Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Most scientists live in a "publish or perish" environment, but few would describe themselves as brilliant (or enthusiastic) writers. Coming to the aid of all those wishing to improve the quality of their scientific writing -- established researchers and aspiring students alike -- three experienced authors/scientists from differing backgrounds and cultures have compiled this classic guide.
This new edition has been completely revised to reflect dramatic changes in communication over the past 15 years. The primary emphasis is on writing techniques, accurate expression, adherence to accepted standards, and above all clarity, but the authors also venture into communication technology and organizational as well as ethical aspects of science. Numerous appendices and a particularly comprehensive index complete this highly useful book.

"The authors have a passion, not only for clarity and economy of style, but also for precision and consistency."
(Nature)

"A wealth of information contained in a single book of manageable proportions. Students reporting on a simple laboratory experiment and their teachers preparing a paper or lecture will both find this book a constant companion."
(European Science Editing)

"The book under review claims, ′we know of no book as broad in its coverage, as critical in its analysis of existing trends, and as international in its scope′. This claim is immodest but accurate."
(Trends in Pharmacological Sciences)

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• I Goals and Forms in Scientific Writing
• 1 Reports (p. 3)
• 1.1 The Scientist as Writer (p. 3)
• 1.1.1 Communication in the Natural Sciences (p. 3)
• 1.1.2 The Maintenance of Quality in Science (p. 8)
• 1.2 The Purpose and Significance of a Scientific "Report" (p. 12)
• 1.3 The Laboratory Notebook (p. 15)
• 1.3.1 The Role and Form of a Scientist's Notebook (p. 15)
• 1.3.2 Content (p. 21)
• Heading and Introduction
• The Experimental Section
• A Scientist's Ethical Responsibilities
• 1.3.3 Organizational Matters (p. 27)
• What is an Experiment?
• Experiment Numbers
• 1.4 From Laboratory Notebook Entries to a Formal Report (p. 31)
• 1.4.1 Describing an Experiment (p. 31)
• 1.4.2 The Preparation of a Formal Report (p. 34)
• Proposed Subdivisions: An Outline
• Drafting the Text
• First Refinements: Perfecting the Language
• Suggestions Related to Writing Style
• Subsequent Drafts
• Finished Copy
• 1.5 Various Types of Reports (p. 47)
• 1.5.1 The Academic Environment: Laboratory Reports, Grant Proposals, and the Like (p. 47)
• 1.5.2 The Corporate Environment: Technical Documentation (p. 52)
• 1.5.3 Commissioned Reports (p. 54)
• 2 Dissertations (p. 57)
• 2.1 Nature and Purpose (p. 57)
• 2.2 The Components of a Dissertation (p. 60)
• 2.2.1 Overview (p. 60)
• 2.2.2 Title and Title Page (p. 63)
• 2.2.3 Abstract (p. 65)
• 2.2.4 Preface (p. 66)
• 2.2.5 Table of Contents; Section Headings (p. 67)
• Basic Considerations
• Headings and Hierarchical Structure
• Structure and Form; Decimal Classification
• 2.2.6 Introduction (p. 74)
• 2.2.7 Results (p. 77)
• 2.2.8 Discussion (p. 80)
• 2.2.9 Conclusions (p. 81)
• 2.2.10 Experimental Section (p. 82)
• 2.2.11 References Section and Miscellaneous Component (p. 83)
• 2.3 Preparing the Dissertation (p. 86)
• 2.3.1 From Outline to Final Draft (p. 86)
• Developing a Concept
• Writing Techniques
• 2.3.2 The Final Product: A First-Rate Doctoral Dissertation (p. 93)
• 2.3.3 The "Electronic Dissertation" (p. 94)
• 2.3.4 Last Steps on the Road Toward Acquiring Your Degree (p. 95)
• 3 Journal Articles (p. 97)
• 3.1 The Scholarly Journal as a Medium of Communication (p. 97)
• 3.1.1 "Publication" as a Concept (p. 97)
• 3.1.2 "Electronic Publication": Its Nature as Defined by Early Manifestations (p. 101)
• The Beginnings
• The Prototype E-Journal: Current Clinical Trials
• Further Ramifications of the Digital Revolution
• Questions of "Permanence"
• The Road Ahead
• Effective and Efficient Acquisition of Information
• The Quest for Knowledge
• 3.1.3 More from the World of Tomorrow (or Today!) (p. 112)
• Professional vs. Private Publication
• The Scene Today
• The Current State of the Electronic "Environment"
• Information Acquisition Today: Search Capabilities
• "Markup" of an Electronic Document
• Authors and Authorship in the Twenty-First Century
• 3.1.4 The Various Types of Journals (p. 129)
• 3.2 Decisions Prior to Publication (p. 132)
• 3.2.1 Publish When? (p. 132)
• 3.2.2 Publish What, and With Whom? (p. 134)
• 3.2.3 Publish In What Form? (p. 139)
• 3.2.4 Publish Where? (p. 141)
• 3.3 The Components of a Journal Article (p. 144)
• 3.3.1 General Observations; Title and Authorship (p. 144)
• 3.3.2 Abstract (p. 146)
• 3.3.3 The Actual Article (p. 148)
• 3.4 Preparing the Manuscript (p. 150)
• 3.4.1 Text (p. 150)
• Introduction
• Matters of Form
• 3.4.2 Formulas and Equations (p. 154)
• 3.4.3 Figures (p. 157)
• A Figure or a Table?
