How to recognize, respect and restore author voice in scientific papers

Scientific authors often struggle to merge their individual voice with the styles and genres of their field. Many are also junior researchers who are trying to don the mantle of authority while still unsure of their knowledge and message and under scrutiny from more senior researchers. This mix of inexperience and pressure can lead to a range of problems, including confusing structure, awkward transitions, and weak or diffuse messaging. This workshop will help participants understand how writer’s voice works in the sciences, how it goes wrong, and how we can use this knowledge to fix problems and clarify texts.

Facilitator: Kate Mc Intyre

Purpose: To help participants recognize and resolve problems related to a scientific author struggling to voice their own perspective in writing.

Description: Identifying and resolving problems related to how an author struggles to express their own thoughts and ideas can be challenging, particularly in scientific fields steeped in argot and reliant on formalized styles. It is also a skillset language professionals will want to reinforce in a “generative AI world” where many of the texts we receive may seem correct(ish) in their particulars but somehow lacking in their overall messages.

During the workshop, I will discuss what scientific voice entails, including how it differs from voice in other genres. Using examples, I will show how voice breaks down and offer suggestions for how participants can help authors forge their voice in scientific papers. The bulk of the workshop will be spent analysing example texts. Working individually and in small groups, we will identify aspects of voice, problems related to voice and how to resolve them, along with ways to effectively communicate solutions to clients.

Participant profile: This workshop is for language professionals who edit academic or scientific texts and educators engaged in helping authors improve their writing.

Outcome: Participants should come away from the workshop with:

• experience recognizing aspects of voice in scientific documents, including how it interacts with style and genre

• experience recognizing problems related to author voice

• insight into how to solve these problems and ways to communicate solutions to authors