Successful scientific writing : a step-by-step guide for the biological and medical sciences/ Janice R. Matthews and Robert W. Matthews

The detailed, practical, step-by-step advice in this user-friendly guide will help students and researchers to communicate their work more effectively through the written word. Covering all aspects of the writing process, this concise, accessible resource is critically acclaimed, well-structured, comprehensive, and entertaining. Self-help exercises and abundant examples from actual typescripts draw on the authors' extensive experience working both as researchers and with them. Whilst retaining the user-friendly and pragmatic style of earlier editions, this third edition has been updated and broadened to incorporate such timely topics as guidelines for successful international publication, ethical and legal issues including plagiarism and falsified data, electronic publication, and text-based talks and poster presentations. With advice applicable to many writing contexts in the majority of scientific disciplines, this book is a powerful tool for improving individual skills and an eminently suitable text for classroom courses or seminars. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Preface......Page 11 Preface to the second edition......Page 12 SEARCH AND RESEARCH......Page 15 Mind your Ps and Qs......Page 16 Conducting computer-based searches......Page 17 Consult research bibliographies and research registers......Page 18 Locate and use reference databases and abstracting services......Page 19 Learn to use keyword search terms and apply Boolean logic......Page 21 Plan an effective search strategy......Page 22 Evaluate Web entries carefully......Page 23 Subject directories and search engines......Page 25 Formal channels involve third parties with an element of judgment......Page 26 Is the research ready for formal publication?......Page 27 What format is most appropriate for my message?......Page 28 Research paper types and validity......Page 29 Who will be most interested in my message?......Page 30 Evaluate journal suitability and impact......Page 31 Avoid salami-slicing science......Page 33 Consider giving an oral presentation......Page 34 To compile possibilities, consider brainstorming (random topic lists)......Page 35 To suggest organization, try clustering (concept maps)......Page 36 To assess balance, develop an issue tree......Page 37 To develop the paper’s framework, consider an outline......Page 38 Use the Process Approach to take charge......Page 41 Keep tasks in perspective......Page 43 Discuss authorship before starting the first draft......Page 45 Agree on the order of authors’ names......Page 46 PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS AND PITFALLS......Page 47 Use hidden text for notes......Page 48 Use tools that ease collaboration......Page 49 Save your work often, and always make backups......Page 50 Use a spellchecker but never entrust it with everything......Page 51 Guard your investment......Page 55 Materials and methods......Page 56 Discussion and conclusions......Page 57 Acknowledgments......Page 58 Abstracts and summaries......Page 59 The title......Page 60 Use the present tense when a fact has been published......Page 62 Use the past tense for unpublished results......Page 63 Start in the place that makes sense for you......Page 64 Write around missing information......Page 66 Deal constructively with writer’s block......Page 67 CHOOSING AND USING VISUAL AIDS......Page 70 1. Does the form of this illustration suit its purpose?......Page 71 Word tables and numerical tables have their place......Page 72 Understand how tables are constructed......Page 73 Items are most easily compared reading down......Page 74 Steer clear of grossly oversized tables......Page 75 Help readers make comparisons by organizing tables logically......Page 76 Figures......Page 77 Pay attention to size and scale......Page 78 Graphs......Page 79 Reveal general relationships with bar graphs......Page 80 Illustrate the relationship of parts to a whole with divided-circle graphs......Page 81 Limit logarithmic and scatter graphs to professional audiences......Page 82 Keep graphs visually honest......Page 84 Compose the illustration to help the reader......Page 85 What is a gazinta?......Page 86 Use traditional drawings to focus on essentials......Page 87 Am I pushing the limits?......Page 89 Is each illustration independent but integral to the text?......Page 90 Are figures labeled carefully and completely?......Page 91 4 Visual support for the spoken word......Page 93 Media choices for oral presentations......Page 94 Simple choices still work well......Page 95 Developing a traditional text-based oral presentation......Page 96 Follow simple guidelines......Page 97 Terminology......Page 98 How big should my text be?......Page 99 Give your graphics a test run......Page 100 The PowerPoint controversy......Page 101 Alternative Design......Page 102 If the alternative approach is better, why doesn’t everyone use it?......Page 103 Keep your composure......Page 105 Expect