Scientific style substyles

The scientific style is realized in several sub-styles, but their number in science is still being debated. However, the existence of three sub-styles is generally recognized: these are actually scientific(academic), educational and scientific and popular science substyle.

The differences between them are especially pronounced in the following points:

in the specifics of the addressee;

in the amount of general background knowledge of the subject of speech and the addressee;

in the use of terminology in the text.

Thus, communication within the framework of the academic substyle assumes that the subject of speech and the addressee have a significant amount of general scientific knowledge, therefore, the terminology in a scientific article, in a speech at a scientific conference, etc., is usually used without definitions. In the texts of the scientific and educational substyle, terms are introduced gradually, with definitions, taking into account the significant difference in the amount of scientific knowledge of the teacher and the student. According to this principle, for example, the presentation of material in a textbook is carried out. And, finally, in popular science works, terminology is used sparingly, and the meaning of the terms used is explained in the most accessible form, since almost every person with any, even minimal, background knowledge about the subject of speech can act as an addressee.

The system of scientific style sub-styles and their main genres is presented in Table 8.3.

Table 8.3

Substyles scientific style	Destination	Main genres
Primary	Secondary
Actually scientific (academic)	Scientists, teachers, graduate students	Monograph Dissertation Scientific article Scientific report Scientific report	Scientific commentary of the text Abstract of the dissertation Review of the thesis Review of the thesis Scientific review
Scientific discussion Graduation work	Scientific review Abstracts
Scientific and educational	Pupils, students	Textbook Study guide Educational lecture Guidelines Guidelines	Abstract Abstract Lecture summary Report on laboratory work Report on educational practice
Production and technical	Industrial and agricultural workers. Artisans; household workers	Textbook Tutorial Instructions Reminder
Scientific reference		Encyclopedia Dictionary Grammar	Annotation Patent description Article in the catalog Directory
Popular Science	Persons of any age and educational level	Story Article Essay Note

The style-forming features are most clearly expressed in the actual scientific sub-style (its name also testifies to this); least – in popular science. The fact is that the reader of a popular science text needs to be attracted, interested not only in the subject of speech, but also in the author's manner of presenting scientific information. That is why popular science works should be written in an accessible, entertaining form, they widely use a variety of expressive and colloquial language means. Although this contradicts the very essence of the scientific style, it gives the text features of publicism and even artistry. A recognized master in this field is the naturalist writer V. Peskov, whose essays on natural phenomena, especially on animals (for example, the cycle of essays “Window to Nature”), have been published with constant success for about 50 years. His popular science texts are even studied in schools and universities as examples of this genre.

On what basis, in your opinion, can the production and technical sub-style of the scientific style be distinguished?

Do you read non-fiction literature? What branch of knowledge? For what purpose?

8.5. Style-forming features of "strict" styles and language tools

The main sphere of its functioning is science.

The emergence and development of the scientific style was associated with the evolution of different areas of scientific knowledge. At first, in ancient times, the style of scientific presentation was close to the style of artistic narration. For example, the scientific works of Pythagoras and Plato were distinguished by a special emotional perception of phenomena. The separation of the scientific style from the artistic one took place in the Alexandrian period, when a stable scientific terminology began to be created in the Greek language, which spread its influence over the entire cultural world of that time. Subsequently, it was replenished with Latin, which became the international language of the European Middle Ages.

In the Renaissance, scientists strove for conciseness and accuracy of scientific description, free from emotional and artistic elements of presentation as contrary to the abstract and logical reflection of nature. It is known that the too "artistic" nature of the presentation of the material in the works of Galileo irritated Kepler, and Descartes found that the style of Galileo's scientific proofs was excessively "fictionalized". In the future, the strictly logical narrative of Newton became a model of scientific language.

In Russia, the scientific language and style began to take shape in the first decades of the 18th century, when the authors of scientific books and translators began to create Russian scientific terminology. The formation of the scientific style took a step forward in the second half of the 18th century. thanks to the works of M.V. Lomonosov and his students, but the scientific style finally took shape in Russia only in the second half of the 19th century.

