Dr. Andreas Kämper
Sebastian Briesemeister
Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät
Applied Bioinformatics
Zentrum für Bioinformatik Tübingen
1st Assignment
for the course
Scientific Writing and Presenting
Hand in date: April, 28 until 1:15pm (in the lecture or vial email)
All problems refer to two (short) papers from different research areas. One is rather recent and appeared in the journal
Science. The other one is very old and appeared in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. You can find links
to both articles on the course web page.
• Bast et al., Science 2007, 316, 566.
• I. Newton, Phil. Trans. 1672, 83, 4060-4062. (including the experiments of R. Moray Phil. Trans. 1672, 83,
4059-4060.)
Problem 1 Structure of scientific articles (50 Points)
Indicate for each sentence of the main text of the two papers, whether it belongs to the Introduction (I), Materials and Methods (M), Results (R), or Discussion and Conclusion (D) section of the standard format. Use the
provided template sheet by writing I, M, R, or D in the boxes. Each box corresponds to exactly one sentence in
the paper.
Are there sentences that belong to several of the IMRAD sections? If so, can you give an explanation why the
authors might have done this?
Problem 2 Tenses used in the IMRAD format (10 Points)
Which tenses (e.g. past tense, present tense, future tense) are used in the four sections (I, M, R, D) of the Science
article?
Problem 3 Fine Structure of the Introduction (20 Points)
Now focus on the respective introductions (The sentences that you indicated as introduction in your answer to
problem 1). In the lecture, the structure of the introduction was subdivided into six subsections. Indicate for
each sentence of the introductions, to which of the six subsections it belongs. Again, use the boxes on template
sheet to indicate whether a sentence tells you something about the problem (P), the state of the art (S), goals
(G), methods (M), results (R), or conclusions (C).
Are there subsections missing in the articles? What might be the reason for omitting the subsections?
Problem 4 Fine Structure of the Discussion (20 Points)
Now focus on the respective discussions (The sentences that you indicated as discussion or conclusion in your
answer to problem 1). Seven different subsections were introduced in the lecture for a Discussion and Conclusion
section. Use the boxes on template sheet to indicate whether a sentence discusses the problem (P), results (R),
exceptions (E), methods (M), goals (G), open problems (O), or gives conclusions (C).
Answer Sheet - Assignment 1 "Scientific Writing and Presenting"
Each row corresponds to one paragraph in the paper. Each box corresponds to one
sentence in that paragraph were a sentence ends with a period.
Fill the boxes for problem 3 or 4 only if you decided for the same sentence in problem 1 that
it belongs to the introduction or discussion, respectively.
Paper 1 - Bast et al.
Paragraph 1
Answer Boxes for Problem 1
Answer Boxes for Problem 3
Answer Boxes for Problem 4
Paragraph 2 & 3
Answer Boxes for Problem 1
Answer Boxes for Problem 3
Answer Boxes for Problem 4
Paragraph 4
Answer Boxes for Problem 1
Answer Boxes for Problem 3
Answer Boxes for Problem 4
Paper 2 - Newton
Paragraph 1 (Experiments of Robert Moray)
Answer Boxes for Problem 1
Answer Boxes for Problem 3
Answer Boxes for Problem 4
Paragraph 2 & 3
Answer Boxes for Problem 1
Answer Boxes for Problem 3
Answer Boxes for Problem 4
Paragraph 4, 5 & 6 (numeration 2 to 4)
Answer Boxes for Problem 1
Answer Boxes for Problem 3
Answer Boxes for Problem 4
Paragraph 7,8 & 9
Answer Boxes for Problem 1
Answer Boxes for Problem 3
Answer Boxes for Problem 4
Paragraph 10
Answer Boxes for Problem 1
Answer Boxes for Problem 3
Answer Boxes for Problem 4