the best but prepare for the worst......Page 107 Delivering the speech or presentation......Page 108 Be sure you understand the question......Page 109 Always remain professional......Page 110 POSTER PRESENTATIONS: A HAPPY HYBRID......Page 111 Preparing a poster......Page 112 A poster is a synopsis, not a paper......Page 113 Spacing, arrangement, and poster size......Page 114 Poster construction: the unit method and the computer-printed single sheet......Page 115 Presenting a poster......Page 116 Start with organization and logic......Page 117 Use the computer first......Page 118 IMPROVE THE BIG PICTURE......Page 119 Consider person and point of view......Page 121 Rewrite for readability......Page 123 Strive for sentences that average about 20 words......Page 124 Limit average paragraph length......Page 125 Present ideas in expected word order......Page 126 Condense for brevity......Page 127 Remove empty fillers......Page 128 Omit “hiccups” and other needless repetition......Page 130 Shorten modifying phrases and clauses......Page 131 WHEN SHORT MIGHT BE TOO SHORT......Page 132 Use approved forms......Page 133 Pluralize correctly......Page 134 Noun clusters and strings of pearls......Page 135 Uncouple long strings of nouns and adjectives......Page 136 6 Improving word choice, style, and syntax......Page 139 Recognize and minimize jargon......Page 140 Watch out for spoken biomedical jargon......Page 142 Minimize computer jargon......Page 143 Beware of group labels......Page 145 Find alternatives to sexist language......Page 146 Avoid awkward coinage......Page 147 Watch out for commonly misused and confused word pairs......Page 149 Beware of “which” and “that”......Page 151 Choose livelier verbs......Page 153 Unmask disguised verbs......Page 154 Use the active voice unless you have good reason to use the passive......Page 156 Subject–verb agreement......Page 158 Misplaced modifiers......Page 159 Following and using......Page 160 Three ways to fix a dangling participle......Page 161 Collective nouns and noun phrases......Page 162 Strings of subjects or verbs require special care......Page 163 The grammar of lists......Page 165 TWEAK THE TEXT......Page 167 Prevent false joining......Page 169 Punctuate the elements of series clearly......Page 170 Identify quoted passages from other texts......Page 171 Hyphenation rules are complex and changing......Page 173 Remember proper and common nouns......Page 176 Capitalize significant words in titles......Page 177 Check journal requirements......Page 178 Capitalize everything but species and variety......Page 179 Make the first taxonomic mention a comprehensive one......Page 180 Consider degree of assimilation......Page 182 Prefer English equivalents over Latin and Greek abbreviations......Page 183 Numerals versus written numbers......Page 184 Prefer Arabic numerals to Roman numerals......Page 186 The SI metric system for measurements and weights......Page 187 Percentages......Page 189 Report statistics sensibly and accurately......Page 191 Use specialized symbols and notations sparingly and with care......Page 192 PRACTICING MIXED CORRECTIONS......Page 193 1. Is the title accurate, succinct, and effective?......Page 196 8. Should any of the tables or illustrations be omitted, restructured, or combined?......Page 197 Verify submission format......Page 198 Number all pages......Page 199 Check the ITAs for other requirements......Page 200 What happens at the editor’s office: Round one......Page 202 What happens at the editor’s office: Round two......Page 203 Mark corrections attentively......Page 204 TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION......Page 206 Read in order to write......Page 209 Watch use of definite and indefinite articles......Page 210 Get help with prepositions and prepositional phrases......Page 211 Respect your data – and your readers......Page 212 Check again for plagiarism......Page 213 Know when to document paraphrased ideas......Page 214 Avoid self-plagiarism......Page 215 Trade names......Page 216 Substitute generic or chemical names whenever possible......Page 217 How to determine whether published material is copyrighted......Page 218 Understand “fair use”......Page 219 Other applications of the fair use doctrine......Page 220 What can be patented, and how?......Page 221 CHAPTER 1......Page 223 CHAPTER 2......Page 224 CHAPTER 3......Page 225 CHAPTER 5......Page 226 CHAPTER 6......Page 228 CHAPTER 7......Page 231 Appendix 2 "Excerpts from “Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals: Writing and editing for biomedical publication”.......Page 235 IV. A.1.b. Reporting guidelines for specific study designs......Page 236 IV. A.2. Title page......Page 237 IV. A.4. Abstract and key words......Page 238 IV. A.6.b. Technical information......Page 239 IV. A.8. Discussion......Page 240 IV. A.9.b. Reference style and format......Page 241 IV. A.11. Illustrations (figures)......Page 242 IV. A.13. Units of measurement......Page 243 IV. B. Sending the manuscript to the journal......Page 244 Selected resources......Page 246 Index......Page 250