The purpose of this volume is to aid the authors of medical papers in the proper presentation of a scientific paper and in avoidance of the many pitfalls that they may encounter in writing the paper and getting it accepted for publication.
The book covers preliminary steps, such as choice of subject, preparation of notes, outlining, and evaluation of the audience, and stresses the considerable importance of a first draft followed by at least three revisions to assure readability. Detailed recommendations on these phases of writing the paper are presented.
The book also contains comments and recommendations on the handling of special problems, such as the making of indices, the presentation and use of illustrations, and the proper use of statistics as employed in medical literature.
Seven appendices which cover abbreviations in medical manuscripts, proofreaders' marks, tables of atomic weights, drug dosages, temperature conversions, and statistical probability scales are included.