Life Science Publishing
|
|
        
|
Welcome to "How to Write Medical and Scientific Papers" designed to help you improve your medical and scientific writing. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to it.
If you feel that you are receiving it in error, please see unsubscribe
instructions at the end of this email. How to Write Medical and Scientific Papers ISSN: 1528-7920 Volume 5, Issue 1
January 14, 2003 By Thomas A. Buckingham, MD Contents: ----------------------- *** Sponsor *** Lectures and Seminars on Medical Writing *** Course in Brussels March 19-20, 2003 *** Writing Services *** New Book on Medical Writing ***
Advertise in this Newsletter *** Feature Article:
Elementary Principles of Composition *** Article Submissions Welcome *** Sponsor *** Book Review: FDA, Inside and Out *** Selected Links *** On Our
Web Site ***
Recommend this Newsletter to your Colleagues ***
Suggestions & Comments *** About
the Author ---------------------------------------------------------
*** Sponsor Want
to receive your own issue of Science each week, full-text access to Science
Online, online access to research weeks before it appears in print, and complete
archives of every issue since 1880? Join
AAAS today to get all this and many other exclusive benefits with this special
offer to new members only. Contact
Lauri Sirois at 202-326-6418 for more information, or join online at promo.aaas.org/getscience/
---------------------------------------------------------
*** Lectures
and Seminars on Writing I am
available on a limited basis for lectures or seminars on medical and scientific
writing at your center or next conference.
Topics include How to Write and Publish a Scientific or Medical Paper,
Effective Writing, and Increasing Publication Output.
Click http://www.lifescipub.com/lectures.htm or contact review@lifescipub.com
for more information. --------------------------------------------------------- *** Medical
Writing Course in Brussels March 19-20, 2003 I will be
giving a course on Medical Writing Strategy and on How to Write a
Medical Paper in Brussels at the 22nd
International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine.
For more info on this conference, see http://www.intensive.org/main.html --------------------------------------------------------- *** Writing
Services for Scientists, Clinicians and Industry For more details see: http://www.lifescipub.com
--------------------------------------------------------- *** New Book on Medical Writing now Available!
My E-Book on How to Write Medical and Scientific
Papers is now available. The
trial version can be downloaded from our web page and includes complete
information on writing medical papers, strategies for your scientific career,
book and software reviews, and much more! Go
to http://www.lifescipub.com/e-book.htm --------------------------------------------------------- *** Advertise in this Newsletter Place your
advertisement in this newsletter and reach an exclusive and distinguished group
of over 6750 physicians and scientists. Please inquire for our media kit at Review@lifescipub.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*** Feature Article: Elementary
Principles of Composition The previous issue
of this newsletter dealt with Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts. If you
missed it, you can see it at www.lifescipub.com/newsletter.htm
Elementary
Principles of Composition Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style is a book first
published in 1959. It is a short
book and contains timeless information on good writing in English.
First authored by Prof. Strunk, who took pride in making all English
writing clear, concise and as short as possible.
His book was no exception, but contains an amazing amount of useful
information in a short volume. The
following article is summarized from a chapter in this book. Elementary Principles of Composition Make the paragraph the unit of composition.
Each paragraph should contain a complete idea.
Paragraphs may be of variable length.
Normally they begin with a sentence that explains the topic of the
paragraph or a sentence of transition from the previous paragraph.
After a paragraph is written, you can look at it to see if it would
benefit from division into 2 paragraphs with similar or different topics. Use the active voice. The
habitual use of the active voice makes for forceful writing.
Example: The operation was
performed by the surgeon (Passive voice). Or:
The surgeon performed the operations (Active voice).
This does not mean that the passive voice should be entirely discarded
– sometimes it is useful. Put statements in a positive form.
In other words, make definite assertions.
Try to avoid colorless, timid, noncommittal language.
(The use of the active voice helps here as well).
To do this, try to avoid using the word “not.” Instead of “not honest” use “dishonest.”
