crerar Library
T11 .G86 2003 How to write & illustrate a scientific paper / Björn Gustavii. Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2003. Crerar Library Reference
T11 .H255 2003
Ideas into words : mastering the craft of science writing / Elise Hancock ; foreword by Robert Kanigel. Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003. Crerar Library
T11 .M485 2004 The Chicago guide to writing about numbers / Jane E. Miller. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 2004. Crerar Library
T11.N67 2007 Making sense: a student's guide to research and writing: enginering and the technical sciences / Margot Northey and Judi Jewinski Don Mills, Ont.: Oxford University Press, c2007 Crerar Library
T11 .P393 2004
Writing in the sciences : exploring conventions of scientific discourse / Ann M. Penrose, Steven B. Katz. (2nd edition) New York : Longman, c2004. Crerar Library
T11.O940 1991 The Oxford dictionary for scientific writers and editors Oxford [England] : Clarendon Press; New York : Oxford University Press, 1991 Crerar Library Reference
T11 .R663 2005
Spring into technical writing : for engineers and scientists / Barry J. Rosenberg. Upper Saddle River, NJ : Addison-Wesley, c2005. Crerar Library
T11.S386 2006 Scientific style and format: the CSE manual for authors, editors, and publishers / Style Manual Committee, Council of Science Editors (7th edition) Reston, VA: Council of Science Editors/Rockefeller University Press, 2006 Crerar Library Reference
T11.S390 1986 Scientific writing for graduate students : a manual on the teaching
Woodford, F. Peter, 1930-
Bethesda, Md. : Council of Biology Editors, c1986. Crerar Library
T11 .W75 2003
Writing and speaking in the technology professions : a practical guide / edited by David F. Beer. (2nd edition) New York : IEEE Press, c2003. Crerar Library
T11 .Y69 2005 Technical writing A-Z : a commonsense guide to engineering reports and theses / Trevor M. Young. New York, NY : ASME Press, c2005. Crerar Library