Today, the scientific style exists in various fields of science (exact, natural, humanities), in the field of technology and production, in the field of teaching, in scientific, educational and reference literature.

There are scientific texts of different functions:

 texts fixing knowledge;

 texts that expand and change knowledge.

A variety of communicative functions led to the formation scientific style sub-styles:

actually scientific (academic);

educational and scientific ;

popular science (scientific journalism);

sometimes isolated and scientific and informative (scientific and business).

Actually scientific (academic) substyle.

The addressee of the text is a scientist, a specialist, he is approximately equal to the addressee in terms of the level of special knowledge, therefore this substyle is characterized by a strictly academic, informative presentation of the material. The purpose of this substyle is to identify and describe new facts, patterns, and discoveries.

The most important genres of the scientific substyle:

written:

 monograph (a book that is a fundamental scientific work devoted to solving a new theoretical problem);

 scientific article (differs from a monograph in a smaller volume, less multifaceted content, less complex composition);

 theses (a brief record of the content of scientific research in the form of basic, concisely formulated provisions);

 dissertation.

oral genre - scientific report.

! In modern Russian, the actual scientific substyle is the core of the scientific style!

Scientific and informative (scientific and business) substyle

The texts created in this sub-style perform the functions of processing, brief retelling and legal protection of scientific publications.

Scientific and informative sub-style is implemented in the following genres:

annotation;

2. bibliographic and

Those linguists who do not single out the scientific-informative sub-style attribute the abstract and the abstract to the genres of the scientific sub-style itself.

Educational and scientific substyle

Addressee - a person trained by the addressee, a future specialist. The goal is to describe for him the facts and patterns necessary for mastering the educational material.

The main genres of educational and scientific substyle:

written:

 textbook;

 study guide;

 abstract;

oral genre - lecture.

The language used in the educational and scientific sub-style should be understandable to the student, and the presentation of the material should be specific and convincing. Of course, terms are used, but they are introduced gradually, revealed and explained as the scientific narrative develops. The syntax is less complicated than in the actual scientific sub-style, the works are not so voluminous.

Popular science (scientific journalism) substyle

The addressee is any person, non-specialist, interested in this or that scientific fact. The goal is to give an idea about a certain area of ​​science, about certain scientific facts, to interest the reader, to popularize knowledge. Here, the general features of the scientific style are preserved (an abundance of terms and abstract concepts, the presence of introductory words, participial and adverbial phrases, etc.). But the texts of the popular science substyle should present scientific information in an accessible and exciting way.

Features of the popular science substyle:

 in this substyle there are expressive means characteristic of journalistic and artistic style (epithets, comparisons (they are perhaps especially frequent), paraphrases, personifications) (for example: The universe asks riddles; black holes eat everything);

 stable combinations of words, often emotionally and expressively colored (for example: our smaller brothers, representatives of another civilization);

 gradation (eg: Again disputes, searches, finds);

 rhetorical questions addressed to the reader (this is the most common stylistic figure in the popular science substyle) (for example: Where did this name come from? Why does wind speed change?);

 imagery and emotional presentation; subjective author's assessments, in which the personal pronouns "you" and "we" appear; first person imperative verbs;

 a form of dialogue is possible, designed to bring the reader closer to the scientific problem under discussion;

 accessibility is achieved primarily due to the consistency and specificity of the presentation of the material; the concept introduced into the popular presentation is concretized by specifying the time and place of action, the source of the message is considered in detail;

 to facilitate the perception of information, the meaning of terms, as a rule, is explained; this is usually done using the following tricks:

The etymology of the term or concept is considered (for example: The name "Cepheids" comes from the star Delta Cephei - one of the most typical for this class of celestial bodies.);

Examples are given (eg: Stone is a dead part of nature: paving stones, simple clay, sidewalk limestone, a gem in a shop window, iron ore in a factory, and salt in a salt shaker.);

The characteristic features of the concept are called (for example: ... beryllium, the lightest metal on earth ...);

