click to edit master subtitle style 4/15/11 experiences from writing and editing for monthly weather...
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4/15/11
Experiences from writing and editing for Monthly Weather
Review:One Person’s ViewJosh Hacker, Naval Postgraduate School
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Make reviewers’ lives easy
• A reviewer who can easily comprehend what you have written is far more likely to provide a favorable review.
• Do not rely on reviewers to……organize your manuscript.
…check spelling and grammar.
…perform a literature review.
…interpret the results of your experiments. 4/15/11 22
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Writing is hard work
• Most of us are not gifted writers.
• We need to work hard to communicate our science (even to other experts).
• More time spent in manuscript preparation usually results in less time spent responding to reviews.
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Introductions are important
• Make a clear statement about the problem you are addressing.
• Clearly point out what is novel in your work.
• Clearly point out how your work fits into the broader scientific goals of the community.
• Ensure that your literature review is complete but focused.– It is important to give credit to the correct people.
– If you cite a paper, note why it is is cited.
– Avoid citing irrelevant papers.
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Maximize content, minimize length
• Every paragraph, and every sentence, should be important.
• Every figure should be necessary to illustrate a point.
• Eliminate repetitive statements.
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Use precise language
• Choose the correct word or phrase for a given situation.
• Accurately describe figures and tables.
• Avoid jargon.
Conference papers and presentations are generally bad models for this practice!
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Provide interpretation
• It is the author’s job to explain the meaning and implications of a result.
• It is not the author’s job to speculate, but limited speculation supported by circumstantial evidence may be acceptable.
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A note on personal style:
• Distinguish between good use of English and style.– Personal writing style more often increases
confusion rather than decreasing it.
– Quality writing is most important, and personal style (or flair) should be secondary.
• Examples:– Use good grammar.
– Avoid repetitive words or statements.
– Avoid passive tense.
– Avoid extraneous words and phrases that begin or end sentences: however, thus, on the other hand, etc., except when absolutely necessary.
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