The art of scientific writing : from student reports to professional publications in chemistry and related fields / Hans F. Ebel, Claus Bliefert and William E. Russey.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ebel, Hans Friedrich.

Contributor:

Bliefert, Claus.

Russey, William E.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Technical writing.

Chemistry--Authorship.

Chemistry.

Physical Description:

xii, 595 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Weinheim ; Cambridge : Wiley-VCH, 2002.

Summary:

Most scientists live in a "publish or perish" environment, but few would describe themselves as brilliant writers. Coming to the aid of all those wishing to improve the quality of their scientific writing, three experienced authors from differing backgrounds and cultures have worked together to compile this classic guide to scientific writing. This new edition has been completely revised to reflect dramatic changes in communication over the past 15 years. The primary emphasis is on writing techniques, accurate expression, adherence to accepted standards, and above all clarity, but the authors also venture into communication technology and organizational as well as ethical aspects of science.

Contents:

I Goals and Forms in Scientific Writing

1 Reports 3

1.1 The Scientist as Writer 3

1.1.1 Communication in the Natural Sciences 3

1.1.2 The Maintenance of Quality in Science 8

1.2 The Purpose and Significance of a Scientific "Report" 12

1.3 The Laboratory Notebook 15

1.3.1 The Role and Form of a Scientist's Notebook 15

1.3.2 Content 21

Heading and Introduction

The Experimental Section

A Scientist's Ethical Responsibilities

1.3.3 Organizational Matters 27

Experiment Numbers

1.4 From Laboratory Notebook Entries to a Formal Report 31

1.4.1 Describing an Experiment 31

1.4.2 The Preparation of a Formal Report 34

Proposed Subdivisions: An Outline

Drafting the Text

First Refinements: Perfecting the Language

Suggestions Related to Writing Style

Subsequent Drafts

Finished Copy

1.5 Various Types of Reports 47

1.5.1 The Academic Environment: Laboratory Reports, Grant Proposals, and the Like 47

1.5.2 The Corporate Environment: Technical Documentation 52

1.5.3 Commissioned Reports 54

2 Dissertations 57

2.1 Nature and Purpose 57

2.2 The Components of a Dissertation 60

2.2.1 Overview 60

2.2.2 Title and Title Page 63

2.2.3 Abstract 65

2.2.4 Preface 66

2.2.5 Table of Contents; Section Headings 67

Headings and Hierarchical Structure

Structure and Form; Decimal Classification

2.2.7 Results 77

2.2.8 Discussion 80

2.2.9 Conclusions 81

2.2.10 Experimental Section 82

2.2.11 References Section and Miscellaneous Component 83

2.3 Preparing the Dissertation 86

2.3.1 From Outline to Final Draft 86

Developing a Concept

Writing Techniques

2.3.2 The Final Product: A First-Rate Doctoral Dissertation 93

2.3.3 The "Electronic Dissertation" 94

2.3.4 Last Steps on the Road Toward Acquiring Your Degree 95

3 Journal Articles 97

3.1 The Scholarly Journal as a Medium of Communication 97

3.1.1 "Publication" as a Concept 97

3.1.2 "Electronic Publication": Its Nature as Defined by Early Manifestations 101

The Beginnings

The Prototype E-Journal: Current Clinical Trials

Further Ramifications of the Digital Revolution

Questions of "Permanence"

The Road Ahead

Effective and Efficient Acquisition of Information

The Quest for Knowledge

3.1.3 More from the World of Tomorrow (or Today!) 112

Professional vs. Private Publication

The Scene Today

The Current State of the Electronic "Environment"

Information Acquisition Today: Search Capabilities

"Markup" of an Electronic Document

Authors and Authorship in the Twenty-First Century

3.1.4 The Various Types of Journals 129

3.2 Decisions Prior to Publication 132

3.2.1 Publish When? 132

3.2.2 Publish What, and With Whom? 134

3.2.3 Publish In What Form? 139

3.2.4 Publish Where? 141

3.3 The Components of a Journal Article 144

3.3.1 General Observations; Title and Authorship 144

3.3.3 The Actual Article 148

3.4 Preparing the Manuscript 150

3.4.1 Text 150

Introduction

Matters of Form

3.4.2 Formulas and Equations 154

A Figure or a Table?

The Processing of Figures

Relating Figures to the Accompanying Text

Miscellaneous Matters

3.4.5 Footnotes and Other "Interjections" 165

3.4.6 Special Considerations Applicable to Direct Reproduction 168

3.5 From Manuscript to Publication 169

3.5.1 Publishers and Editors 169

Publishing Houses

Editors and Editing

3.5.2 Submitting the Manuscript 174

3.5.3 Manuscript Review 177

3.5.4 Editing, Typesetting, and Page Proofs 180

3.5.5 Proofreading 184

The Art of Proofreading

Marking the Mistakes

4.1.2 Where Do Books Come From? 193

4.1.3 What Are Books For? 197

4.1.4 Collaborating With a Publishing House 204

4.2 Planning and Preparation 208

4.2.1 First Drafts of the Title, Outline, and Preface 208

4.2.2 Sample Chapter 210

4.3 Developing the Manuscript 213

4.3.1 Organizational Considerations 213

4.3.2 Assembling the Background Literature 219

4.3.3 The Structure of the Book 221

4.3.4 Developing the Content 222

First Draft

The "Special Features"

