WRITING PHYSICS WRITING PHYSICS PAPERS 101, Lecture notes of Physics

Download WRITING PHYSICS WRITING PHYSICS PAPERS 101 and more Lecture notes Physics in PDF only on Docsity!

J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results

WRITING PHYSICS

WRITING PHYSICS

PAPERS

PAPERS

Publish or Perish

J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results

reading about physics writing

reading about physics writing

ƒ ƒ

M. Alley, M. Alley,

The craft of scientific writing The craft of scientific writing, 3

, 3

rdrd

Ed., Ed.,

Springer New York, 1996. Springer New York, 1996.

ƒ ƒ

B. Goss Levi: B. Goss Levi:

Some simple rules of writing

Some simple rules of writing

http://www.research.att.com/kbl/APS/dec97/rules.html http://www.research.att.com/kbl/APS/dec97/rules.html

ƒ ƒ

D. D. Mermin

Mermin:

:

What What’

’s wrong with this prose?

s wrong with this prose?

Physics Physics Today

Today, May 1989, p.

, May 1989, p.

ƒ ƒ

D. D. Mermin

Mermin,

,

What What‘

‘s

s

wrong wrong with

with these

these equations

equations?

?

Physics Physics Today

Today,

, October

October 1989, p.

1989, p.

ƒ ƒ

D. D. Mermin

Mermin:

:

Writing physics Writing physics

http://www.lassp.cornell.edu/~cew2/KnightLecture.html http://www.lassp.cornell.edu/~cew2/KnightLecture.html

J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results

WHY ARE WE WRITING

WHY ARE WE WRITING

PAPERS?

PAPERS?

J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results

ƒ ƒ

To communicate our original, interesting, and useful To communicate our original, interesting, and useful

research research

ƒ ƒ

To let others know what we are working on (and that we To let others know what we are working on (and that we

are working at all) are working at all)

ƒ ƒ

To organize our thoughts To organize our thoughts

ƒ ƒ

To formulate our research in a comprehensible way To formulate our research in a comprehensible way

ƒ ƒ

To secure further funding To secure further funding

ƒ ƒ

To further our careers To further our careers

ƒ ƒ

To make our publication lists look more impressive To make our publication lists look more impressive

ƒ ƒ

To have fun? To have fun?

ƒ ƒ

Because we believe someone is going to read it!!! Because we believe someone is going to read it!!!

J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results

Hard

Hard

science journals

science journals

Physical Reviews series

Physical Reviews series

9 9

Physical Review A Physical Review A

pra.aps.org pra.aps.org

atomic, molecular, and optical physics atomic, molecular, and optical physics

9 9

Physical Review B Physical Review B

pr pr

b b

.aps.org .aps.org

condensed matter and materials physics condensed matter and materials physics

9 9

Physical Review C Physical Review C

pr pr

c c

.aps.org .aps.org

nuclear physics nuclear physics

9 9

Physical Review D Physical Review D

pr pr

d d

.aps.org .aps.org

particles, fields, gravitation and cosmology particles, fields, gravitation and cosmology

9 9

Physical Review E Physical Review E

pr pr

e e

.aps.org .aps.org

statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics

9 9

Physical Review Letters (PRL) Physical Review Letters (PRL)

pr pr

l l

.aps.org .aps.org

breakthroughs in all areas breakthroughs in all areas

9 9

Reviews of Modern Physics Reviews of Modern Physics

rmp rmp

. .

aps.org aps.org

reviews in all areas reviews in all areas

J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results

Applied Physics Series

Applied Physics Series

9 9

Journal of Journal of Applied

Applied Physics

Physics

jap.aip jap.aip

.org .org

Applied

Applied Physics

Physics Letters

Letters

apl.aip apl.aip.org

.org

J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results

Nature and Science

Nature and Science

Nature Nature

http:// http://

www.nature.com www.nature.com

Science

Science

http:// http://

www.sciencemag.org www.sciencemag.org

J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results

Soft

Soft

science journals

science journals

9 9

Physics Today Physics Today

www.physicstoday.org www.physicstoday.org

official journal of APS, good review articles and official journal of APS, good review articles and

reseach reseach

newsnews

9 9

Physics World Physics World

physicsweb.org physicsweb.org

Institute of Physics, good review articles Institute of Physics, good review articles

9 9

Scientific American Scientific American

www.sciam.com www.sciam.com

popular science articles popular science articles

9 9

American Journal of American Journal of Physics

Physics

ojps.aip.org ojps.aip.org

/ /

ajp ajp

pedagogical pedagogical

physics physics

research research

articles articles

J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results

Nature

Science

Rev. Mod. Phys.

Adv. Phys.

Phys. Rep.

Phys. Rev. Lett.

Nucl. Phys. B

Phys. Today

Phys. Rev. D

Appl. Phys. Lett.

Phys. Rev. B

Phys. Rev. A

Phys. Rev. C

Phys. Rev. E

J. Appl. Phys.

EPJ E

EPJ B

ISI 2002 impact factors of selected

physics journals

J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results

Citations

Citations

how

how

much

much

is

is

your

your

article

article

really

really

worth

worth

isi6.isiknowledge.com isi6.isiknowledge.com

SPIRES HEP reference search:

www-library.desy.de/spires/hep/

J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results

STRUCTURE OF A PHYSICS

STRUCTURE OF A PHYSICS

ARTICLE

ARTICLE

J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results

Short letters

Short letters

PRL, APL, rapid communications,

PRL, APL, rapid communications,

4 pages

4 pages

Title Title

Abstract Abstract

Homogeneous body includes introduction Homogeneous body includes introduction

and acknowledgments and acknowledgments

4 figures 4 figures

At most paragraph titles At most paragraph titles

J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results

Title

Title

informative, catchy, concise

informative, catchy, concise

Semicolons? Semicolons?

Why not, if it helps, though some consider

Why not, if it helps, though some consider

them bad taste. them bad taste.

J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results J. F. Presentation of Scientific Results

Abstract

Abstract

concise, direct, informative

concise, direct, informative

Passive or active voice? Passive or active voice?

I prefer passive, though in longer abstracts I prefer passive, though in longer abstracts

an occasional active assertion may be an occasional active assertion may be

enlivening. enlivening.

Abstracts are now more important than ever due to the increasing large number of

articles. One cannot read all the papers in each issue of PRL, not even in ones

own field. Abstracts should state major findings, even some specifics (numbers, formulas showing basic trends).