Writing Conventions for Biology
Species names follow binomial nomenclature exactly
Write the full genus and species in italics at first mention — Drosophila melanogaster — then abbreviate the genus to its initial thereafter. Genus is capitalized, species is not, and the italics are not optional styling.
Methods are written so another lab could repeat them
Strains, reagents with supplier and catalog number, concentrations, temperatures, incubation times, and instrument settings all belong in the text or a supplement. “Standard protocols were followed” is the sentence that generates a reviewer comment every time.
Figures carry the argument; the text walks the reader through them
A biology results section is largely an ordered tour of the figures, each panel labeled and referenced as “Fig. 2C.” Error bars must be defined in the caption — standard deviation, standard error, or confidence interval — along with the sample size and what n counts.
Statistics are reported with the test, the statistic, and n
Name the test, give the statistic with degrees of freedom, the exact p-value, and the number of biological replicates. Biological and technical replicates are distinguished explicitly, because conflating them inflates apparent significance.
Results describe and Discussion interprets, with a hard boundary
A results sentence says what was observed; interpretation, mechanism, and comparison to prior work wait for the discussion. Reviewers routinely ask authors to move interpretive sentences out of results, so it is cheaper to keep them separated while drafting.
Data availability and accession numbers are required statements
Sequence, structure, and expression data are deposited in public repositories before submission, and the accession numbers appear in the paper. A data availability statement is now a standard section at most journals rather than a courtesy.
