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(More customer reviews)Since 1985 author Ann Körner has edited, by her own admission, some 7,000 manuscripts. That's nearly one a day for 20 years. While many of us were reading the newspaper or Newsweek magazine during each of those days, Körner was busy turning poor writing into good writing and good writing into better writing. Guide to Publishing a Scientific Paper is, then, a distillation of two decades of what Körner has learned while correcting the mistakes of others - and indeed, towards the beginning of the book, she provides an invaluable list of the Ten Most Common Mistakes. This simple approach, and the content that follows, makes for an eminently readable, concise compilation of ideas and methods. It's not pontification, however, nor is Körner a pedantic control freak when it comes to recommendations. She realizes that editing involves an element of style and subjective interpretation and thus explains her rationale while providing variations on, say, formatting literature citations so the reader can understand the differences and why and how they should be employed. When Körner refers to the venerated Chicago Manual of Style, she is not chained to it as a slave. Hence, she eschews use of the serial comma (I know, some would cringe at this; others would applaud), or prefers to capitalize words like "editor" or "abstract" when others might decide to treat the material differently. Those familiar with the "rules" will also appreciate that a good editor knows when to bend or break those rules. There are few if any accidents here.
All of this helps draw the reader into the editor's mind and bridge the gap between dry, academic regulations and real world issues. Körner's use of first person makes this not only easier to assimilate but creates a stronger relationship between reader and writer - as if one were consulting with an expert, one-on-one.
The contents follow not only a obvious progression of methodology but represent a logical sequence in preparation of a manuscript. Thus, Chapter 1 discusses the reasons for publication, Chapter 2 provides insights into the many early errors to which writers fall prey, and subsequent chapters deal with specific issues (e.g., title, abstract, introduction). Then Körner tackles even meatier stuff - human subjects in experiments, use of figures and tables, photos and illustrations, and the process of manuscript submission. These latter chapters distinguish Guide to Publishing a Scientific Paper from other well-known works, such as Strunk & White's Elements of Style because Körner goes beyond what makes good writing and provides insights and instructions in how to get published. Naturally, there are chapters devoted to preparing a letter to the editor and responses thereto (including a sample letter - indeed, throughout the book Körner provides ample demonstrations of how her advice can be carried out in such diverse areas as use of footnotes, key words, abbreviations, etc); discussions on paper vs. electronic submission; how to deal with rejections; even a brief section on writing applications for financial support.
For such a short book (it's under 100 pages), Körner has managed to cram in a lot of material in an organized fashion, using a comfortable, unpretentious writing style. If I had one complaint, it would be that the book could use an index because there's so much coverage that transcends the scope of what the Table of Contents can elucidate, and thus my copy has dog-eared pages to help me find key points. But, if that's the most negative thing I can comment on, it means Guide to Publishing a Scientific Paper deserves very high praise indeed.
One final note: Körner's generosity of spirit is evident in the fact that all proceeds from the sale of this book support the Easter Island Foundation. So not only will you get a unique book on a subject important and useful to both seasoned researchers and those just starting their writing and publishing careers, you'll be helping a worthy cause at the same time. It doesn't get much better than this.
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Guide to Publishing a Scientific Paper"Guide to Publishing a Scientific Paper" provides researchers in every field of the biological, physical and medical sciences with all the information necessary to prepare, submit for publication, and revise a scientific paper. The book includes details of every step in the process that is required for the publication of a scientific paper, for example,use of correct style and languagechoice of journal, use of the correct format, and adherence to journal guidelinessubmission of the manuscript in the appropriate format and with the appropriate cover letter and other materialsthe format for responses to reviewers' comments and resubmission of a revised manuscriptThe advice provided conforms to the most up-to-date specifications and even the seasoned writer will learn how procedures have changed in recent years, in particular with regard to the electronic submission of manuscripts. Every scientist who is preparing to write a paper should read this book before embarking on the preparation of a manuscript. This useful book also includes samples of letters to the Editor and responses to the Editor's comments and referees' criticism. In addition, as an Appendix, the book includes succinct advice on how to prepare an application for funding. The author has edited more than 7,500 manuscripts over the past twenty years and is, consequently, very familiar with all of the most common mistakes. Her book provides invaluable and straightforward advice on how to avoid these mistakes. Dr. Körner is a professional editor and writer. She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Cambridge and a doctorate in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University.
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