SHORTHAND AND TYPING FOR THE CHEMIST JAMES KANEGIS Office of Technical S e ~ c e s United , States Deparhnent of Commerce, Washington 25, D. C.
DESPITE recent Russian advances in technology American scientists can still pride themselves on their over-all efficiency and high rate of productivity. This they have achieved in part through emphasis on mechanization, instrumentation, and well-planned time studies. Surprisingly enough, however, while diligently approaching the more complex problems through such practices some of the more mundane and immediate problems about them are. being casually overlooked. One such example involves the English language i& self and improved means for expediting its written expression through typing and a suitable shorthand. -411 attempt is made here to outline some of the reasons why these subjects have been generally neglected by chemists and why they should he taken more seriously in the future. Chemists and other professionals have long felt.that shorthand and typing were nonprofessional skills. This is substantiated by the virtually complete lack of reference to them in the chemical literature. No doubt this attitude originates not only with the chemist himself but with society as well which has relegated these subjects t o the otherwise "uninitiated." The result has been that competence in them has become identified with lack of professional dignity and intellectual capacity. This should not be. Certainly with shorthand, it is common knowledge that individuals of low I.&. show less aptitude and ability in learning and applying it than those of high I.&. Incidentally, both Presidents Madison and Wilson were knomn to be shorthand experts. Both utilized their knowledge most effectively throughout their entire political career. GENERAL ADVANTAGES
Guerard' quite appropriately has assigned ten levels of development to speech. The lowest he has represented as sheerest reflex-characterized by the cry, the groan, or the sigh; the highest as a highly intellertual silencethe language of the mystic. As we have not as yet developed thought transference we can dismiss consideratiou of this tenth level for transmission of ideas, hut all writers, including chemists, may and rightly should aspire to reach some reasonably high level below it. As with speech, so also writing may have its ten levels: with longhand located at some intermediate level, and shorthand and typing nearer the top. As there is every justification for striving to attain the highest possible level in our oral aptitudes so also GUERARR, A. L., Amer. Scholar, 16, 594-5 (April 30, 1945).
should there he equal justification in our writing aptitudes. Shorthand and typing have permanent advantages as well. With typing, for instance, approximately 80% of all those who study it in school apply i t suhsequently in one form or another in their everyday lives. Many chemists find it so useful that, lacking typing knowledge, they belatedly devise a pick-andpeck, two-and-three finger typing system of their own to meet their daily demands. Unfortunately, this often defeats their own best interests because when they later decide to convert t o the more efficient touch typing system they find their "pick-and-peck" reflexes obstinate stumbling blocks. While "old timers" can profit by mastering shorthand and typing, the advantages they offer t o students in particular are even more obvious and pronounced. Lengthier and more carefully conceived lecture notes can he prepared because they will have more time to analyze their teacher's comments. This leads to better subject comprehension and to better grades. 'Teachers gain also, for typed reports are obviously more legible and easier on their nerves. Increased Speed. One of the most obvious advantages of shorthand and typing, of course, is increased writing speed. The time and effort saved are difficult to estimate since they vary considerably among individuals. However, comparing shorthand with longhand on a stroke for stroke basis, and with equal writing proficiency, the former can be expected to cover approximately four times as much material as the latter in the same time. When short forms are used (abbreviated shorthand outlines) this disparity increases still further. Typing, conventional and especially Dvorak (U.S.P. 20402481, offers the chance for a similar speed-up, and obviously with greater legibility. Speeds of sixty to ninety words per minute are very common typing speeds. Easily Applied. Shorthand may be applied as learned; indeed, most authorities urge immediate application along with longhand wherever the opportunity presents itself-during lecture courses, in the laboratory, at the office, or in one's varied assignments. The only limitation is that what shorthand is learned should first be learned thoroughly and application attempted only when it involves no appreciable hesitation. What progress may one expect in shorthand when using this approach? Again estimates are difficult to develop. One authority has suggested that after the first few weeks written notes should average 10%JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
50% shorthand; after some 21 weeks 20yo-70%; and after 31 weeks 20%-90yo, depending largely upon the nature and difficulty of the material to which it is applied. The high percentages noted above arise largely from the fact that so much of our written language involves so few words and phrases. Zoubek2 in making a phrase-frequency count involving diversified business dictation found that some 100 shorthand phrases out of a possible 3500 accounted for 50% of the 33,000 shorthand phrases found therein. This was for a total of 250,000 running words. Unfortunately, while no such study has been made on technical material the probability is that coverage under similar circumstances, with basic technical shorthand phrases suitably developed, might even exceed this 50% figure. Many such phrases would be nontechnical. Easily Learned. The Gregg system of shorthand, now the definite choice among shorthand schools, is actually amazingly similar to longhand-and by its originator's own express plan. For this reason it is unnecessary to undergo any extensive writing reeducation in mastering it. The writing paper is positioned as in normal writing and the same directional strokes and curves are employed. Typing is easily learned, the most important requirements being to develop sufficient finger dexterity and discipline. This is simpler for those who have either developed them through previous finger disciplines, such as piano playing, or who have youth on their side. RickettsS in teaching typing t o eleven children in the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades, was so impressed with their progress that he formally recommended its inclusion in the regular sixth grade curriculum, no higher than the seventh grade. Still another study aspect which should not be neglected is self-instruction. Both subjects, especially typing, are readily self-taught. For the latter, a practice book and typewriter will cover the major needs. One common misconception is that shorthand is harder to learn than longhand, probably based upon an ingrained feeling that any subject taught first is necessarily the easier. Were we to study both a t an early age, however, we might well find that the converse is true in this case. This really would not be surprising for logically shorthand is the simpler of the two, being more phonetic and more coordinated in structure. Nowadays, children are being taught word comprehension not so much through concentration on the alphabet hut on the aggregate word itself. Shorthand words are even more amenable to such an approach for their outlines are not only simpler but are composed of single curvilinear strokes in most instances.
