Thumbing Scientific Papers

A rather eye-catching paper was posted on the ChemRank site recently entitled: How to write consistently boring scientific literature. The paper is a parody on the art of writing a research paper by biologist Kaj Sand-Jensen of the University of Copenhagen. And begins, “Although scientists typically insist that their research is very exciting and adventurous when they talk to laymen and prospective students, the allure of this enthusiasm is too often lost in the predictable, stilted structure and language of their scientific publications. I present here, a top-10 list of recommendations for how to write consistently boring scientific publications. I then discuss why we should and how we could make these contributions more accessible and exciting.” Are you enticed by Sand-Jensen’s intro? Me neither. It just seems it would be as terse and as inaccessible to a lay reader as any of the papers he parodies. You can give it the thumbs up or the thumbs down on ChemRank.