ABT - The And, But, Therefore Structure: Storytelling in Science Writing скачать в хорошем качестве

ABT - The And, But, Therefore Structure: Storytelling in Science Writing

This video introduces the And, But, Therefore structure of most stories and scientific articles by going through a short story. This video is part of the University of Guelph’s Writing in the Sciences (WITS) website designed to provide science researchers and post-secondary students with practical guidance on how to use clarity and precision in scientific writing. This video was created by Chris Greyson-Gaito, and the WITS project was made possible by an NSERC Science Communication Skills Training Grant. To access the WITS website with its modules, resources, and interviews, visit https://writinginthesciences.uoguelph.... VIDEO Descriptive Transcript: [Dramatic music] Before we get into the And, But, Therefore (or ABT) technique, let’s first understand the structure of most stories by going through a silly story that I created. Chris is happily and slowly working on his PhD. But one day, pirates steal Chris’s computer. Chris cannot complete his PhD without a computer so he must venture out and retrieve his computer. On his journey, Chris meets a cat that can make fireballs. They become firm friends. After battling dragons and knights, Chris and the cat find the pirates and take back the computer. Chris returns home with his computer and the cat. The cat helps Chris with his PhD. Everything seems to be going well, but the cat has a sinister motive for befriending Chris. Let’s go through each part of this silly story to unpack the structure. [Introduce main characters.] At first, the main characters are introduced in their normal day-to-day lives. At the beginning of our story, we are introduced to Chris who is quietly working on his PhD. [Problem that characters must solve.] Then something occurs that spurs the action of the story. Usually, there is a problem that the main characters have to solve. In our story, the problem is that pirates have stolen Chris’ computer. [Journey to solve problem.] The story then follows the main characters through their journey (physical or mental) to solve the problem. During Chris’ journey, he meets a friendly cat and, with the cat, battles a dragon, a knight, and finally the pirates. [Problem solved. Characters return.] By the end of the story, the problem has been solved and often the main characters return to their normal day-to-day lives but with new insights, knowledge, friends, items, etc. In the story, Chris returns to writing his PhD but now with a friendly cat to keep him company. [Teaser.] Sometimes, a story ends with a teaser (a cliff hanger) for the next story. At the end of our story, we find out that the cat has a sinister motive for befriending Chris, but we are not told what this motive is. This is the teaser (or cliff hanger) for the next story to pick up on. [And, But Therefore Structure] This narrative structure can be distilled even further into the And, But, Therefore structure that was developed by Dr. Randy Olson. Randy Olson was a marine biologist who became a filmmaker. His excellent book Houston, We have a Narrative: Why Science Needs Story draws on his experience of being a scientist and a filmmaker. This book introduces the And, But, Therefore technique (and many other techniques). [A chart for the And, But Therefore Structure shows three headings: ABT, General purpose, and Story and includes the following narrated information.] The And section of the structure introduces generally known facts. In a story, the And section is where the main characters are introduced. [A chart for the And, But Therefore Structure shows three headings: ABT, General purpose, and Story and includes the following narrated information.] The But section establishes a tension, a conflict, or a problem. In a story, the But section is where the characters first encounter the problem and where the characters must journey to solve the problem. [A chart for the And, But Therefore Structure shows three headings: ABT, General purpose, and Story and includes the following narrated information.] Finally, the Therefore section provides the solution to the tension, conflict or problem. The Therefore section also ties all narrative strands together. In a story, the Therefore section is where the problem has been solved, the characters have returned, and potentially the next story is introduced with a teaser. Many stories use this And, But, Therefore structure. Arguably too, all scientific articles and science theses inherently have And, But, and Therefore sections. When science writers acknowledge this fact and actively incorporate the And, But, Therefore structure in their writing, articles and theses become easier to understand and more interesting. Let’s explore how the And, But, Therefore structure applies to scientific writing. Back to the web page.