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Re: JDM on Negus.
Elaine Morgan (Elaine@desco.demon.co.uk)
Fri, 22 Sep 1995 16:11:28 GMT
In article: <43sr7g$1n7@henson.cc.wwu.edu> n8010095@cc.wwu.edu (Phillip
Bigelow) writes:
>
>> Simply change your present style of writing, and quote accurately,
quote
> voluminously, and give full science-journal-style references (along
with
> page numbers).
I do this, as anybody else does, when I am writing for the professional
journals. The professional journals are not interested in publishing
papers on AAT. They have taken a couple of papers from me on non-related
subjects. One of the peer-review comments I have had to respond to is
please give a longer bibliography. Okay. I give a longer bibliography.
Not because the references are necessary ; they are not needed to
establish any data in the paper. They are just a part of the house style.
They are to say,"Look what a lot of books I've read".And people like to
see themselves quoted. The peer reviewers also like the style to be
sesquipedalian and passive-voiced and not too easily accessible, to
demonstrate that the writer is one of us and can talk the lingo. I can
talk it if I have to, but I wish I never had to. When I am writing
books I don't have to, any more than S<J,Gould when he is writing books.
You are underestimating the voracity of your own
> non-specialist audience.
>
Before it even gets to the non-specialist audience it has to pass the
publisher. Most publishers seeing an MS peppered with detailed citations
and references do not believe there will be a market for that kind of
stuff. They don't think a potential reader leafing through it will decide
to skip bits: they think they will decide to leave it on the shelf. They
may be right.
Elaine
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