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Writing a research paper

gmw1@cunixd.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener)
Columbia University
(chuckle)

(This is one of those xeroxes® you keep seeing in your desk drawer. No idea where it originated.)

GLOSSARY FOR RESEARCH PAPERS

Strictly Speaking

THEY WRITE                                      |THEY MEAN 

It has long been known that... |I haven't bothered to look up |the original reference

...of great theoretical and practical |...interesting to me importance

While it has not been possible to |The experiments didn't work provide definite answers to these |out, but I figured I could at questions. |least get a publication out |of it.

The W-Pb system was chosen as |The fellow in the next lab had especially suitable to show the |some already made up predicted behavior...

High purity... |Composition unknown except Very high purity... |for the exaggerated claims of Extremely high purity... |the supplier Super-purity... Spectroscopically pure...

A fiducial reference line... |A scratch

Three of the samples were |The results of the others chosen for detailed study... |didn't make sense and were |ignored..

...handled with extreme care during |...not dropped on the floor the experiments

Typical results are shown... |The best results are shown...

Although some detail has been lost |It is impossible to tell from in reproduction, it is clear from the |the micrograph original micrograph that...

Presumably at longer times... |I didn't take the time to find |out

The agreement with the predicted |fair curve is excellent

good |poor

satisfactory |doubtful

fair |imaginary

...as good as could be expected |non-existent

These results will be reported at |I might get around to this a later date |sometime

The most reliable values are those |He was a student of mine of Jones

It is suggested that... It is believed that... |I think... It may be that...

It is generally believed that.... |I have such a good objection |to this answer that I shall |now raise it.

It is clear that much additional |I don't understand it work will be required before a complete understanding...

Unfortunately, a quantitative theory |Neither does anybody else to account for these effects has not been formulated

Correct within an order of magnitude |Wrong

It is to be hoped that this work |This paper isn't very good but will stimulate further work in the field |neither are any of the others |on this miserable subject

Thanks are due to Joe Glotz for |Glotz did the work and Doe assistance with the experiments and |explained what it meant. to John Doe for valuable discussions.

[Ed: Source: C.D. Graham Jr. Metal Progress, 71 pg 75 (1957)]


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