Science Writing Support:

Current graduate science students at the Mount Writing Centre offer science-specific writing support: Whether it’s a lab report, research paper, critical appraisal, or literature review, they’ll help with any stage of the writing process—morning, afternoon, evening, or weekends, on campus or online.

Bookings

While all tutors can help clarify, tighten, and smooth your writing style for all programs, our Extra Science Support sessions give you current graduate science students experienced in lab report and research writing in a range of scientific disciplines, working with quantitative data, ethics issues, interview questions, slides, and research poster presentation. Writing across the sciences differs from discipline to discipline – Biology is not Psychology is not Applied Human Nutrition. This page offers resources to address that: it’s a place for new science writers to begin. And to book support!

Important Links:

Science Writing Guides:

Scientific Writing Made Easy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Undergraduate Writing in the Biological Sciences

Academic Writing – Applied Human Nutrition – Guides at Mount Saint Vincent University

Writing Lab Reports:

Lab Report Writing Basics – help for new students – slides

Generally, between departments, lab reports follow a similar structure for basic sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Citations, and Appendices.

Lab Reports and Writing – Biology – Guides at Mount Saint Vincent University

Lab Reports and Writing – Chemistry and Physics – Guides at Mount Saint Vincent University

The Lab Report | Writing Advice – University of Toronto

Research Writing:

Writing a Research Paper – University of Wisconsin

The Abstract – The University of Toronto

Research Guides:

Articles & Journals – Applied Human Nutrition – Guides at Mount Saint Vincent University

Articles & Journals – Biology – Guides at Mount Saint Vincent University

Articles & Journals – Chemistry and Physics – Guides at Mount Saint Vincent University

Articles & Journals – Mathematics – Guides at Mount Saint Vincent University

Articles & Journals – Psychology – Guides at Mount Saint Vincent University

Literature Reviews:

The Literature Review – University of Toronto

Critical Appraisals:

Critical Evaluation of Sources – Applied Human Nutrition – Guides at Mount Saint Vincent University

Critical Reading Towards Critical Writing – University of Toronto

The Book Review or Article Critique – University of Toronto 

Critical Evaluation of Journals and Books – Mount Saint Vincent University

Science Research Help:

The Mount has a science-specific Research Librarian, Meg Raven (meg.raven@msvu.ca), if you are looking for help locating and/ or citing articles. The Mount Library also offers in-person or online Research Help appointments. You can book an appointment here:

Source Citation:

Follow your faculty or instructor’s preferred citation style. Expect to learn different styles. Here is guidance for some citation styles used in each department:

Applied Human Nutrition:

International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE; Formerly Vancouver)

About – Nutrition Citation Style – Guides at Mount Saint Vincent University

Biology:

Council of Science Editors (CSE)

Chemistry and Physics:

American Chemical Society (ACS)

Psychology:

American Psychological Association (APA)

APA Instructional Aids