Writing and presenting scientific papers

Leading scientists are identified as much by their ability to communicate ideas and results as by the quality of their research. Ideas and results that are not communicated will not contribute to developments. In other words, effective communication of science is an essential component of the research process, so it is important that scientists learn to improve their communication skills. There are many types of scientific communication, the principal ones being written papers in journals and popular science articles, as well as oral and poster presentations at scientific meetings. In all cases, the ABC of science communication is that it should be Accurate and Audience adapted, Brief, and Clear. The aim of this book is to provide guidelines for preparing papers and presentations so that your message can be transmitted clearly and concisely to the reader or listener. Techniques for improving your writing, literature searching and training students in communication are also discussed. Science needs to be communicated internationally, so the multi-national authorship of this book has made sure that the guidelines are widely applicable. This book is designed to benefit young scientists presenting their first research results, experienced scientists wanting to make their communications more effective, university students at all levels, and teachers involved in the training of communication skills. For people who have considerable experience, the book may serve as a reference where they can look up topics for comparison of ideas. For people who have no experience, the book serves as a manual where they can learn the basics on how to write and present science. Each of the authors has written many scientific papers, reports and articles and made regular presentations at international conferences and meetings. Each has many years' experience of teaching and training students in effective communication.