1. A bat and ball together cost $1.10, and the bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much is the ball? A puzzle:

2. A bat and ball together cost $1.10, and the bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much is the ball? Answer: 10 cents? A puzzle:

3. A bat and ball together cost $1.10, and the bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much is the ball? Answer: 10 cents? no... 5 cents!! (Frederick, 2002) A puzzle:

4. A bat and ball together cost $1.10, and the bat costs $1.05. How much is the ball? A different puzzle:

5. The human mind is easily led into error or mis-interpretation It is not only the content of the information that matters “Framing Effects” (Daniel Kahneman, Princeton University)‏ Nobel Prize, 2002

6. The Nature editor?

7. The Nature editor Howy Jacobs EMBO Reports

8. Key questions Why is this being done? What's the issue? What is known, and unknown? What does this paper report? What advance? How significant is this? Why have they sent this to ME?

9. The Bottom Line Does this paper (if it is technically sound) report a significant advance of the kind that would interest a wide range of scientists across many fields? Who will care and why? Editors at other journals have similar questions, for their own journal's audience.

10. How you write matters It won't get bad papers published, but... bad writing may get good papers rejected

11. Good writing strings together simple, specific statements to build more complex arguments. It never loses sight of the main point‏ Style is “having something to say and saying it clearly”!! Writing has a purpose:

12. Watson & Crick First paragraph:

13. Watson & Crick Second paragraph:

14. Watson & Crick Third paragraph:

15. Watson & Crick Fourth paragraph:

16. Simple overall structure: 1. We propose a structure for DNA 2. A structure proposed by X doesn't work because... 3. A structure proposed by Y also fails 4. We propose a structure with helical chains etc. (gives details)‏ 5. This structure is open...

17. How to achieve? Topic sentences One sentence of a paragraph should state the main point; this is called the “topic sentence” and is usually the first sentence. Other sentences in the paragraph support or explore the point made by this topic sentence.

18. A scientific paper shouldn't be... a puzzle

20. http://www.writeaboutscience.com buchanan.mark@gmail.com