A Coursebook on Scientific and Professional Writing for Speech-Language Pathology

M.N. Hegde, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Communication Sciences and Disorders at California State University-Fresno. A specialist in fluency disorders, language disorders, research methods, and treatment procedures in communication disorders, Dr. Hegde is world renown as a researcher, presenter, contributor of original articles to leading national and international journals, and critically acclaimed author of more than two dozen highly regarded books in speech-language pathology. He has served on the editorial board of several scientific and professional journals, has been a guest editor of international journals, and continues to serve as an editorial consultant to the Journal of Fluency Disorders.

Preface to the Sixth Edition
Acknowledgements
About the Author

PART A
FOUNDATIONS OF SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL WRITING

A.1. BASIC RULES OF USAGE
Ampersand

A.1.1. Use the Ampersand Correctly


Apostrophe

A.1.2. Do Not Turn a Possessive Into a Plural
A.1.3. Do Not Turn a Plural Into a Possessive
A.1.4. Use the Correct Forms of Possessive Nouns
A.1.5. Use the Possessive Forms of Pronouns Correctly
A.1.6. Distinguish Contractions From Possessives


Unusual Singulars and Plurals

A.1.7. Use Unusual Singulars and Plurals Correctly

Comma

A.1.8. Use a Serial Comma
A.1.9. Do Not Use a Serial Comma When You Write Only Two Parallel Terms and
Connect Them With a Conjunction
A.1.10. Use a Comma to Separate Parenthetic Expressions That Are Not in Parentheses
A.1.11. Place a Comma Before a Conjunction Introducing an Independent Clause
A.1.12. Do Not Use a Comma Before a Conjunction That Is Followed by a Dependent Clause

Dash

A.1.13. Prefer an Em Dash to a Comma to Set Off an Abrupt Break

Semicolon

A.1.14. Join Independent Clauses With a Semicolon When the Clauses Are Not Joined by a Conjunction

Agreement

A.1.15. Follow the Rules of Agreement

Modifiers

A.1.16. Use Modifiers Correctly

Pronouns

A.1.17. Clarify the Referents of Pronouns
A.1.18. Let the Pronoun Agree in Number With Its Antecedent
A.1.19. Use the Proper Case of Pronoun

Sentence Fragments

A.1.20. Do Not Break a Single Sentence Into Two Parts
A.1.21. Do Not Write Sentence Fragments as a Series of Declarative Statements
A.1.22. Do Not Punctuate Appositives

Nouns and Adjectives

A.1.23. Use Certain Terms Only in Their Adjectival Forms
A.1.24. Do Not Turn a Noun Into a Verb

Participial Phrase

A.1.25. Let a Participial Phrase at the Beginning of a Sentence Refer to the Grammatical Subject



A.2 BASIC RULES OF COMPOSITION
Structure of Research Papers

A.2.1. Design a Broad Outline of Your Paper
A.2.2. Design Headings and Subheadings of Your Paper

Composing Paragraphs

A.2.3. Write Paragraphs That Express Related Ideas
A.2.4. Do Not Write Paragraphs That Are Too Long
A.2.5. Do Not Write One-Sentence Paragraphs
A.2.6. Begin and End Most Paragraphs With Transitionary Sentences

Concise and Direct Writing

A.2.7. Prefer the Shorter to the Longer Sentences
A.2.8. Prefer the Active Voice
A.2.9. Say What It Is, Instead of What It Is Not
A.2.10. Avoid Too Many Qualifications
A.2.11. Use Definite, Specific, and Concrete Language
A.2.12. Eliminate or Replace Unnecessary Phrases
A.2.13. Avoid Redundant Phrases
A.2.14. Avoid Wordiness
A.2.15. Avoid Jargon
A.2.16. Avoid Euphemism
A.2.17. Keep Related Words Together

Parallelism

A.2.18. Write in Parallel Terms
A.2.19. Maintain Parallelism in Numbered or Bulleted Lists

