Information Competencies for Chemistry Undergraduates/Scientific Communication And Ethical Conduct
Section 4. Scientific Communication and Ethical Conduct
[edit | edit source]Chemistry undergraduates should understand that being able to clearly and concisely present research conducted in an ethical manner is imperative to a scientist.
4.1 COMMUNICATION:
Students should be aware of the different methods for presenting research (articles, posters, oral presentations at scientific conferences, etc); understand the reasons for citing the literature in one's own writing; demonstrate the ability to cite using appropriate formatting and standard abbreviations; and be familiar with software that allows for storing, managing, and formatting bibliographic references or citations.
- Writing:
- Recommended resources:
- The ACS Style Guide, Chapter 1: Writing a Scientific Paper. 2nd ed. 1997
- The ACS Style Guide, Chapter 14: References. 3rd ed. 2006 Print edition $$; info
- The ACS Style Guide: Effective Communication of Scientific Information. 3rd ed. 2006 Print edition $$; info online access may require ACS ChemWorx registration
- The Craft of Scientific Writing, by Michael Alley. 3rd ed. 1996 $$
- How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, by Robert A. Day (various editions) $$
- Information for Authors. American Chemical Society. Author and Resource Reviewer Center
- On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction, by William Zinsser $$
- Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, by Joseph M. Williams and Gregory G. Colomb. 10th ed. 2010 $$
- Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students
- Writing Scientific Manuscripts: A Guide for Undergraduates
- Citation and reference manager software:
- Recommended resources:
- EndNote $$
- EndNote Web $$; EndNote Web, included in Web of Science $$
- Mendeley
- RefWorks $$
- Zotero (use with FireFox browser)
- Poster presentations:
- Recommended resources:
4.2 ETHICAL CONDUCT:
Chemistry undergraduates should learn the professional standards of chemists as articulated in the ACS "Chemist's Code" and in relevant works on scientific ethics; understand that science is filled with ethical judgments; recognize the ethical component of complex situations; and analyze complex ethical problems and design appropriate solutions.
- Recommended resources:
- The Chemical Professional’s Code of Conduct. American Chemical Society. 2012
- Ethical Guidelines to Publication of Chemical Research. American Chemical Society. 2015
- On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research. Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy. 3rd ed. 2009
- Scientific Integrity: Text and Cases in Responsible Conduct of Research. by Francis L. Macrina, 3rd ed. 2005. $$