Placing the negative and positive in opposition can be powerful.
For example, “Not charity, but simple justice.” Use definite, specific, concrete language.
When you do this, your words will call up pictures in the reader’s
mind. The definite is better than
the vague and the concrete better than the abstract.
Omit needless words. For
example, “there is not doubt that” should be “no doubt” or
“doubtless.” Avoid “the fact
that” since it weakens sentences. “I
was unaware of the fact that…” should
be “I was unaware that…” Use parallel construction to express similar ideas.
Example: “the French, the
Italian, Portuguese and Spanish” should
be “the French, the Italians, the Portuguese, and the Spanish.” The best place for the words in a sentence that the writer
wishes to emphasize is at the end. The
other place to put such words is at the beginning. Any word, which is not the subject of the sentence, but which
is at the beginning, is emphasized. “Deceit
or treachery he could never forgive.” I wish you
success in your scientific writing !! *** Sponsor International Callback with TelCan. Discount international calls from anywhere to anywhere in
the world. Online billing, real-time call details and account management.
Web-based address book with click-to-call feature. Connect and manage calls from
your desktop, PDA or WAP. - Available in all countries Click here: www.telcan.net ------------------------------------------------------- *** Book Review: FDA, Inside and Out FDA: Inside and OutFast Horse Press; (May 5, 2001) By S. Parisian, MD
This is a book written about the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration), the US government agency that regulates the sale and marketing
of drugs and medical devices in the US. The
physician author has a unique perspective, because she worked as a medical
officer in the FDA for many years and was promoted to Chief Medical Officer.
She has written a large reference book of some 667 pages
with 24 chapters covering such topics as the entire FDA as one entity, the
overall process of product regulation, and evaluation of clinical trials. This
are discussions of such wide-ranging issues as patient treatment,"
off-label "use of prescription drugs, veterinary products, vaccines, food
safety, genetic engineering, cosmetics, testing of military personnel, informed
consent, Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), Investigational Device Exemption
(IDE), premarketing approval, clinical investigator responsibilities, clinical
investigation design, clinical trial pitfalls, informed consent requirements,
and much more. The author provides an organizational map of the
agency, its requirements and procedures, and explains the implications for
medical practice, manufacturing, and marketing. The book offers an
unparalleled inside view of the FDA and how it makes decisions.
The book includes a good index and an overview of the history of the FDA.
On the negative side, the book had almost no figures and could have
benefited from the inclusion of illustrations, diagrams and more tables.
This book will be of great value to a variety of individuals
and organizations: medical, science, and law libraries, drug and medical device
companies, biotech investors, federal government employees, policymakers, attorneys, hospitals
with IRBs conducting clinical research, patient rights and consumer advocate
organizations, as well as investigative health, medical and science reporters.
The book is a bit expensive at $289, but if your work involves the FDA,
it is a “must-have.” Click
here for more information. --------------------------------------------------------- *** Selected Links for the Medical Writer PubMed has a new feature and is making several books
available online with searchable full-text.
I have been watching this web page for several months and the list of
searchable books is steadily growing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=Books Bratislava Medical Journal now available online free Excellent peer-reviewed general medical journal now
available online with full text. This
journal also offers free email notification of the contents of each issue. Click here: www.bmj.sk -------------------------------------------------------
We still
offer the lowest prices on EndNote and other bibliographic software packages on
the website. Endnote academic version 6.0 is now only $99.
Upgrade packages also available! See http://www.lifescipub.com/software.htm -------------------------------------------------------
***
Recommend this Newsletter to your Professional Colleagues Do you find
this newsletter helpful? Then
recommend it to your colleagues and friends.
You can do this by forwarding an email copy of this newsletter to them.
Instructions for subscribing and unsubscribing are at the end of each
issue.
--------------------------------------------------------- *** Suggestions
& Comments Thomas Buckingham,
MD is a cardiologist with over 18 years |
