Editorial Cite This: J. Chem. Eng. Data 2018, 63, 1849−1850
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Bridging the Generation Gap in Scientific WritingNew Flexibility in Reference Formats
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article in order to get it published. Perhaps it is time for authors to rethink the emphasis on number of publications and make sure that each manuscript contains sufficient new results to weave a clear and convincing story. Overall, the evolution of shorter publications emphasizes the need for carefully worded concise and clear use of the English language (in contrast to the ornate, and arguably verbose, style of Mr. Boyle and others in the 17th and 18th century). Today’s scientific papers, thanks to the evolved format, can be read in different levels of interest (title, abstract, figures and tables, conclusions, and for the fully interested reader, the full text). This has greatly enhanced our ability to decide if we want or need to read a particular article. Unfortunately, it also tempts us to not read the whole article and, along with electronic reference management tools, can lead to a dangerous blurring of the distinction between “knowing the reference” and “having read the reference.” Perhaps the electronic reference management tools will evolve to let authors only cite references that they have actually read! Speaking of references, has the time not finally come for the academics of the world to come together and agree upon one unified style for the cited articles and put an end to the variety of styles? For example: •Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data: Peng, D. Y.; Robinson, D. B. A new two-constant equation of state. Ind. Eng. Chem. Fundam. 1976, 15, 59− 64. •Fluid Phase Equilibria: D.Y. Peng, D.B. Robinson, Ind. Eng. Chem. Fundam. 15 (1976) 59−64. •AIChE Journal: Peng DY, Robinson DB. A new two-constant equation of state. Ind Eng Chem Fundam. 1976;15(1):59−64. •Green Chemistry: D. Y. Peng and D. B. Robinson, Ind. Eng. Chem. Fundam., 1976, 15, 59−64. •Journal of Solution Chemistry: Peng, D.Y., Robinson, D.B.: A new two-constant equation of state. Ind. Eng. Chem. Fundam. 15, 59−64 (1976). The time wasted in academia in reformatting references, and nowadays filling out reference-handling software, is unnecessary, even ridiculous! This is the mindset of the fast-forward new generation who requires not only talent and hard work, but also efficiency in an ever-competing world. Yet, did not they say, back in the old days as well, that time is gold? Unifying the reference format for all scientific journals worldwide, or even for the full portfolio of American Chemical Society publications, would require breaking down amazingly strong and closely held scientific cultural differences. Instead of trying to surmount that challenge, ACS Publications has
e doubt that there is a single one of us who has not heard the “Back in my day...” lecture from our supervisors or lecturers. Perhaps we are even back-in-my-daysayers ourselves! The issue of the generation gap always was, and always will be. And although this problem is perhaps as old as humankind itself, with today’s electronic information revolution, the rapidly increasing generation gap is becoming even more apparent. Therefore, it is time to rethink the older scientific ways. Just as various routes to discovering science are being opened up, widening the horizons of scientific methods of research, so too is the need to widen the discipline of scientific writing and presentation. Since the first scientific journal was published approximately 350 years ago by the first secretary of the Royal Society of London, the academic article has undergone dramatic evolution: the trend, undoubtedly toward more and more structured and rigid formats. This evolution, in its numerous aspects, can be felt easily by a current day academic just by scanning through the first English journal, already starting from the unfamiliar explanations and all-caps style of the journal title “PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS: GIVING SOME ACCOMPT OF THE PRESENT UNDERTAKINGS, STUDIES, AND LABOURS OF THE INGENIOUS IN MANY CONSIDERABLE PARTS OF THE WORLD”. Article titles such as “A Further Account of Mr. Boyle’s Experimental History of Cold”, as well as article texts such as “··· wherein it now concerns the inquiring World take notice that this subject, as it hath hitherto bin almost totally neglected, so it is now, by this Excellent Author, in such a manner handled, and improved by near Two hundred choice Experiments and Observations, that certainly the Curious and Intelligent Reader will in the perusal thereof f ind cause to admire both the Fertility of a Subject, seemingly so barren, and the Author’s Abilities of improving the same to so high a Degree.” are further clarifying examples of how far we have come today in the discipline of scientific writing.1 Furthermore, the abovementioned paper had no separate sections, no references, not even an explicit mention of the author’s name or affiliation. Nowadays, to make the transfer of knowledge more orderly and efficient, the scientific format, article sections, language, etc. are all very rigid, formal, and fit within a very specific framework. However, with the changing (electronic) tools, mindsets, and (academic) approaches of the new generation of scientific researchers, have we reached a point that these trends need to be re-examined, reconsidered, and, perhaps, even ironically reversed or widened in some aspects? For example, today’s researchers tend to publish a larger number of shorter publications (in contrast to, for example, J. Willard Gibbs, who published fewer than 30 peer reviewed articles in his lifetime and whose seminal article “On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances” appeared in two parts of 140 and 177 pages2). More and shorter articles has led to a disturbing trend of the “least publishable unit;” that is, the smallest amount of new information that can be included in an © 2018 American Chemical Society
Published: June 14, 2018 1849
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jced.8b00441 J. Chem. Eng. Data 2018, 63, 1849−1850
Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data
Editorial
introduced “Review-Ready Submission” for all ACS Journals: http://axial.acs.org/2018/02/01/review-ready-submission/. What this means is that authors can submit their manuscripts using whatever format for the references they like, as long as all the information (including titles) is included. Journal specific reference styles will be applied by the journal production team after the journal accepts the paper for publication. The Internet makes it easier to bridge the gaps, and so, while world cultures are inevitably approaching, so too should the generations. Perhaps, instead of rigidly sticking to “Back in my day...”, the time has come to say instead “In this day and age...” We hope that Review-Ready Submission provides one small step in this direction.
Sona Raeissi, Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data School of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Joan F. Brennecke, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data
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McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States
AUTHOR INFORMATION
ORCID
Joan F. Brennecke: 0000-0002-7935-2134 Notes
Views expressed in this editorial are those of the authors and not necessarily the views of the ACS.
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REFERENCES
(1) Oldenberg, H. A Further Account of Mr. Boyle’s Experimental History of Cold, Phil Trans. 1665 1, 146−52. (2) Gibbs, J. W. On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances. Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences 1876− 1878, 3 (108−248), 343−520.
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DOI: 10.1021/acs.jced.8b00441 J. Chem. Eng. Data 2018, 63, 1849−1850