Misplaced or Dangling Modifiers

A.2.20. Avoid Dangling Modifiers
A.2.21. Avoid Misplaced Modifiers

Shifts Within and Between Sentences

A.2.22. Avoid Shifts Within and Between Sentences

Quotations

A.2.23. Make Quotations Count
A.2.24. Do Not Overuse Quotations
A.2.25. Do Not Include Islands of Quotations
A.2.26. Do Not Begin a Sentence With a Quotation
A.2.27. Use Quotation and Punctuation Marks Correctly
A.2.28. Do Not Misuse Quotation Marks
A.2.29. Give References for All Direct Quotations
A.2.30. Reproduce Quotations Exactly
A.2.31. Integrate Quotations of Fewer Than 40 Words With the Text
A.2.32. Arrange Quotations as a Block When They Have 40 Words or More
A.2.33. Show Correctly the Changes in Quotations
A.2.34. Quote Correctly the Sources on the Internet

Precision in the Use of Scientific Terms

A.2.35. Use the Terms Ending in -ology Correctly
A.2.36. Use Certain Terms Ending in -ics Correctly

Use of Fresh Language

A.2.37. Avoid Cliches
A.2.38. Avoid Colloquial or Informal Expressions

A.3. COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS AND PHRASES

A.3.1. Accept and Except
A.3.2. Affect and Effect
A.3.3. Alternate and Alternative
A.3.4. Allusion and Illusion
A.3.5. And/Or
A.3.6. Baseline and Baserate
A.3.7. Effect and Impact
A.3.8. Elicit and Evoke
A.3.9. Elicit and Illicit
A.3.10. Farther and Further
A.3.11. Focus and Analysis
A.3.12. Incidence and Prevalence
A.3.13. Inter- and Intra-
A.3.14. Latter and Later
A.3.15. Proof and Support
A.3.16. Secondly and Thirdly
A.3.17. Since and Because
A.3.18. There and Their

PART B
SCIENTIFIC WRITING


B.1. INTRODUCTION TO SCIENTIFIC WRITING

B.2. TERMS FOR WRITING WITHOUT BIAS

B.2.1. Do Not Overuse the Pronouns He and He or She
B.2.2. Use the Appropriate Terms of Gender Identities
B.2.3. Use the Appropriate Terms of Sexual Orientations
B.2.4. Avoid Prejudicial Reference to Disabilities
B.2.5. Avoid Prejudicial Reference to Ethnic or Racial Identity
B.2.6. Avoid Prejudicial Reference to Age
B.2.7. Avoid Prejudicial Comparisons of Study Groups

B.3. FORMAT OF SCIENTIFIC WRITING

Margins

B.3.1. Leave Correct Margins

Title Page

B.3.2. Type Correctly the Title Page of a Paper for Publication
B.3.3. Type Correctly the Title Page of a Class (Term) Paper

Running Head

B.3.4. Type the Manuscript Running Head Correctly

Abstract

B.3.5. Write an Abstract on the Second Page

Beginning of Text

B.3.6. Begin the Text With an Untitled Introductory Section on Page Three

Heading Levels

B.3.7. Use the Headings Within the Text Consistently

Font and Font Size

B.3.8. Use Acceptable Font and Size
B.3.9. Use Bold Font Correctly

Page Numbers

B.3.10. Number the Pages Correctly
B.3.11. Reprint the Corrected Pages

Line Spacing and Line Length

B.3.12. Use Appropriate Line Spacing
B.3.13. Align the Text to the Left Margin
B.3.14. Correct the Spelling Errors

B.4. ELEMENTS OF SCIENTIFIC STYLE
Capitalization

B.4.1. Capitalize the First Words
B.4.2. Capitalize the First and the Major Words
B.4.3. Capitalize the Words Correctly in Headings
B.4.4. Capitalize Proper Nouns and Trade Names
B.4.5. Capitalize the Chapters and Sections the Reader Is Referred To
B.4.6. Capitalize Nouns That Are Followed by a Number or Letter
B.4.7. Capitalize Both Words in Otherwise Capitalized Hyphenated Compound
B.4.8. Do Not Capitalize the Second Word of a Hyphenated Compound in Reference Lists

