《SCI论文写作和发表:You Can Do It》(第三版)先介绍了SCI论文各部分如标题、摘要、简介、结果讨论等的具体写法和注意事项,然后介绍了投稿和发表过程中的期刊选择问题以及投稿信和答复信的具体写法,这两部分均附有若干具体示例,可作为模板使用。后半部分对英文科技写作中的常用语法、词汇进行了具体剖析和举例,以切实提高读者的写作水平。 本书可供高校理工类专业研究生和广大的科研工作者参考使用。
關於作者:
张俊东,济南博思编译服务有限公司,美国Massachusetts Institute of Technology分子生物学博士后,作者获北京医科大学(北京大学医学部)药物化学,学士及硕士学位,美国Brown University有机化学博士学位,美国Massachusetts Institute of Technology分子生物学博士后。发表SCI论文30余篇。从2007年任博思编译主编来,亲自和组织专业编辑修改8000余篇论文稿件,并多次在天津大学、北京大学医学部和北医三院举办SCI论文写作讲座。
I have been studying and working in U.S. for more than 35 years. Frequently, my friends in China have asked me to edit their manuscripts. It was these requests that prompted me to study scientific writing in more depth and to look into what was necessary for Chinese scientists to prepare their own manuscripts in professional English. It took me a long time to improve my own English writing skills, even though I had a very high TOEFL score when I was applying US universities. My initial training was from my postdoctoral advisor at MIT, the editor-in-chief of a renowned biology journal as well as the author of several textbooks. By studying his revisions of my own manuscripts, my scientific writing skills improved greatly.
English writing, like many other skills, is mastered by both learning and practice. I further improved my skills by reading many scientific writing books and journal articles, while always paying special attention to the writing. Editing manuscripts of fellow Chinese scientists and identifying the common mistakes provided me additional insight. I published a book《Guide for Scientific Writing》by Shandong University Press Co. in 2004 to summarize the key areas that I believe are essential for Chinese scientists to improve their scientific writing skills. To meet the requests for manuscript editing, I built a team of editors in the U.S. to offer editing service in 2006 (www.sciwriting.cn). We have edited more than 15000 manuscripts so far. Enriched by the editing experience and authors’ feedback, I have revised the book and published the 2nd edition in 2016. In this 3rd edition, a new chapter on “Manuscript Submission, Revision, and Response Letter Writing” is added. The section on how to avoid writing “Chinese English” is expanded, and more Chinese translations are provided for easier reading.
There are several obstacles Chinese scientists have to overcome. The first and most difficult one is the proper selection and usage of words. The poor writing of non-English speaking scientists can often be improved by developing knowledge of the subtle differences in the accurate use of words. Simple words are overused, and in many cases, the wrong words are used instead. The second obstacle is grammar and sentence flow. Scientific writing should meet the same standards for grammar as general writing while accommodating for the additional rules of scientific writing. The sentence flow, which can be improved by the correct usage of connecting words, is critical for readers to understand the authors. The third obstacle is Chinese- English:English written as if literally translated from Chinese, including inappropriate expressions and improper grammar. While the author might not realize, a native speaker can notice it right away.
Writing a publishable manuscript is a difficult task: one which requires hard work and persistence. A manuscript written in proper English is the prerequisite for its acceptance for publication; however, the most critical criterion is still the contents of the manuscript, especially the novelty of your research finding. To write clearly the purpose of your study, what questions you want to answer or hypothesis to demonstrate, and the differences from the previous reports are the core of the paper. Without a proper understanding of the requirements for a publishable manuscript in SCI journals and the up-to-date knowledge of the literature in your research field, even the best writer still cannot publish a scientific paper. It takes a long time, the proper language environment, and tremendous efforts to master the skills of English writing; it seems to me it is a better way for scientists to focus on their science and ask professional editors to help with their English writing. It is a well-accepted practice in English-speaking countries to have professional editors to edit a manuscript or grant proposal. It is this need for English editors that is driving me to sharpen my own English writing skills, train other interested individuals, and provide professional service for the needed scientists.
I sincerely appreciate the encouragement and support received from readers and fellow scientists.
Jundong Zhang
bosi@sciwriting.cn
March 2023, Boston