How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper Sixth EditionRobert A. DayBarbara GastelContentsPreface5A Word to International Readers7Acknowledgments8PART I9Some Preliminaries9CHAPTER 110What Is Scientific Writing?10CHAPTER 212Historical Perspectives12CHAPTER 315Approaching a Writing Project15CHAPTER 420What Is a Scientific Paper?20CHAPTER 525Ethics in Scientific Publishing25CHAPTER 628Where to Submit Your Manuscript28PART II33Preparing the Text33CHAPTER 734How to Prepare the Title34CHAPTER 839How to List the Authors and Addresses39CHAPTER 944How to Prepare the Abstract44CHAPTER 1047How to Write the Introduction47CHAPTER 1150How to Write the Materials50and Methods Section50CHAPTER 1254How to Write the Results54CHAPTER 1356How to Write the Discussion56CHAPTER 1459How to State the Acknowledgments59CHAPTER 1 561How to Cite the References61PART 67Preparing the Tables and Figures67CHAPTER 1668How to Design Effective Tables68CHAPTER 1774How to Prepare Effective Graphs74CHAPTER 1879How to PrepareEffective Photographs79PART 85Pubilshing the Paper85CHAPTER 1986Rights and Permissions86CHAPTER 2089How to Submit the Manuscript89CHAPTER 2193The Review Process (How to Deal93with Editors)93CHAPTER 22102The Publishing Process102(How to Deal with Proofs)102PART V108Doing Other Writing for Pubilcation108CHAPTER 23109How to Write a Review Paper109CHAPTER 24112How to Write Opinion112(Book Reviews, Editorials,112and Letters to the Editor)112CHAPTER 25115How to Write a Book Chapter or a Book115CHAPTER 26120How to Write for the Public120PART 124Conference CommunicationsCHAPTER 27124CHAPTER 27125How to Present a Paper Orally125CHAPTER 28129How to Prepare a Poster129CHAPTER 29132How to Write a Conference Report132PART 135Scientific StyleCHAPTER 30135CHAPTER 30136Use and Misuse of English136CHAPTER 31146Avoiding Jargon146CHAPTER 32151How and When to Use Abbreviations151CHAPTER 33154Writing Clearly Across Cultures and Media154CHAPTER 34158How to Write Science in English158as a Foreign Language158PART 162Other Topics in Scientific Communication162CHAPTER 35163How to Write a Thesis163CHAPTER 36166How to Prepare a Curriculum Vitae166CHAPTER 37171How to Prepare Grant Proposals171and Progress Reports171CHAPTER 38177How to Write a Recommendation Letter177 and How to Ask for One177CHAPTER 39181How to Work with the Media181CHAPTER 40184How to Provide Peer Review184CHAPTER 41188How to Seek a Scientific-188Communication Career188APPENDIX 1191Selected Journal Title Word Abbreviations191APPENDIX 2194Words and Expressions to Avoid194APPENDIX 3200SI (Systme International Prefixes and Their Abbreviations200Glossary of Technical Terms201References205Index209Preface 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 right for our journals to insist on clarity and intelligibility .Hermann BondiGood 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 or narrow scientific subjects, and certainly not by their wit or charm; they are measured and become known (or remain unknown) by their publications. 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 professions, must provide a document showing what he or she did, why it was 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. Thus, the scientist must not only do science but must write science. Bad writing can and often does prevent or delay the publication of good science. Unfortunately, the education of scientists is often so overwhelmingly committed to the technical aspects of science that the communication arts are