Italicization

B.4.9. Use Italics Correctly Within the Body of Text
B.4.10. Use Reverse Italics Correctly
B.4.11. Use Italics Correctly in the Reference List

Hyphenation

B.4.12. Use the Hyphen Correctly
B.4.13. Do Not Overuse or Misuse the Hyphen

Indentation

B.4.14. Use Correct Indentation

Space After Punctuation

B.4.15. Give Correct Space or No Space After Punctuation

Abbreviations

B.4.16. Write Out Abbreviations the First Time You Use the Term, and Enclose the Abbreviations in Parentheses
B.4.17. Do Not Start a Sentence With a Lowercase Abbreviation
B.4.18. Use Latin Abbreviations Only in Parenthetical Constructions
B.4.19. Add the Lowercase Plural Morpheme s to Plural Abbreviations Without an Apostrophe
B.4.20. With Abbreviations, Use the Period Correctly
B.4.21. Abbreviate Units of Measurement When a Number Is Specified

Numbers in Words or Numerals

B.4.22. Write Out Units of Measurement When a Number Is Not Specified
B.4.23. Use Roman Numerals Only When It Is an Established Practice
B.4.24. Use Arabic Numerals for Numbers 10 and Above
B.4.25. Use Numerals for Numbers Below 10 in Specified Contexts
B.4.26. Write Out in Words Numbers Below 10 in Specified Contexts
B.4.27. Write Out in Words Any Number That Begins a Sentence
B.4.28. Combine Words and Numerals in Specified Contexts

Reference Citations Within the Text

B.4.29. Cite the Author's Last Name and Year or Years of Publication in the Text
B.4.30. Cite Both Names in the Text When a Work Has Two Authors
B.4.31. Cite Works With Three or More Authors With Only the First Author
B.4.32. Distinguish Works of Multiple Authors Published in the Same Year
B.4.33. Join Multiple Author Names With the Conjunction and or the Ampersand
B.4.34. Distinguish the Different First Authors With the Same Surname
B.4.35. Cite Multiple Works of the Same Author in a Temporally Ascending Order
B.4.36. Attach Alphabetical Suffixes to the Same Author's Multiple Publications in the Same Year
B.4.37. Within Parentheses, Arrange the Last Names of Multiple Authors in Alphabetical Order
B.4.38. Cite Secondary Sources Sparingly and Correctly
B.4.39. Cite Correctly the Works With No Author or an Anonymous Author
B.4.40. Cite Correctly the Year of Publication in Parenthetical Text
B.4.41. Cite Correctly the Specific Parts of a Source

Reference List

B.4.42. General Guidelines on Creating a Reference List
B.4.43. Begin the Reference List on a New Page With a Centered Heading
B.4.44. In the Reference List, Arrange Authors in Alphabetical Order
B.4.45. Arrange Multiple Works of the Same Single Author From the Earliest to the Latest Year
B.4.46. Alphabetize the Titles of Several Works of the Same Author Published in the Same Year
B.4.47. Arrange the Multiple Works of the Same Author Published in a Different Years in Temporally Ascending Order
B.4.48. Alphabetize the Different Authors With the Same Last Name According to Their Initials
B.4.49. Format Each Entry in the Reference List With a Hanging Indent of Five Spaces
B.4.50. Use the Specified Abbreviations in Reference Lists

Selected Examples of References

Printed Journal Articles

B.4.51. Overview of Referencing Printed Journal Articles
B.4.52. Use the Correct Format to Reference Printed Journal Articles
B.4.53. Arrange Correctly the Articles With Multiple Authors
B.4.54. Reference Correctly the Different Forms of Journal Publications

Magazines and Newspaper Articles

B.4.55. Reference Correctly the Publications From Magazines and Newspapers

Abstracts

B.4.56. Reference Correctly the Article Abstracts Used as the Primary Source

Books and Book Chapters

B.4.57. Authored Books in Reference Lists
B.4.58. Edited Books and Chapters in Edited Books