A special concept is deciphered as if by the way, in brackets (for example: In this case, inflection (ending) is significant, because ...);

Other generally accepted designations of the concept are used (for example: Iron pyrite is one of the most common minerals in the earth's crust. It is widely found both on the plain and in the mountains; its sparkling, golden crystals are found in almost every collection. Its scientific name "pyrite" comes from the Greek word "pyur" (fire) - whether because it sparkles in the sun, or because a steel strike against a piece of it can strike bright sparks ... In the history of mankind, it is of great importance, since contains up to 50% sulfur, which is why it is often called gray pyrite);

 elements of colloquial style are often used, primarily colloquial vocabulary and phraseology (for example: go in cycles, get sick, tricky, simple, at the very least, puzzle, too tough), which contributes to the imitation of relaxed, personally addressed informal speech and introduces expressiveness and imagery into speech;

 abstract data in this substyle must be supported by actual data - figures, tables, graphs, drawings, formulas, diagrams.

Main genres:

popular science monograph;

The structure of these texts is roughly similar to the structure of the actual scientific monograph and article, but the speech design is peculiar.

The scientific style is realized in several sub-styles, but their number in science is still being debated. However, the existence of three sub-styles is generally recognized: these are actually scientific (academic), educational and scientific and popular science sub-styles. The differences between them are especially pronounced in the following points:

in the specifics of the addressee;

in the amount of general background knowledge of the subject of speech and the addressee;

in the use of terminology in a scientific text.

Thus, communication within the framework of the academic substyle assumes that the subject of speech and the addressee have a significant amount of general scientific knowledge, therefore, the terminology in a scientific article, in a speech at a scientific conference, etc., is usually used without definitions. In the texts of the scientific and educational substyle, terms are introduced gradually, with definitions, taking into account the significant difference in the amount of scientific knowledge of the teacher and the student. According to this principle, for example, the presentation of material in a textbook is carried out. And, finally, terminology is used sparingly in popular science works, and the meaning of the term is explained in the most accessible form, since almost every person with any, even minimal, background knowledge about the subject of speech can act as the addressee.

The system of scientific style sub-styles and their main genres is presented in the following table:

Table 1.1

Substyles and genres of scientific style

Substyles	Destination	Main genres
		Primary	Secondary
Withactually scientific (academic)	teachers, graduate students	Monograph Thesis Research Article Scientific report scientific message Scientific discussion Graduate work Thesis project	Feedback on the dissertation Feedback on the thesis Scientific review Scientific review
Scientific training	students, students	Tutorial Educational lecture Guidelines	Abstract Lecture summary Lab report Practice Report
Production and technical	Industrial and agricultural workers; artisans; household workers	Tutorial Instruction
Scientific reference	Persons of any age and educational level	Encyclopedia Grammar	annotation Patent description Article in the catalog Directory
Scientific popular

Recall that the primary genres include texts based on creative, research work on the study of one or another object of reality, and the secondary genres include texts that are the result of processing, generalization, evaluation, etc. of another, original, primary text. The thesis (thesis project), as we see, is the primary genre.

The style-forming features of a scientific text are most clearly expressed in the actual scientific sub-style (its name also testifies to this); least – in popular science. The fact is that the reader of a popular science text needs to be attracted, interested not only in the subject of speech, but also in the author's manner of presenting scientific information. That is why popular science works should be written in an accessible, entertaining form, they widely use a variety of expressive and colloquial language means. Although this contradicts the very essence of the scientific style, it gives the text features of publicism and even artistry.

In the text of the thesis (thesis project), the features of the popular science style look alien and therefore are unacceptable.

The difference between scientific and all other styles of speech is that it can be divided into four sub-styles: sub-styles:

Own-scientific. The addressee of this style is a scientist, a specialist. The purpose of the style can be called the identification and description of new facts, patterns, discoveries. Typical for dissertations, monographs, abstracts, scientific articles, scientific reports, theses, scientific reviews, etc.

