Writing and Presenting Scientific Papers

Leading scientists are identified as much by their ability to communicate ideas and results as by the quality of their research. Ideas and results that are not communicated effectively will not contribute to new knowledge, so it is important that scientists learn to improve their communication skills. There are many types of scientific communication, the principal ones being journal papers and popular science articles, as well as oral and poster presentations at scientific meetings. In each case, the ABC of science communication is that it should be Accurate and Audience adapted, Brief and Clear. The aim of this book is to provide guidelines for preparing papers and presentations so that your message can be transmitted clearly and concisely to the reader or listener. Techniques for improving your writing, literature searching and training students in communication are also discussed. In this revised edition a few more topics have been added, such as electronic submission of manuscripts, writing statistics, and writing research proposals. This book is designed to benefit young scientists presenting their first research results, experienced scientists wanting to make their communications more effective, university students at all levels, and teachers involved in the instruction of communication skills.