I interviewed a professor in the botany department, and he felt that the way a person writes definitely affects their influence and impacts. If you can't write effectively then you can't communicate effectively, and you leave the reader feeling as though you don't have command of the subject matter, and why bother reading it? As far as the most desirable writing style goes, he thought that just about anything works as long as it is consistent! That was a point that he stressed over and over. What impressed him most in students writing is when a paper keeps you interested even when it is a subject that you are generally uninterested in or don't agree with. Along with this is a definite beginning as well as having a precise recap at the end without repeating themselves constantly throughout the paper. One thing he really doesn't like is when a student repeats themselves, but changes what they say just a little so it sounds different. That is just taking up space to fill a page requirement, and it is not the point of the assignment. He also thought it is important that a person can follow rules when writing a paper, such as giving his students a specific outline for how to write a paper. This can be very important, especially in a scientific field, because if you want to publish a paper in a journal, you must be able to put it in the format that they want exactly or they won't accept it. He also thought it was important to be able to cite a reference properly, especially within a sentence, and how to list your citations. He couldn't stress consistency enough!