Example: “The rhythm of expressive speech in no language and under no circumstances can be identical to the rhythmic organization of neutral speech. An increase in the number of pauses and their length, unstable tempo, emphatic stresses, specific segmentation, more contrasting melody, lengthening of sonants, hissing, prolonged holding of the stop in explosives, voluntarily stretching of vowels, affecting the ratio of the duration of stressed and unstressed syllables in the rhythmic group, violate the prevailing in the language rhythmic tendencies (T. Poplavskaya)”. Scientific and educational. Works in this style are addressed to future specialists and students in order to educate, describe the facts necessary to master the material, therefore the facts stated in the text and examples are typical. Mandatory is the description "from general to particular", strict classification, active introduction and use of special terms. Typical for textbooks, manuals, lectures, etc.

Example: “Botany is the science of plants. The name of this science comes from the Greek word "botani", which means "green, herb, plant". Botany studies the life of plants, their internal and external structure, the distribution of plants on the surface of the globe, the relationship of plants with the environment and with each other (V. Korchagina)”. Popular science. The audience with this style usually does not have special knowledge in this area. Yu. A. Sorokin points out that a popular science text is written “scientifically, popularly, artistically”, that is, while maintaining the rigor and clarity of presentation characteristic of a scientific text, its feature is the simplified nature of the presentation and the possible use of emotionally expressive means of speech. The purpose of the style is to familiarize with the described phenomena and facts. The use of numbers and special terms is minimal (each of them is explained in detail). The features of the style are: the relative ease of reading, the use of comparison with familiar phenomena and objects, significant simplifications, consideration of particular phenomena without a general overview and classification. The style is typical for popular science magazines and books, children's encyclopedias, messages of a "scientific nature" in the media. This is the most free sub-style, and it can vary from newspaper headings “historical/technical background” or “it's interesting” to popular science books, similar in format and content to textbooks (scientific and educational style).

Section 3. Scientific style of speech

The scientific style has been around for centuries. In Russia, the origins of the formation of a scientific style date back to the first third of the 18th century. It was then that Russian scientific terminology began to take shape. In the second half of the 18th century, thanks to the works of M.V. Lomonosov and his students, the formation of the scientific style took a step forward, but the language of science finally took shape in the second half of the 19th century.

The purpose of science is to establish patterns. Therefore, scientific thinking is characterized by generalization and abstraction. In addition, the peculiarity of the movement of thought in scientific prose is manifested in the fact that judgments and conclusions follow one after another in a strict logical sequence. More V.G. Belinsky drew attention to the peculiarity of scientific speech: "The philosopher speaks with syllogisms, the poet - with images and pictures ... One proves, the other shows, and both convince, only one with logical arguments, the other with pictures." The most important requirements for a scientific text are accuracy (uniqueness), objectivity and rigor of presentation. Thus, style-forming features scientific style are: abstraction and generalization, emphasized logic, accuracy, objectivity.

Substyles of scientific speech. The scientific style is not homogeneous, it can be divided into substyles. Depending on the purpose of the author and to whom the text is addressed, different substyles are distinguished.

Actually scientific. Its addressee is scientists, colleagues of the author, and the goal is to communicate new knowledge about nature, man, and society. Therefore, a distinctive feature of the actual scientific sub-style is a strictly academic presentation with an emphatically informative orientation. Accuracy of information, persuasiveness of argumentation, logic and consistency of presentation are valued in this sub-style. Main genres proper scientific substyle - monograph, dissertation, article in a scientific journal, report.

Educational and scientific.It is addressed to students, the goal is to master the scientific picture of the world. Addressed to future specialists, such a training presentation contains many examples, illustrations, explanations, etc. Information is presented sequentially - from simple to complex, each new term is explained. To genres this substyle are textbook, lecture.

Scientific popular. Its addressee is the general population, the goal is the popularization of scientific knowledge, familiarization of the reader with certain information. It is communication between specialists and non-specialists. Therefore, scientific data are presented in an accessible and entertaining way. The author of a popular science text does not overload it with scientific terms, he seeks to simply tell about complex phenomena and problems, therefore emotional-figurative elements, comparisons, metaphors, epithets, etc. are often found in texts. Genres - a book, an article in a popular science magazine, a lecture.

