QW Pupus CIENTIFIC Robert A. Day ORYX PRESS 1998 The rare Arabian Orys is believed to have inspired the myth ofthe unicomn. This desert ‘antelope became virally extinct inthe early 1960s. At that time, several groups of internatinel conservationists arranged to have nine animals set ta the Phoent Zoo tw be the nucleus ofa captive Breeding herd. Tadey, the Orsx population Is over 1,000, and over 500 have been returned tothe Middle Fas © 1979, 1983, 1988, 1994, 198 by Robert A. Day Published by The Oryx Press 4081 North Cental at Indian Scheot Road Phoenix, Arizona 85012-3397 All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced or transmited in any form or by any means, elecronic or mechanical, including ‘Photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from The Oryx Pres. Published simultaneously in Canada Printed and bound in the United States of America @ Me poper ured in this publication meet the minimum requirement of ‘Arercan National Standard fer tnformation Scence—Permancnce of Paper for Printed Libary Materials, ANSIZ39.48, 1984 Library of Congress Cetaloging in Publication Data Day, Robert A, 1924- How to write & publish a scietifi paper/by Robert A. Day, — Sthed poem Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN 1-57336-164-9 Case. 1-57356-165-7 Paper (ak. papes) [Technical writing. 1. Title TILD33 1988 808:0665—de21 se-rs cpContents Preface Acknowledgments .. Chapter 1 What Is Scientific Writing?..... Chapter 2 Origins of Scientific Writing Chapter 3 What Is a Scientific Paper? Chapter 4 How to Prepare the Title Chapter 5 How to List the Authors and Addresses... Chapter 6 How to Prepare the Abstract, Chapter 7 How to Write the Introduction 33 Chapter 8 How to Write the Materials and Methods Section ....0cccmsneeeemnnne 36 Chapter 9 How to Write the Results... Chapter 10 How to Write the Discussion ... Chapter 11 How to State the Acknowledgments Chapter 12 How to Cite the References... Chapter 13 How to Design Effective Tables Chapter 14 How to Prepare Effective Graphs .. Chapter 15 How to Prepare Effective Photographs 84 Chapter 16 How to Keyboard the Manuscript Chapter 17 Where and How to Submit the Manuscript . Chapter 18 ‘The Review Process (How to Deal with Editors)... Chapter 19 ‘The Publishing Process (How to Deal with Proofs) ..s...ererennse 130 Chapter 20 Electronic Publishing Formats: CD-ROM and Distributed Printing ..... 139 Chapter 21 The Internet and the World Wide Web Chapter 22 The Electronic Journal Chapter 23 E-mail and Newsgroups veer — sevens 154 Chapter 24 How to Order and Use Reprints Chapter 25 How to Write a Review Paper . 163 Chapter 26 How to Write a Conference Report... Chapter 27 How to Write a Book Review Chapter 28 How to Write a Thesis 51 70 142 151 158 168 172 178Chapter 29 How to Present a Paper Orally .. 182 Chapter 30 How to Prepare a Poster Chapter 31 Ethics, Rights, and Permission ....snnstunnmnnnennnnninnnennn 193 Chapter 32 Use and Misuse of English 200 Chapter 33 Avoiding Jargon Chapter 34 How and When to Use Abbreviations 22 Chapter 35 A Personalized Summary 227 Appendix 1 -cted Journal Title Word Abbreviations 230 ‘Appendix 2 Abbreviations That May Be Used Without Definition in Table Headings 233 Appendix3 ‘Common Errors in Style and in Spelling . 234 Appendix 4 Words and Expressions to Avoid 238 Appendix 5 Prefixes and Abbreviations for SI (Syst#me International) Units Appendix 6 Accepted Abbreviations and Symbols, Appendix7 ‘Sample Submission Requirements for an Electronic Journal 245 248 Glossary of Technical Terms. 250 References 257 Index 261 Preface Criticism and testing are of the essence of our work. This means that science is a fundamentally social activity, which implies that it depends on good communication. In the practice of science we are aware of this, and that is why it is ight for our journals to insist on clarity and intelligibility. ... —Hermann Bondi Good scientific writing is not a matter of life and death; it is much more serious than that. ‘The goal of scientific research is publication. Scientists, starting as graduate students, are measured primarily not by their dexterity in laboratory manipulations, not by their innate knowledge of either broad ornarrow scientific subjects, and certainly notby their wit or charm; they are measured, and become known (or remain unknown) by their publi- cations. A scientific experiment, no matter how spectacular the results, is not completed until the results are published. In fact, the cornerstone of the philosophy of science is based on the fundamental assumption that original research must be published; only thus can new scientific knowledge be authenticated and then added to the existing database that we call scientific knowledge. It is not necessary for the plumber to write about pipes, nor is it necessary for the lawyer to write about cases (except brief writing), but the research scientist, perhaps uniquely among the trades and profes- sions, must provide a written document showing what he or she did, why itwas done, how it was done, and what was learned from it. The key word is reproducibility. That is what makes science and scientific writing unique.