﻿BRIEFER ARTICLES 



PREPARATION OF COPY 

 In response to many inquiries from contributors, the following direc- 

 tions for the preparation of copy for the Botanical Gazette are pub- 

 lished. If the directions are followed, most of the troubles of contributor 

 and editor will be eliminated. 



Preparation of text 



Little need be said in reference to the effective method of presenta- 

 tion, selection of material, and style, for in these matters each contributor 

 is a law unto himself. The difference between a clutter of details and a 

 proper laying of emphasis should be recognized. Omitting the obvious 

 is hard for beginners to learn, but they should keep in mind that the 

 audience is made up of professional botanists. 



The only practical direction that can be given, therefore, in reference 

 to the preparation of text copy, concerns its form for publication, and 

 this relates to two points. Before the text is prepared, the style of the 

 Botanical Gazette should be investigated. Each contributor can find 

 some such paper as he proposes to publish, and should note at least three 

 things: (i) the use of capitals, (2) the use of italics, and (3) the styles of 

 section headings. The chaotic condition of many manuscripts in refer- 

 ence to these features is appreciated by editors but not by contributors. 

 The second point deals with citations, which represent usually the worst 

 feature of a manuscript. In citations the Botanical Gazette follows 

 the general style adopted by international agreement, and any list of 

 "Literature cited" shows the style. The purpose of the style is to give 

 the reader exact and full information in the least space. To recast a 

 list of citations is needless editorial labor, when with a little observation 

 the list can be prepared in proper form by the contributor. 



Attention may be called to the fact that legends for text cuts should 

 never be written on the figures, but listed at the end of the paper. The 

 printer and engraver are different persons, and their copy must be kept 

 separate. The insertion of figures in the manuscript simply makes work 

 for the editor. The necessary space for editorial annotations should be 



