Wednesday 28 November 2007

How to write consistently boring scientific literature

One of my colleagues sent me a ‘not so boring” article on writing boring scientific literature. Professor Kaj Sand –Jensen from the University of Copenhagen, presents ten recommendations on how to write boring scientific literature and then offers some advice on how to make them more accessible and exciting.

Great tips for all aspiring scientists:

1. Avoid focus
2. Avoid originality and personality;
3. Write long contributions
4. Remove most implications and every speculation
5. Leave out illustrations, particularly good ones
6. Omit necessary steps of reasoning
7. Use many abbreviations and technical terms;
8. Suppress humour and flowery language
9. Degrade species and biology to statistical elements and,
10. Quote numerous papers for self-evident statements.

Extract from: Table 1 page 724

“How to write consistently boring scientific literature?” Kaj Sand-Jensen, Oikos, Vol. 116 (5), May 2007, pp. 723–727.

4 comments:

Niko said...

I think the problem with sc lit is the idea of 'professionalism' allied to it, kills it. the idea of professional as 100% reliable- leaves no room for conjecture, ofr response on the part of the reader- there's a preemptive defensiveness out there... would be interesting to study this aspect & perhaps then publicize it as a disease, offering courses for its remediation. Only joking,
Niko

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

Opulently I agree but I about the brief should secure more info then it has.

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