• The Processing of Figures
• Relating Figures to the Accompanying Text
• Miscellaneous Matters
• 3.4.4 Tables (p. 164)
• 3.4.5 Footnotes and Other "Interjections" (p. 165)
• 3.4.6 Special Considerations Applicable to Direct Reproduction (p. 168)
• 3.5 From Manuscript to Publication (p. 169)
• 3.5.1 Publishers and Editors (p. 169)
• Publishing Houses
• Editors and Editing
• 3.5.2 Submitting the Manuscript (p. 174)
• 3.5.3 Manuscript Review (p. 177)
• 3.5.4 Editing, Typesetting, and Page Proofs (p. 180)
• 3.5.5 Proofreading (p. 184)
• The Art of Proofreading
• Marking the Mistakes
• 4 Books (p. 189)
• 4.1 Preliminary Thoughts (p. 189)
• 4.1.1 What Is a Book? (p. 189)
• 4.1.2 Where Do Books Come From? (p. 193)
• 4.1.3 What Are Books For? (p. 197)
• 4.1.4 Collaborating With a Publishing House (p. 204)
• 4.2 Planning and Preparation (p. 208)
• 4.2.1 First Drafts of the Title, Outline, and Preface (p. 208)
• 4.2.2 Sample Chapter (p. 210)
• 4.3 Developing the Manuscript (p. 213)
• 4.3.1 Organizational Considerations (p. 213)
• 4.3.2 Assembling the Background Literature (p. 219)
• 4.3.3 The Structure of the Book (p. 221)
• 4.3.4 Developing the Content (p. 222)
• First Draft
• The "Special Features"
• Revision
• 4.3.5 Final Copy (p. 225)
• Text
• Other Elements
• 4.4 Typesetting and Printing (p. 230)
• 4.4.1 Processing the Manuscript (p. 230)
• 4.4.2 Page-Proof and Galley-Proof Correction (p. 232)
• 4.5 Final Steps (p. 238)
• 4.5.1 Index Preparation (p. 238)
• 4.5.2 Title Pages (p. 248)
• 4.5.3 Binding (p. 251)
• II Materials, Tools, and Methods in Scientific Writing
• 5 Writing Techniques (p. 255)
• 5.1 Introduction (p. 255)
• 5.2 Word Processing and Page Layout (p. 258)
• 5.2.1 Hardware and Operating Systems (p. 258)
• The Personal Computer
• Keyboards
• Miscellaneous Peripheral Components
• Printers
• 5.2.2 Word-Processing and Page-Layout Software (p. 277)
• 5.3 Writing and Formatting with a Computer (p. 281)
• 5.3.1 Becoming Accustomed to Your System (p. 281)
• The Basics
• Mouse Techniques
• Windows and Toolbars
• Text-Window Properties
• Marking (Highlighting)
• Formatting
• Customization
• 5.3.2 The Utilization of Word-Processing Software (p. 294)
• A Writer's Dream Come True
• The Benefits Conferred by Word Processing
• 5.3.3 Advanced Aspects of Text Editing (p. 299)
• Formats, Patterns, Styles, and Templates
• Character Sets
• "Styles"
• AutoText Entries
• Subdivisions
• Anticipating the Need for an Index
• Spell Checking
• Search Operations
• Editing Functions
• 5.4 Digital Data and Electronic Publishing (p. 311)
• 5.4.1 The Digital or Electronic Manuscript (p. 311)
• Basic Considerations
• File Formats
• Structured Markup Systems
• Special Considerations Applicable to Electronic Manuscripts that Require Typesetting
• 5.4.2 Electronic Editing (p. 324)
• Desktop Publishing
• Strategic Considerations
• 5.5 General Formatting Guidelines (p. 331)
• 5.5.1 Text (p. 331)
• Fonts and Units of Measure in Typography
• Specific Type Fonts and Document Formats
• Manuscript Style and Markup
• Headings, Paragraphs, Equations, and Lists
• Footnotes
• 5.5.2 Preparation of Final Copy (p. 348)
• 6 Formulas (p. 351)
• 6.1 Quantities (p. 351)
• 6.1.1 Quantities and Dimensions (p. 351)
• 6.1.2 Derived Quantities and Functions (p. 358)
• 6.1.3 More Regarding Symbols and Their Representation (p. 362)
• 6.1.4 Quantitative Expressions (p. 366)
• 6.2 SI Units (p. 368)
• 6.2.1 Base Units and Derived Units (p. 368)
• 6.2.2 Derived Units and "Supplementary" Units (p. 370)
• 6.2.3 Prefixes, Decimal Points, and Other Stylistic Matters (p. 375)