language be raised himself by his own bootstraps nnd automatically improved his intellectual superiority over the other primates. We commonly attribute less intelligence to the latter because they have a smaller and less organized brain. No one can argue this, yet how surprised might we be if we discovered that a very significant additional factor was the absence of a language t o permit expression and development of their thoughts and impressions. This may seem circular since supposedly they have no language because they lack the necessary intelligence. Such reason, however, could he somewhat non sequitur since it represents a considerable oversimplification. We must remember that man makes n very concerted effort to he language conscious. Other animals, for numerous reasons, do not. It would be interesting to pursue this further but to do so would be getting outside the range of this discussion. We might ponder upon the increased "intelligence" a monkey might show, for example, if it could be made to develop enough language ability and consciousness to use it as an intelligent tool. Man himself has become so dep'mdent upon law guage that it appears to permeate his every thought. Even those which are unexpressed are likely to be inextricably intertwined with language. Certainly comprehension of such thoughts (a conscioue act) would appear t o necessitate some implied expression and Santayana was probably correct in his assumpt,ion that speaking to oneself preceded oral (and written) expression. As for reasoning, the next higher level above comprehension, the place for language is more obvious. Mainly man attains his highest level of intelligent thinking or reasoning only by using it as a modus operandi. It systematizes his concepts and thought patterns and assists in their subsequent evolutionary development. The more rapidly the thoughts can be expressed the more rapidly can they evolve to a higher level. Here is where shorthand 'and typing fit admirably. They offer rapidity. They also expedite recall. While nebulous thoughts may seem fully spontaneous, their evolution, development, and intellectual fruition are in large part governed by o w ability a t expressing them. The deeper such thoughts lie in the subconscious, and fainter the intellect's focus on them for the fleeting moment they pass into consciousness, the less can they be nurtured or otherwise clarified. Shorthand and typing will clutch them before they flee. By permitting written retention more in step with the natural temporal development of the thoughts themselves, moreover, they can actually improve the quality of writt,en expression mirroring these thoughts.
AID TO CLEARER THINKING
Many have argued that typing is readily applicable to almost any form of technical expression by the fact that it is almost solely composed of English letters and numbers, but that shorthand is not as a p p l i c a b l e this therefore being the latter's inherent limitation. This is only partly true. Basic shorthand partially answers the needs of most individuals regardless of their specialization. While it is true that the greater the specialization
A momentary digression is needed to emphasize how shorthand and typing can aid clearer thinking. It is not generally realized that when man developed 'LESLIE,L. A,, AND C. E. ZOUBEK, "A List of Changes in the New Grogg Shorthand Manual," Gregg Publishing Co. (Now McGrrtw-Hill Book Co.), New York, 1949. 'RICKE~ M., C.,Balance Sheet, 31, 292 (Maroh, 1950).
VOLUME 35, NO. 9, SEPTEMBER, 1958
SPECIALIZED SHORTHAND
the greater the misfit generally, in the case of chemistry and related sciences there is no misfit since their terminology lends itself admirably to specialized shorthand forms. Such forms are readily developed
roc* uilt
help in studying and applying technical shorthand. As a further illustration of technical shorthand, a balanced chemical reaction manufactured to include many of the commoner chemical elements and groups is vresented in F i ~ u r e2. This reaction has been written in shorthaGd in two ways. Even with no knowledge of shorthand it is apparent that the equation may be written much more rapidly in shorthand than in longhand. In fact the word eouation is written more rapidly than the fomula equation-reversing the longhand relationship between the two.
-7%
/22/ &
f-
283
$, + ! ~ 2 + / / 7 6 *
Figure 2
SUMMARY
The illustrations in Figure 1 exemplify this more clearly. In the case of anhydrides, for example, the theoretical increase in speed for a specialized technical shorthand over conventional shorthand may be threefold, and there seems little doubt that their outlines can be written faster than it is possible to express them. Oddly enough there is more logic behind such short forms than behind the ordinary ones so common to nout,echnical shorthand. This logic would be more apparent to one knowledgeable of chemical terminology than one not so knowledgeable. For this reason it is true that a technical backeronnd can be a ereat 4 E ~ NOTE: ~ ~See ~KANEQIS, ~ ' JAMES, ~ 'Chemical and Teohniosl-Stenography (Gregg System)," 1947, 387 pp. $5. Author's address: 3907 Madison St., Hyattsville, Md.
The importance of typing and shorthand for those contemplating professional careers is not adequately aooreciated bv both orofessionals and educators. A Ieorientation in attituie is clearly indicated. While our school curricula is already overcrowded some means should be found for permitting these subjects to displace others of less universal value. Their application to our daily lives will save considerable time and effort, will lead to increased coverage, and will clarify and broaden thinking. They will lend perspicacity to our reasoning. Typing itself permits preparation of more presentable reports and generally has the intrinsic advantages of shorthand. Both subjects are easily learned and applied and may be self-taught if necessary. Specialized shorthand leads to still higher writing speeds and greater accuracy and should be studied ultimately.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
