The style of scientific communication.

CONTEXT

Writing skills and the importance of drafting quality are often disregarded. Just as there are guidelines on what each part of a scientific article should comprise (introduction, material and methods, results and conclusion), there are 'norms' as to how to draft the article. Novel results can only be appropriately reflected in a formal and structurally correct text.

OBJECTIVE

To raise awareness on the correct use of language in all professional areas, and to provide some practical recommendations to avoid the most common errors in our environment.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

We performed a search of the terms 'scientific style', 'scientific language' and 'how to write an article' in the databases of the search engines Medes, Dialnet and Índice Bibliográfico Español en Ciencias de la Salud (IBECS). We also consulted books on the subject. We then analysed the characteristics of scientific style and the most common errors observed in scientific texts.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

The characteristics of scientific language are: clarity, precision, brevity, conciseness, fluidity and simplicity. Scientific style avoids: long sentences, a lack of connectors, syntax errors, redundancies, barbarisms, foreignisms, false friends, colloquial expressions, cacophonies, slang, too many gerunds, too many abbreviations, too much use of the passive voice and spelling mistakes, etc. CONCLUSIONS: The principal characteristics of scientific style are clarity, precision and brevity. When we write articles, we learn through practice, reading and the help of experienced writers.