How to write and publish a scientific paper by R. A. Day

I love prefaces! And this writer sounds like an absolutely nice man.

"There are four things that make this world go round: love, energy, materials, and information. We see about us a critical shortage of the first commodity, a near-critical shortage of the second, increasing shortage of the third, but an absolute glut of the fourth.

We in science, of necessity, must contribute to the glut. But let us do it with love, especially love of the English language, which is the cornerstone of our intellectual heritage; let us also do it with energy, the energy we need to put into the scientific paper so that the reader will not need to use much energy to get the information out of the paper; and let us husband our materials, especially our words, so that we do not waste inordinate quantities of paper and ink in trying to tell the world more than we know."

"The research scientist must provide a written document showing what he did, why he did it, how he did it, and what he learnt from it."

"In this way, the reader, particularly the graduate student and fledgling writer, may get something of the flavor of just what a scientific paper is."

a continued tale of the plantsman and his Berok friends

From A View From the Summit (1996):

"The Reserve's resident Long-tailed Macaque monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were now entertained by the spectacle of Corner's trained Pig-tailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina) or Berok plant collectors, Jambul and Puteh, shimmying up tall trees to fetch precisely the specimens the botanist sought. "

Thinking through writing

Either by a stroke of luck or by divine intervention, I found the book from which this blog address got its name from, in the Plant Systematics Laborary library.

I searched the web high and low, searched Amazon. com, searched ecampus.com, searched Singapore Polytechnic library (which has a copy of this), searched school library and the national library. I was searching for a convenient way to get my hands on this book, after Janadas Devan recommended it in that article some time ago (see post below). The extent I went to look for it, I was willing to get it shipped over from the USA, my only concern was whether it is the best timing to get it over now, or should I wait.

Wait for a stroke of luck or for divine intervention.

It is so amazing how I did not have to wait too long. As I was searching the shelves for books on how to write a Scientific report, I found her sitting there (I saw her standing there).

Look somewhat forgotten and forsaken, in a secluded corner, surrounded by books that had tunnels carved through their covers by some insects.

I look her in my arms and lifted her high. I found her!! :)

*beams*

"... paying close attention as you read, so that when you write about what you have read, you do so with an accurate assessment of what was on the page. This is the "looking closely" I just talked about. Good writing has to do with putting together what is there in a plausible, interesting, and persuasive way."

Oh, the more I read the introduction, the more I love this book. A bible for writing. A self-help book for writing! And one not about grammar, and the rules of writing, but the heart and mechanics of writing. How cool, this treasure. :)

It is so exciting! :) Ops!

Haha. :)

A treasure trove of excitement

I recently discoverd the treasure trove that I work in, the Plant Systematics Laboratory library. It is no wonder Alex loves this spot. Nestled in shelves are many many books of all sorts, from all ages. You could just feel the rich heritage sitting here. :)

I picked this book off the shelf. And only read the preface and introduction (which is perhaps the only parts in which I have the time to read) and noticed how polite the author, D. D. Johnson was.

".... Many others have helped with comments on the original version. Such help has greatly increased the value of the work. Its imperfections are my own responsibility." I just find it so beautiful, the language of many Englishmen, just like a gentlemen. :) I can imagine this kindly Professor and his gentle and polite ways just reading this sentence.

Prof. Tan mentioned in lectures a few times how Singapore's secondary forests offers a beginners course on plant species, as it is a rain forest and species rich, yet not so rich that it overwhelms an amatuer.

Another quote from D. S. Johnson:

"To the overseas visitor Singapore offers a sample of tropical wildlife which can be observed easily, in comfort, and without danger. To the serious local naturalist it provides an almost unique opportunity to study the interaction of man and wild life in an urbanized equatorial setting."

In another famous book, The Wayside Trees of Malaya, Corner in his preface to the 3rd Edition address lover of plants a "plantsman" or "one who delights in living plants." Such beautiful language once again, leaves me in awed.

Botanical Monkeys

It all started out a few hours ago when I picked a book off the Plant Systematics Laboratory's library shelf.

Gardening in the Lowlands of Malaya by R. E. Holttum

Through which, another book was introduced.

Wayside trees of Malaya by E. J. H. Corner

What really interest me at first was how the photographs of the trees in the plates stated the location where the tree was sighted and photographed. The heritage trailer in me was thrilled!

And the strange preface:
Malayan Trees Who Cares to Know,
Upon His Shoulder Sits a Berok

What strange language, reminiscent of Lewis Caroll and John Lennon kind of Jabberwocky.

And what is a Berok?

On the dust jacket of the book was a ink sketch of a tree branch with an ape-like creature, tied to a string down to the ground, reaching down and a twig and leaf falling from it. What strange imagery for a book about trees!

Reading the book, we see photographs, not only of trees and also specimens. Which made me wonder, how did he get this specimen? He was mentioned to be a tall man, but he couldn't have been able to reach that high. There probably wasn't technology to reach up there. He couldn't have climbed, being an Englishman of that period and all.

I did a google search on the word "berok" and then it all made sense.

A pig-tailed ape. Macaca nemestrina. Botanical monkeys.

A review by Joseph Ewan on Corner's (1992) book entitled "Botanical monkeys" states: Plant collectors are bipedal but Corner has made it quadrupedal. In all the history of botany there has been nothing like enlisting monkeys to harvest flowers and fruit from tall trees.

=) Thrilling? Corner seems like a really interesting kind of botanist/Professor. haha.