《How to Write a Successful Science Thesis》2006年由德国Wiley-VCH出版社(德国应用化学会志的出版社)出版。
p. 38. 说到一段话里面句子和意思的起承转合。"The first sentence in every paragraph warrants special sttention. One of its principal functions is to let the reader know what the ensuing discussion is about, for which reason it is often referred to as the "topic sentence". The corresponsing topic is then pursued in sentences that immediately follow, with the final sentence in the paragraph so crafted that it supplies a bridge to the next paragraph.”
p. 91.说到写结果部分要"tell a story",不要报数据。"Establish the objective of 'telling a story', with a beginning, a gradual unfolding, and a 'happy end', and encourage each thread to envolve naturally from the one preceding it; make sure, incidentally, that episodes related to sideshows (because they have little to do with the central message) are readily recognized as such--or else omitted altogether."
p. 94.说到写结果部分,说什么话,都是要有目的的,不能为了堆数据而堆数据。"Finally, make your objectives clear to the reader throughout your exposition. Don't be one of those writers who seem intent on spewing forth a relentless torrent of isolated facts. Maintain a consistent focus on your goals."
p. 98.说到不必根据真实的实验顺序来描述和讨论数据,而是要有全局观点,想我要反映什么观点,达到什么目的,“卖”什么东西,然后“整理”出一个“故事”来,出的每一张牌都围绕着这个观点。"As you organize your thoughts, make a conscious effort to distance yourself from the actual chronology of the research experience. Experimental work is by definition a journey into the unknown, fraught with detours and dead ends, but all such obstacles are basically irrelevant from a scientific standpoint. Look upon your dissertation--as you would any other research report--not as a memoir documenting and explaining your every activity, but instead as a proclamation of a set of new insights. How you achieved your results may perhaps play some role in your mentor's appraisal of your efforts, but otherwise it will be of interest only to the extent that certain intimate details may be critical from a methodological standpoint."
p. 102说到在讨论部分的结尾该如何使用画龙点睛之笔。"Near the end of your discussion you may want to be bold and suggest interesting avenues for future exploration: promising approaches to resolving remaining uncertainties, ideas for broadening the scope of a methodology you have developed, or ways of possibly refining your results. If so, be sure the suggestions you make are concrete... Of paramount concern in a Discussion is setting your findings in the proper perspective, which entails emphasizing--just as you presumably will in the abstract as well--the novelty and significance of your accomplishments."
我并没有说原创性和做实验不重要,我从来也没有说过。至于原创性、做实验和写作哪个更重要更是不值得讨论,因为这全是“假命题”、“文字游戏”,你说哪个不重要?
那么有人问我为什么选择性地在博客“强调”写作方法而不是实验方法?我要说在博客里面写什么都是博主的自由:一则,博主总是写体会深的东西;二则,写具体的实验内容,由于专业不一样,观众还看不懂呢;三则,如果写未发表的东西,岂不是构成泄密?
其实,当博主在介绍写作方法的时候,早就有“隐含的”假设前提(assumption)在里面了,那就是原创性和实验数据也重要的,用中学语文老师的话说:破棉花胎怎么能织成皮夹克?但是,为什么博主不把这些“隐含的”假设前提说出来呢?我的回答是:这是常识,这还需要说吗?不信的话大家看看网上一则关于如何写科研经费申请书的资料,上面有介绍怎么做实验吗?上面有介绍怎么购买、搭建仪器,怎么招研究生吗?不同的文章侧重点不一样,当然都有隐含的假设前提,不能想当然说文章说了什么就代表其它都不重要。http://www2.hrbust.edu.cn/xueyuan/guanli/upload/200911312579.pdf
如果有人说我的关于科研写作的介绍误导了研究生,那我说:那是他自己的事情。河南有很多少林寺武术学校,大多数人练了功夫强身健体,成为警察保安,而少数人练了功夫走火入魔,成为飞檐走壁的坏人,这是练功的人自己的本质问题,和少林功夫没有关系。
至于有人说有的人风气不好,专门把文献漏引或引在角落里面,并恶意夸大成果。那我要说,这和我介绍的东西有什么关系?不能因为星宿老怪使用歪门邪功而否定降龙十八掌吧?