Many students don’t know how to write scientific names in academic papers and essays. Unfortunately, this affects their grades negatively. What’s more, experts have internationally acknowledged the method of writing scientific names. Most people use common names to refer to animals and plants. However, you should use scientific naming when writing a science paper.
Common names refer to the names that people use locally and they differ from place to place. Scientific names for animals and plants, on the other hand, are the ones used by the scientific community. These names are unique because they precisely identify specific animals and plants. Some people also call them scientific nomenclature and their basis is their specific study fields.
Why Students Should Learn How to Write Scientific Names Correctly
Scientific nomenclature forms the basis for scientific animal names. Scientific nomenclature comprises various codes that taxonomists created and are updated regularly and widely used by consensus. Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, introduced the scientific nomenclature in the 1700s. Linnaeus invented a system called the binomial nomenclature. According to this system, every organism should have two names. These are the genus name and the species name.
Scientists expanded this system in the mid-1800s to include the International Code for Nomenclature for algae, plants, and fungi, International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, International Code for Phytosociological Nomenclature, International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, and International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria.
When writing a science research paper, a student should use the universal standard to reduce confusion because common names for animals and plants differ from one region to another. What’s more, this naming standard enhances consistency. That’s why educators encourage students to learn to write these names before they write a scientific paper.
How to Write Scientific Names in a Paper
Before you learn how to write scientific names, take your time to understand the taxonomic hierarchy. This hierarchy includes species groups whose identification depends on their phylogenic and genetic qualities. The highest level in this hierarchy is the kingdom and it comprises categories like Bacteria, Animalia, Protozoa, Archaea, Fungi, Plantae, and Chromista. The other classifications include Phylum, Class, Order, Suborder, Family, Genus, Species, and Subspecies.
How to Write Scientific Names of Animals
When writing in a scientific paper format, students should avoid common names of animals. Instead, they should follow these steps to write the names of different animals scientifically.
- Include the genus name of the animal and its specific epithet.
- Write the genus name first followed by its specific epithet.
- Capitalize the first letter in the genus name.
- Don’t capitalize the first letter in the epithet name.
- Underline or italicize the entire name
Here are examples of scientific animal names:
- Scientific names for spiders: Araneae
- Scientific names for butterflies: Rhopalocera
- Ladybug scientific names: Coccinellidae
- Penguins scientific names: Spheniscidae
How to Write Scientific Names of Plants
If you want to name plants scientifically in your paper, keep these things in your mind:
- The basis for the standard approach for naming plants scientifically is the binomial nomenclature that Linnaeus invented.
- When using this nomenclature, you identify the generic or genus name of a plant first and then find its species name or the specific epithet.
- You should write the genus name first followed and capitalize the first letter. Write the specific epithet name after the genus name without capitalizing it. That’s the standard how to write plant scientific names.
- Underline both the genus and the specific epithet names or italicize them.
Here are examples of scientific plant names:
- Pine tree scientific names: Pinus
- Scientific snake plant name: Sansevieria trifasciata
In addition to scientific animal and plant names, some educators require students to write according to natural science.
The easiest definition of natural science is the information whose basis is natural laws. This is a broad term that scientists use to refer to different scientific areas. Its concern is matter and energy, reaction, as well as, their transformation. This science has several aspects although the major categories are chemistry, biology, and physics. What’s more, each of these categories has subareas.
Tips for Writing in Science Paper Format
When pursuing most courses, students get to a point of writing scientific papers. When handling this task for the first time, the experience can be quite overwhelming. However, it can also be exciting. Nevertheless, you have to research your science research paper topic extensively and analyze information.
The first and crucial step is to select the topic wisely. Ideally, pick an interesting scientific topic. Once you’ve done that, focus on ensuring clarity, accuracy, and simplicity in your paper. Here’s how you can achieve this.
- Clarity: Ensure that your science paper has explicit work. That means you have to avoid the inclusion of unnecessary conjectures or details. Always use shorter sentences and paragraphs. That way, you will enable your readers to quickly understand the concepts that you feature in your paper. Make your expressions and sentences clear to ensure that your readers do not waste time reading and reading your paragraphs or sentences before understanding.
- Accuracy: Take your time to research the data or information that you include in your paper. Ensure that the references and figures that you include in your paper are accurate. Also, use information that your readers can verify if they want to read further in your sources.
- Simplicity: The format of your science paper can be both creative and simple. And you can achieve this by matching paragraphs and your sentence structure to ensure easy understanding for your readers. Ideally, your readers shouldn’t struggle to follow the ideas you express in your paper.
Get Assistance With Writing Scientific Names
When asked to write a science paper by their educators, many learners panic because they don’t know the scientific plants and animal names. Precise termination is crucial in any form of scientific writing. As such, students should use scientific plant and animal names. Learning how to write these names following the current taxonomy system enables learners to use standard and universal names for plants and animals in their work. And this eliminates confusion while enhancing consistency.
