When it comes to writing, there are many different genres that one can choose to read. Yet, each and every kind of genre requires conscious effort when being constructed. From skillfully creating an engaging novel, to crafting an air-tight argument for an article, to even arranging a poem with deliberate, meaningful prose, each category of writing has its own trends and style. But where does this drive to conform to a particular style come from? What intrinsic value comes from adapting one genre’s trends into your own writing?

As someone who studies medical writing in particular, I sometimes question the reasoning behind some of the trends within the field. Sentences are often crafted with precise, unambiguous terminology, with frequent uses of symbols and abbreviations to refer to specific kinds of objects or matter. Many kinds of medical journals are often filled with reports of a scientist’s work, with little emphasis placed on captivating the reader and drawing them into the work directly. Instead, the majority of people that will understand and benefit from the paper are those that are already interested in the author’s specific topic. For those uninterested in the topic, most medical journals do little to persuade the reader otherwise. Many other kinds of writing styles stress engaging with the reader above all, which makes looking at this kind of style seem off-putting at times. But thinking about it closely, I’ve realized that this kind of style does have notable benefits, ones that justify and align with the genre’s reason for existence in the first place.

Medical writing, like all other forms of writing, serves to communicate a message to its audience. This fundamental aspect of writing can be lost on people who do not understand the trends behind it. Since many advances in medicine come from years of collaborative research, it’s important for scientists to be able to identify precisely what kind of research took place, and what methods were used. Scientists often take information gained from these projects and perform them many times, in both similar and different scenarios, which helps to get a better understanding of the topic. This kind of scientific rigor explains the focus for such precise, jargon-filled language between professionals. Writing medical reports requires the author to report what was done during the experiment, as well as the results obtained. Only towards the end of the report can the author examine the results and use reasoning to suggest causes and ideas. And it is these ideas that are likely to be the least scientifically accurate or precise parts of the paper. Therefore, medical writing would de-emphasize these parts, as they do not synergize as well with the spirit, or purpose of the genre to begin with. An emphasis on reasoning and thought rather than results would likely result in many writers creating arguments for the importance of their research, regardless of the factual solidity of their claims.

The ability for scientists to be able to use reasoning and logical thought is an important skill for them to have. But these skills are even more important for those who are trying to become scientists. I’ve come to realize that these trends matter even more for people who are intending to someday join the culture sometime in the future. By understanding the reason behind the way scientists write the way they do, we can become more understanding of their values. The natural way to respond to an incredibly foreign style of writing is to reject it, as they are likely too difficult to comprehend. But once sufficiently analyzed and understood, one can break into a genre of writing and begin to create wonderful pieces of their own. Those who are not-yet a professional in a certain field, but wish to do so someday, benefit the most from analyzing pieces of genre-specific literature. By doing so, they can gradually eliminate the barriers that separate them from that style, and begin to assimilate that style of writing into their work.