Scientific Writing Scientific writing should be done with clarity, economy, and precision. Clarity in the written word may simply mean that the document is comprehensible on first reading. Economical writing is characterized by the lack of extraneous words and lack of redundancy between sections of a paper. We often write with the same verbosity that is permissible in conversation, but superfluous words slow down comprehension and take up valuable space. Precision means that your message is conveyed to the reader as you intend it to be understood.
Numbers can often provide more precision than words and are commonly used in scientific papers.
Good writing will not make bad science good, but poor writing can prevent good science from receiving the recognition it deserves. Memorable papers are clear, brief, and forceful.