Essential Skills for Science and Technology is an indispensable guide for any student studying science or technology. Focused on step-by-step skills development, this book aims to help readers become better students who are more likely to succeed. Written specifically for students of science and technology, the book focuses on three key skills areas - research, argumentation and critical analysis; quantitative methods; and the conventions of written and oral communication.

Key topics include an introduction to tertiary study, e-learning and assessment; reading scientific literature, thinking and arguing critically; writing, research and presenting; and quantitative methods including fundamental mathematics, calculus, problem solving and statistics.

• Covers core skills needed for success in science and technology
• Step-by step skills development in each chapter
• Clarifies how to read scientific literature and understand its different language style
• Explains how to collate data and construct a unique perspective on a scientific issue and present it in both written and oral forms
• Provides instruction in the fundamentals of mathematics and quantitative methods
• Addresses common hurdles faced by students, based on the authors' years of experience in the Student Learning Centre, Flinders University

Contents

• Preface
• About the authors
• You and tertiary study

1. The first step
2. Being organised Learning, and researching
3. Modes of learning for higher education
4. Lectures, tutorials, and laboratories
5. E-learning and researching
6. Assessments Critical evaluation
7. Reading scientific literature
8. Critical thinking
9. Academic argument Writing and presenting in the sciences
10. Academic integrity and plagiarism
11. Referencing styles
12. Writing for the sciences
13. Writing a report
14. Writing a laboratory report
15. Writing an article review
16. Presentation skills: talks and posters
17. Editing your writing Quantitative methods
18. An approach to problem solving
19. Fundamental mathematics
20. An introduction to calculus
21. Basic statistics

• Bibliography
• Electronic resources
• Key words in written assignment questions
• Unusual plurals
• Prefixes
• The use of the apostrophe International system of units and fundamental constants
• Index