Writing boring papers

Advice from Kai Sand-Jensen:

1. Avoid focus: introduce a multitude of questions and ideas
2. Avoid originality and personality: use no enthusiasm or excitement
3. Write l o n g contributions: respect the 16 page minimum
4. Remove most implications and every speculation: stick to the facts
5. Leave out illustrations, particularly good ones: do not use them
6. Omit necessary steps of reasoning: prevent communication with ordinary people
7. Use many abbreviations and technical terms: jargon is your friend
8. Suppress humour and flowery language: science is puritanical, serious, reputable
9. Degrade nature to statistical elements: ignore process, systems, and causality
10. Quote numerous papers for self-evident statements: they take up valuable space

“we desperately need more accessible and readable scientific contributions to attract bright new scientists and produce integrated understanding”