Successful scientific writing: a step-by-step guide for the biological and medical sciences

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Use the past tense for unpublished results......Page 63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