Page 102 - How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, 8th Edition 8th Edition

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Before the final typing, examine your headings carefully. The main headings ("Materials and Methods," etc.) are
usually no problem. These headings should be centered, with space above and below.

In addition to main headings, most journals use subheadings (e.g., boldface paragraph lead-ins). These should be
designed as convenient signposts to help direct the reader through the paper. Consult a recent issue of the journal to
determine what kinds of headings it uses. If the journal uses boldface or italic lead-ins, have them typed that way.
Headings and subheadings should be "labels," not sentences.

Do not make the common mistake of using a third (or even a fourth) level of heading, unless such usage is specified
by the journal. Two levels of headings are usually sufficient for research papers, and many journals do not permit
more. Review journals, however, usually specify three or four levels of headings because of the greater length of
review papers.

Special Problems

Keep in mind that the keyboarding done by you is not very different from that done later by the compositor. If you
have a problem with your manuscript, it is likely that the compositor will also have a problem. See if you can identify
and then resolve some of these problems, to make it easy on you and the compositor. For example, most input devices
(like the old-fashioned office typewriter) move relentlessly forward, meaning that it is difficult or impossible to set
certain overs and unders. Comput

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ers have solved or eased many problems, but an over-under fraction, such as can still be difficult. Change the form to
(ab - c)/(de - x), and there is no problem. Likewise, it is difficult to set an inferior letter directly under a superior.
1
Thus, a2 is not a problem but a 21 is a problem. The term ax2 in the text is a problem for some typesetting devices.
The easy alternative is to state "the square root of ax2." If a formula simply cannot be put in a form suitable for
keyboarding, you should consider furnishing it as an India ink drawing. You will thus save yourself and the
compositor a lot of trouble, and you might save yourself a lot of grief. The camera will set your formula perfectly; the
typesetting process might not.

Another problem is the difference in spelling between American-English and British-English. To avoid difficulties for
yourself as well as for typesetters and proofreaders, use American spellings in a manuscript being submitted to a
journal in the United States, and use British spellings in a manuscript being submitted to a journal in Great Britain.

The Electronic Manuscript
Computers now have an enormous impact on the way scientific papers are written and published. Most science
journals are now accepting author submissions in digital format, and many are beginning to support online electronic
versions. Traditionally, the process of writing and publishing scientific papers developed one step after the other in a
linear process. The author submitted a draft of his or her paper to a journal. The paper, if of interest to the publisher,
was reviewed by both editors and peers. Their comments were used to refine the work. When the paper was published,
a librarian classified the article and cataloged it for future access.

In the past, these processes were independent of each other, and separate individuals and departments carried them
out. In present-day journal publishing, the process has changed. Budgets have shrunk, and the review process has
speeded up. Functions overlap as authors become typesetters and graphic artists as well as scientists; publishers often
give authors guidelines and templates for use in writing their manuscripts. Publishers frequently supply standards for
visual presentation that are intended to aid the production process and to improve the clarity of concepts contained in
the text. With the advent of desktop publishing, few individuals or academic departments any longer rely on the type-

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