Scientific - informative. His goal - summarize the main ideas that are contained in the primary scientific text. Genres this substyle - abstract, abstract, synopsis, review, review, abstract, theses. Therefore, scientifically informative genres are texts secondary, since they are created on the basis of processing other texts (primary).

Primary texts
Dissertation (lat. dissertatio - reasoning, research) - a scientific work, research submitted for a degree and publicly defended by the applicant.
A monograph (Greek monos - one + grapfo - I write) is a scientific work that develops one topic in depth, a limited range of issues and usually belongs to one author.
An article is a scientific, publicistic essay of a small size in a collection, journal.

Secondary texts
annotation(lat. annotatio - note, note) - a brief description of a book, article, manuscript, revealing its content, ideological orientation, purpose. A bibliographic description (author, title, place and time of publication) is obligatory. Annotations are written to help the reader determine whether a given work is worth reading. This is a kind of landmark in the world of scientific prose. In the abstract, unlike the review, there should not be evaluative words.
Review(lat. recensio - examination, examination) - a review of a scientific work or any work before publication. The author of the review comments on the main provisions of the scientific work, expresses his own attitude to the problem and its solution. The review gives a reasoned assessment and draws conclusions about the significance of the work.
Abstract- (lat. conspectus - review) - this is a brief written summary of the read scientific work (lectures, speeches, etc.). In order to better assimilate what you read, you should approach writing an abstract analytically, "pass through yourself" the content. You need to be able to highlight the main thing and distinguish it from the secondary.
abstract- (Latin referre - report, report) - a statement of the content of a scientific work, monograph, article or series of articles; a review of the literature on a particular topic. The abstract consists of three parts: general characteristics of the text (output data, wording of the topic); description of the main content; findings. In the abstract, it is not recommended to often resort to quoting, as well as to express value judgments. The abstract usually contains illustrative material.
Abstracts- (Greek thesis - position) - briefly formulated main provisions of the report, lecture, message, etc.

The main language skill that the authors of secondary texts should have is the ability to convey someone else's speech. Not copying and quoting, which is a common mistake, but the ability to convey the content of the primary text in your own words, is the basis of a well-written abstract, abstract, etc.

The following methods of logical organization of a scientific text are distinguished: deduction, induction, problem presentation and analogy.

Deduction(lat. deductio - derivation) is the movement of thought from the general to the particular, from general provisions and laws to less general and particular provisions and laws. Deductive reasoning has three steps. First, at the first stage, a thesis (general position) or a hypothesis (assumption) is put forward. At the second stage, the truth of the thesis put forward is proved or refuted, various arguments, facts and examples are given that testify to the truth or falsity of the thesis. The third stage is the final one, it contains conclusions.

Induction(lat. inductio - guidance) is the movement of thought from the particular to the general, the development of thought from single or particular facts to a generalization, to a general rule. The composition of the inductive method is tripartite. The introduction defines the purpose of the study. In the main part, the accumulated facts are presented, which are then analyzed. And, finally, on the basis of all the above, conclusions are drawn, patterns are established.

Problem Method involves the activation of mental activity by posing problematic questions. In a broad sense, a problem situation is any situation, theoretical or practical, in which there is no solution corresponding to the circumstances and which therefore forces one to stop and think. Problematic presentation can be considered as a kind of inductive method of reasoning. The author formulates the problem and then offers various ways to solve it, subjecting the solutions to a detailed analysis. Readers or listeners, following the logic of presentation, consider the facts from different angles, single out the essential and the secondary, abstract and generalize.

Analogy- (from the Greek analogia - correspondence) the similarity between objects and phenomena. The analogy method lies in the fact that based on the similarity of two objects in some one parameters, a conclusion is made about their similarity in other parameters. Inferences by analogy are probabilistic, approximate, therefore, many consider the analogy less acceptable for the scientific style of speech. However, analogy is a very effective way of visually explaining certain provisions, so its use in educational and scientific literature is especially important.