After the below mentioned article provides a guide to scientific writing.
Steps for Scientific Writing:
1. Decide on the message of the paper. Can you state it in a single sentence? With case report and reviews, you may not be sure of the exact message until you have searched the literature.
2. Decide whether the paper is worth writing. Have similar findings been reported? Is there a place for another report? With case reports and reviews, has your literature search turned up similar case or reviews?
3. Decide on the importance of your paper. Apply the “so-what” test; how would the paper change concept or practice?
4. Decide on the audience for the paper; apply the “Who-cares” test.
5. Select the journal for which you will prepare the paper.
6. Search the literature: For a firm decision on writing the paper and on its message; for documentary materials.
7. Decide on authorship.
8. Assemble the materials needed to write and eventually publish the paper. If you are writing an invited review paper or editorial, make sure you know the conditions on the invitation.
9. Obtain manuscript requirements for the journal.
10. Consider the proper structure for the paper before you begin to outline it and write the first draft.
11. Develop a sketch or outline for the first draft.
12. Write the first draft.
13. Revise the first draft and subsequent drafts (with any coauthors) until you are satisfied with the content of the paper.
14. Revise your prose for accuracy, clarity, brevity and grace.
15. Make sure that the details of scientific points are correct.
16. Prepare the final choices and right presentations for tables and illustrations.
17. Review and revise, if necessary, the last complete draft and get it type for the final manuscript.
18. Assemble the manuscript copies and accompanying materials to send to the journal’s editor with a submission letter.
19. Respond to the editor’s decision: Revise a provisionally accepted paper as requested; send a rejected paper to another journal after needed revisions, or give up trying to get the paper published.
20. If the paper is accepted, correct proof carefully as soon as it arrives, return it promptly and await publication of the paper.
The Ten Commandments of Good Writing:
1. Each pronoun should agree with their Antecedent.
2. Just between you and I case is important.
3. A preposition is a poor word to end a sentence with.
4. Verbs have to agree with their subject.
5. Do not use no double negatives.
6. A writer must not shift your point of view.
7. When dangling do not use participles.
8. Join clauses good, like a conjunction should.
9. Do not write a run-on sentence it is difficult when you got to punctuate it so it makes sense when the reader reads what you wrote.
10. About sentence fragments.
Robert A. Day, 1979
What to Avoid in Scientific Writing:
1. Errors of Syntax
2. Redundancy
3. Pomposity/Verbosity
4. Slang/Jargon
5. Empty phrases and words
6. Excessive use of clauses
7. Ambiguous antecedents
8. Misplaced Modifiers
9. Piled-up Modifiers
10. Dangling phrases
11. Split Infinitives
12. Spelling errors
13. Confused word pairs
14. Unfamiliar Abbreviations.
Annotated Bibliography for Scientific Writing/Editing/Publishing:
Style Manual:
1. Council of Biology Editors’ Style Manual:
A Guide for Authors, Editors and Publishers in Biological Sciences, 4th ed. (CBE Styple Manual Committee, Arlington), 1978.
2. Manual for Authors and Editors:
Editorial Style and Manuscript Preparation. W.B. Barclay, M.T. Southgate and W.R. Mayo, Complrs (Lange Medical Publications, Los Atlos, California), 1981.
3. Handbook for Authors of Papers in American Chemical Society Publications. (American Chemical Society, Washington), 1978.
4. The Chicago Manual of Style, 13th ed. (Chicago University Press, Chicago), 1982.
5. Style Book and Editorial Manual, 6th ed. (American Medical Association, Chicago), 1978.
Guides to Writing:
1. A Guide to Writing and Publishing in the Social and Behavioural Sciences. C.J. Mullins, (John Wiley and Sons, New York), 1977.
2. How to write and publish a scientific paper, Robert Day. (1st Press Philadelphia), 1979.
3. Throne’s Better Medical Writing. Stephen Lock, 2nd ed. (John Wiley and Sons, New York), 1977.
4. Writing scientific papers in English. M. O. Connor and P.P. Woodford. (Pitman Medical Publishing Co., England), 1978.
5. Problem-solving Strategies for writing. L. Flower. (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., New York), 1981.
6. The Elements of Style. W. Strunk and E.B. White. 3rd ed. (The Macmillan Company, New York), 1979.
7. Why not say it clearly: A Guide to Scientific Writing. L. S. King. (Little, Brown and Company, Boston), 1978.
8. How to write and publish papers in Medical Sciences, Edward J. Huth. (ISI Press, Philadelphia), 1982.
9. How to do it. (British Medical Association, London), 1981.
10. New Hgrt’s rule, the hand book of style for Writers and Editors, Oxford University Press, 2005.
Scientific Data and Nomenclature:
Style Manuals:
1. Geigy Scientific Tables (Vol. 7): With Units of Measurement, Body Fluids, Composition of the Body, Nutrition. C. Lenther. (Ciba- Geigy Corporation, New Jersey), 1981.
2. The SI for Health Professions. (World Health Organisation, Geneva), 1977.
For International System of Units (SI):
3. SI Units in Medicine:
An Introduction to the International System of Units (SI) with conversion Tables and Normal Ranges. H. Lippert and H.P. Lehmann. (Urban and Schwarzenberg, Baltimore), 1978.
4. The Merck Index:
An Encyclopedia of Chemicals and Drugs. 9th ed. M. Windholz, S. Budavarim, L. Y. Stroumtsos and M.N.
Fertig, Eds. (Merck and Company, New Jersey), 1976.