Dear Novice Writer,

When I was in your shoes and preparing my first paper, I consulted a book on how to write. I found there a sentence encouraging the reader to stand in boiling water for an hour before doing the analysis:

I had a pretty good idea of what was wrong with the sentence but, at the time, I couldn't figure out how to revise it, and the author didn't tell me. Now I can. If, an hour later, you are still alive:

So, in this book, every unfortunate example is followed by an improved version. Good examples are provided with appropriate bibliographic references. Bad ones, however, are presented with references expunged.

Some examples were taken from manuscripts in preparation, presented by participants in my courses on scientific writing. I have been holding such courses for doctoral (Ph.D.) students in medicine since 1980. Other specimens are from manuscripts submitted for publication.They were collected when I served as an editor of Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica from 1986 to 1994. Yet others are from published material.

From class discussions I have learned what candidates want to know. Based on this information, some chapters are more detailed than others, such as the one on how to prepare graphs.