• 6.3 Special Units in Chemistry (p. 377)
• 6.3.1 "Amount of Substance" and the Mole (p. 377)
• 6.3.2 Molar Quantities and Mixtures of Substances (p. 378)
• 6.4 Numbers and Numerical Data (p. 381)
• 6.5 Working with Formulas and Equations (p. 386)
• 6.5.1 Combining Text with Equations (p. 386)
• 6.5.2 "Stacked" Expressions and "Fragmented" Formulas (p. 388)
• 6.5.3 Indices (p. 390)
• 6.5.4 Frequently Encountered Special Symbols (p. 391)
• 6.5.5 Additional Rules for Writing Formulas (p. 395)
• 6.5.6 Spacing (p. 398)
• 6.6 Programmed Typesetting of Formulas (p. 400)
• 6.6.1 LaTex as a Formula Generator (p. 400)
• 6.6.2 LaTex and Text (p. 408)
• 6.7 MathType and MathML (p. 410)
• 7 Figures (p. 413)
• 7.1 General Considerations (p. 413)
• 7.1.1 Figures and Figure Numbers (p. 413)
• 7.1.2 Figure Captions (p. 515)
• Figure Identifiers and Titles
• Legends
• Miscellaneous Technical Observations
• Legal Matters: The Citation of Figures
• 7.2 Line Art (p. 422)
• 7.2.1 What Is Line Art? (p. 422)
• 7.2.2 The Preparation of Line Drawings (p. 426)
• Useful Equipment
• The Fundamentals
• 7.2.3 Coordinate Diagrams (p. 430)
• Graphic Presentations Based on a Set of Coordinate Axes
• Technical Considerations
• Scaling
• Axis Labels
• 7.2.4 Schematic Drawings and Graphs of Miscellaneous Types (p. 442)
• 7.2.5 Structural Formulas in Chemistry (p. 446)
• 7.3 Drawing With a Computer (p. 449)
• 7.3.1 Overview, and an Introduction to Vector Graphics (p. 449)
• 7.3.2 Miscellaneous Observations (p. 452)
• 7.4 Halftones (p. 454)
• 7.5 Overview of Software Useful in Editing Figures, both Line Drawings and Vector Graphics (p. 458)
• 8 Tables (p. 461)
• 8.1 The Logic Behind a Table (p. 461)
• 8.2 The Significance of a Table (p. 465)
• 8.3 The Form of a Table (p. 468)
• 8.4 The Components of a Table (p. 471)
• 8.4.1 Table Title (p. 471)
• 8.4.2 Table Heading (p. 472)
• Simple Table Heads
• Working with Units
• Structured Table Headings
• 8.4.3 Table Content (p. 476)
• 8.4.4 Table Footnotes (p. 481)
• 8.5 Worksheets, Lists, and Databases (p. 481)
• 8.5.1 Spreadsheets and Worksheets (p. 481)
• 8.5.2 Databases (p. 483)
• 9 Collecting and Citing the Literature (p. 489)
• 9.1 The Acquisition of Information (p. 489)
• 9.1.1 Reading and Evaluating the Professional Literature (p. 489)
• 9.1.2 Effective Use of a Specialized Library (p. 492)
• "Classical" Resources
• The Organization of a Library
• The Library of the Twenty-First Century
• 9.2 Building One's Own Literature Collection (p. 499)
• 9.2.1 An Author Catalogue (p. 499)
• 9.2.2 The Computer-Supported Literature Collection (p. 507)
• 9.3 Citation Techniques (p. 511)
• 9.3.1 Citing and Citations (p. 511)
• 9.3.2 The Numerical System (p. 514)
• 9.3.3 The Name-Date System (p. 516)
• 9.3.4 A Comparison of the Two Systems (p. 519)
• 9.4 The Form of a Citation (p. 520)
• 9.4.1 Standards of Quality (p. 520)
• 9.4.2 Standardization in Citation Practice (p. 523)
• Background
• The Vancouver Convention
• The Current Outlook
• 9.5 Anatomy of a Source Description (p. 527)
• 9.5.1 General Characteristics (p. 527)
• 9.5.2 Sources of Various Types (p. 529)
• Books and Journals
• Miscellaneous Documents and Sources
• Appendices
• A Reference Formats (p. 537)
• B Selected Quantities, Units, and Constants (p. 544)
• C The 20 Commandments of Electronic Manuscripts (p. 547)
• D Conversion Tips (p. 549)
• D.1 Conversions Between the Macintosh and Windows Worlds (p. 549)
• D.2 File Conversions Involving Two Different Layout Programs (p. 550)
• Literature (p. 554)
• Index (p. 560)