Revision

4.3.5 Final Copy 225

Text

Other Elements

4.4 Typesetting and Printing 230

4.4.1 Processing the Manuscript 230

4.4.2 Page-Proof and Galley-Proof Correction 232

4.5.1 Index Preparation 238

4.5.2 Title Pages 248

4.5.3 Binding 251

II Materials, Tools, and Methods in Scientific Writing

5 Writing Techniques 255

5.2 Word Processing and Page Layout 258

5.2.1 Hardware and Operating Systems 258

The Personal Computer

Keyboards

Miscellaneous Peripheral Components

Printers

5.2.2 Word-Processing and Page-Layout Software 277

5.3 Writing and Formatting with a Computer 281

5.3.1 Becoming Accustomed to Your System 281

Mouse Techniques

Windows and Toolbars

Text-Window Properties

Marking (Highlighting)

Formatting

Customization

5.3.2 The Utilization of Word-Processing Software 294

A Writer's Dream Come True

The Benefits Conferred by Word Processing

5.3.3 Advanced Aspects of Text Editing 299

Formats, Patterns, Styles, and Templates

Character Sets

"Styles"

AutoText Entries

Subdivisions

Anticipating the Need for an Index

Spell Checking

Search Operations

Editing Functions

5.4 Digital Data and Electronic Publishing 311

5.4.1 The Digital or Electronic Manuscript 311

Basic Considerations

File Formats

Structured Markup Systems

Special Considerations Applicable to Electronic Manuscripts that Require Typesetting

5.4.2 Electronic Editing 324

Desktop Publishing

Strategic Considerations

5.5 General Formatting Guidelines 331

5.5.1 Text 331

Fonts and Units of Measure in Typography

Specific Type Fonts and Document Formats

Manuscript Style and Markup

Headings, Paragraphs, Equations, and Lists

Footnotes

5.5.2 Preparation of Final Copy 348

6 Formulas 351

6.1 Quantities 351

6.1.1 Quantities and Dimensions 351

6.1.2 Derived Quantities and Functions 358

6.1.3 More Regarding Symbols and Their Representation 362

6.1.4 Quantitative Expressions 366

6.2 SI Units 368

6.2.1 Base Units and Derived Units 368

6.2.2 Derived Units and "Supplementary" Units 370

6.2.3 Prefixes, Decimal Points, and Other Stylistic Matters 375

6.3 Special Units in Chemistry 377

6.3.1 "Amount of Substance" and the Mole 377

6.3.2 Molar Quantities and Mixtures of Substances 378

6.4 Numbers and Numerical Data 381

6.5 Working with Formulas and Equations 386

6.5.1 Combining Text with Equations 386

6.5.2 "Stacked" Expressions and "Fragmented" Formulas 388

6.5.3 Indices 390

6.5.4 Frequently Encountered Special Symbols 391

6.5.5 Additional Rules for Writing Formulas 395

6.5.6 Spacing 398

6.6 Programmed Typesetting of Formulas 400

6.6.1 LaTex as a Formula Generator 400

6.6.2 LaTex and Text 408

6.7 MathType and MathML 410

7 Figures 413

7.1.1 Figures and Figure Numbers 413

7.1.2 Figure Captions 515

Figure Identifiers and Titles

Legends

Miscellaneous Technical Observations

Legal Matters: The Citation of Figures

7.2 Line Art 422

7.2.1 What Is Line Art? 422

7.2.2 The Preparation of Line Drawings 426

Useful Equipment

The Fundamentals

7.2.3 Coordinate Diagrams 430

Graphic Presentations Based on a Set of Coordinate Axes

Technical Considerations

Scaling

Axis Labels

7.2.4 Schematic Drawings and Graphs of Miscellaneous Types 442

7.2.5 Structural Formulas in Chemistry 446

7.3 Drawing With a Computer 449

7.3.1 Overview, and an Introduction to Vector Graphics 449

7.3.2 Miscellaneous Observations 452

7.4 Halftones 454

7.5 Overview of Software Useful in Editing Figures, both Line Drawings and Vector Graphics 458

8 Tables 461

8.1 The Logic Behind a Table 461

8.2 The Significance of a Table 465

8.3 The Form of a Table 468

8.4 The Components of a

Table 471

8.4.1 Table Title 471

8.4.2 Table Heading 472

Simple Table Heads

Working with Units

Structured Table Headings

8.4.4 Table Footnotes 481

8.5 Worksheets, Lists, and Databases 481

8.5.1 Spreadsheets and Worksheets 481

8.5.2 Databases 483

9 Collecting and Citing the Literature 489

9.1 The Acquisition of Information 489

9.1.1 Reading and Evaluating the Professional Literature 489

9.1.2 Effective Use of a Specialized Library 492

"Classical" Resources

The Organization of a Library

The Library of the Twenty-First Century

9.2 Building One's Own Literature Collection 499

9.2.1 An Author Catalogue 499

9.2.2 The Computer-Supported Literature Collection 507

9.3 Citation Techniques 511

9.3.1 Citing and Citations 511

9.3.2 The Numerical System 514

9.3.3 The Name-Date System 516

9.3.4 A Comparison of the Two Systems 519

9.4 The Form of a Citation 520

9.4.1 Standards of Quality 520

9.4.2 Standardization in Citation Practice 523

The Vancouver Convention

The Current Outlook

9.5 Anatomy of a Source Description 527

9.5.1 General Characteristics 527

9.5.2 Sources of Various Types 529

Books and Journals

Miscellaneous Documents and Sources

Appendices

A Reference Formats 537

B Selected Quantities, Units, and Constants 544

C The 20 Commandments of Electronic Manuscripts 547

D Conversion Tips 549

D.1 Conversions Between the Macintosh and Windows Worlds 549

D.2 File Conversions Involving Two Different Layout Programs 550

Literature 554.

Notes:

Previous ed.: 1987.

Includes index.

ISBN:

3527298290

OCLC:

50432946