Conference and Convention Presentations

B.4.59. Paper and Poster Presentations

Unpublished Articles, Dissertations, and Theses

B.4.60. Unpublished Articles, Theses, or Dissertations
B.4.61. Theses and Dissertations Published in a Database or Available Online
B.4.62. Guidelines on Using Electronic Sources in Scientific Writing
B.4.63. Examples of Electronic Sources in the Reference List

B.5. WRITING SECTIONS OF RESEARCH PAPERS AND PROPOSALS

B.5.1. General Guidelines on Completed and Proposed Empirical Studies
B.5.2. Sections of a Research Paper

B.6. MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION, REVISION, AND PROOFREADING

B.6.1. Manuscript Submission for Journal Publication
B.6.2. Submission for Convention or Conference Presentations
B.6.3. Book and Book Chapter Publications
B.6.4. Copyediting and Author Revisions
B.6.5. Proofreading

PART C

PROFESSIONAL WRITING

C.1. INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL WRITING



C.2. ELEMENTS OF DIAGNOSTIC REPORTS
Common Elements of a Diagnostic Report
Unique Elements Depending on the Age of the Client

C.3. DIAGNOSTIC REPORTS

C.3.1. Diagnostic Report: Speech Sound Disorder
C.3.2. Diagnostic Report: Voice Disorder
C.3.3. Diagnostic Report: Aphasia and Apraxia of Speech
C.3.4. Diagnostic Report: Stuttering

C.4. PRACTICE IN DIAGNOSTIC REPORT WRITING

C.4.1. Practice Writing Diagnostic Report: Speech Sound Disorder
C.4.2. Practice Writing Diagnostic Report: Child Language Disorder
C.4.3. Practice Writing Diagnostic Report: Stuttering
C.4.4. Practice Writing Diagnostic Report: Voice Disorder

C.5. COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT PLANS

C.5.1. Comprehensive Treatment Plan: Speech Sound Disorder

C.6. BRIEF TREATMENT PLANS

C.6.1. Brief Treatment Plan: Stuttering
C.6.2. Brief Treatment Plan: Speech Sound Disorder
C.6.3. Brief Treatment Plan: Child Language Disorder
C.6.4. Brief Treatment Plan: Voice Disorder

C.7. PRACTICE IN WRITING TREATMENT PLANS

C.7.1. Practice Writing Comprehensive Treatment Plan: Child Language Disorder
C.7.2. Practice Writing Brief Treatment Plan: Stuttering
C.7.3. Practice Writing Brief Treatment Plan: Speech Sound Disorder
C.7.4. Practice Writing Brief Treatment Plan: Child Language Disorder
C.7.5. Practice Writing Brief Treatment Plan: Voice Disorder

C.8. PROGRESS REPORTS

C.8.1. Trial-by-Trial Data Recording Sheet for Treatment Sessions
C.8.2. Progress Report: Treatment of Stuttering
C.8.3. Progress Report: Treatment of Speech Sound Disorder
C.8.4. Sample Progress Report: Treatment of Child Language Disorder
C.8.5. Progress Report: Treatment of Voice Disorder
C8.6. SOAP Progress Report

C.9. PRACTICE IN WRITING PROGRESS REPORTS

C.9.1. Practice Writing Progress Report: Treatment of Stuttering
C.9.2. Practice Writing Progress Report: Treatment of Speech Sound Disorder
C.9.3. Practice Writing Progress Report: Treatment of Child Language Disorder
C.9.4. Practice Writing Progress Report: Treatment of Voice Disorder

C.10. REPORT WRITING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

C.10.1. Assessment Report Format
C.10.2. IEP: Treatment of Child Language Disorder
C.10.3. IEP: Treatment of Speech Sound Disorder
C.10.4. IEP: Treatment of Voice Disorder
C.10.5. IEP: Treatment of Stuttering
C.10.6. SOAP Note Format

Selected References
Glossary
Index