Generalising vs. Specifying

1 minute of reading / Knowledge Hub, Writing techniques

What is generalising and what is specifying?

Generalising, or abstracting, is restating a concept in more abstract (general) terms. For example, if you move up along the abstraction ladder1 below, the cow Bessie becomes the more abstract terms cow, livestock, and ultimately wealth. If you move down, the term wealth becomes increasingly more specific (hence, specifying).

abstraction ladder

Why is this useful?

Generalising and specifying help with critical thinking2 and Introduction and Discussion writing. Think of it as zooming in (specifying; which happens in the Introduction, and zooming out (generalising; which happens in the Discussion). For example, generalising allows you to rewrite the results of your study — which are often highly specific — in more general terms:

We found that juvenile Atlantic salmon exposed to 20 µg/L of nitrate had a 12% reduction in growth rate over 8 weeks.

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Writing the Discussion section: using the Abstraction Ladder to form interesting arguments

10 minutes of reading / Blogposts
The Discussion section of scientific paper is a tricky piece of writing that can challenge even the most seasoned academic. In this post, we take a look beyond the basic structure and take a deep-dive into the backbone of any good Discussion: the argument. How to construct one, and what makes a good argument so interesting?

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Why creativity helps to write an interesting Discussion section (+ 3 tips to get started)

5 minutes of reading / Blogposts
Creative thinking is essential for developing interesting new conclusions. Yet, as scientists, we’re often not actively trained in the divergent thinking skills needed for this. Hence, why Discussion writing is so hard. With practice, prior knowledge, and a mindful inner critic, we can foster creativity and make that Discussion easier to write.

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