PREPARATION 



clarity and accuracy. The importance of correct use of language 

 lies not only in being able to report research well; it is with 

 language that we do most of our thinking. There are several 

 good short books and articles on the writing of scientific papers. 

 Trelease'^ deals particularly with the technicalities of writing 

 and editing and Kapp" and Allbutt^ are mainly concerned with 

 the writing of suitable English. Anderson' has written a useful 

 paper on the preparation of illustrations and tables for scientific 

 papers. I have found that useful experience can be gained by 

 writing abstracts for publication. Thereby one becomes familiar 

 with the worst faults that arise in reporting scientific work and at 

 the same time one is subjected to a salutary discipline in writing 

 concisely. 



The scientist will find his life enriched and his understanding 

 of science deepened by reading the lives and works of some of 

 the great men of science. Inspiration derived from this source 

 has given many young scientists a vision that they have carried 

 throughout their lives. Two excellent recent biographies I can 

 recommend are Ehibos' Louis Pasteur: Freelance of Science^^^ 

 and Marquardt's Paul Ehrlich.^^^ In recent years more and more 

 attention is being given to the study of the history of science 

 and every scientist ought to have at least some knowledge of this 

 subject. It provides an excellent corrective to ever-increasing 

 specialisation and broadens one's outlook and understanding of 

 science. There are books which treat the subject not as a mere 

 chronicle of events but with an insight which gives an apprecia- 

 tion of the growth of knowledge as an evolutionary process 

 (e.g. ^°" ^^). There is a vast literature dealing with the philosophy 

 of science and the logic of scientific method. Whether one takes 

 up this study depends upon one's personal inclinations, but, 

 generally speaking, it will be of little help in doing research. 



It is valuable experience for the young scientist to attend 

 scientific conferences. He can there see how contributions to 

 knowledge are made by building on the work of others, how 

 papers are criticised and on what basis, and learn something of 

 the personalities of scientists working in the same field as him- 

 self It adds considerablv to the interest of research to be 

 personally acquainted with the authors of the papers one reads, 

 or even merely to know what they look like. Conferences also 



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