Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Advice to Authors
My dissertation focuses upon a technical subject so I tend to avoid delving into the specifics of my research on this blog for fear of scaring away my already meager audience. Every so often, however, I stumble upon something during the course of my work that is worthy of sharing. In this case, it's a poem of sorts included in the back of a technical journal from 1968, perhaps intended to ensure better submissions from the engineers who made up its primary audience. As someone who just received comments on the first draft of what will (hopefully) be his first scholarly publication, I believe it will resonate with anyone whose work is subject to editorial scrutiny.
Advice to Authors
If you've got a thought that's happy---
Boil it down.
Make it short and crisp and snappy---
Boil it down.
When your brain its coin has minted,
Down the page your pen has sprinted,
If you want your effort printed,
Boil it down.
Take out every surplus letter---
Boil it down.
Fewere syllables the better----
Boil it down.
Make your meaning plain---express it,
So we'll know---not merely guess it,
Then, my friend, ere you address it,
Boil it down.
Skim it well---then skim the skimmings---
Boil it down.
When you're sure 'twould be a sin to
Cut another sentence in two,
Send it in, and we'll begin to
Boil it down.
(Published in RCA Engineer, Vol. 14, No. 1, p. 94; reprinted from Canadian Public Health Journal, 1936)
My dissertation focuses upon a technical subject so I tend to avoid delving into the specifics of my research on this blog for fear of scaring away my already meager audience. Every so often, however, I stumble upon something during the course of my work that is worthy of sharing. In this case, it's a poem of sorts included in the back of a technical journal from 1968, perhaps intended to ensure better submissions from the engineers who made up its primary audience. As someone who just received comments on the first draft of what will (hopefully) be his first scholarly publication, I believe it will resonate with anyone whose work is subject to editorial scrutiny.
Advice to Authors
If you've got a thought that's happy---
Boil it down.
Make it short and crisp and snappy---
Boil it down.
When your brain its coin has minted,
Down the page your pen has sprinted,
If you want your effort printed,
Boil it down.
Take out every surplus letter---
Boil it down.
Fewere syllables the better----
Boil it down.
Make your meaning plain---express it,
So we'll know---not merely guess it,
Then, my friend, ere you address it,
Boil it down.
Skim it well---then skim the skimmings---
Boil it down.
When you're sure 'twould be a sin to
Cut another sentence in two,
Send it in, and we'll begin to
Boil it down.
(Published in RCA Engineer, Vol. 14, No. 1, p. 94; reprinted from Canadian Public Health Journal, 1936)
Comments:
Post a Comment
