A Key to Scientific Research Literature Lingo

to describe data distributions, error analysis, and confidence intervals

Not Voodoo Home / Comments?

1. It has long been known that...

I haven't bothered to look up the original reference, but...

2. Of great theoretical and practical importance
Interesting to me
3. While it has not been possible to provide answers to these questions...
The experiment didn't work out but I figured I could at least get a publication out of it
4. The W-Fb System was chosen as especially suitable to show the predicted behavior
The fellow in the next lab had some already made up
5. Three of the samples were chosen for detailed study
The results on the others didn't make sense
6. Accidentally strained during mounting
Dropped on the floor
7. Handled with extreme care throughout the experiment
Not dropped on the floor
8. Typical results are shown
The best results are shown
9. Agreement with the predicted curve is:
excellent
good
satisfactory
fair


fair
poor
doubtful
imaginary

10. It is suggested that...
It is believed that...
It may be that...
I think that...
11. It is generally believed that...
A couple of other guys think so too
12. It is clear that much additional work will be required before a complete understanding...
I don't understand it...
13. Unfortunately, a quantitive theory to account for these results has not been formulated
Neither does anybody else
14. Correct within an order of magnitude...
Wrong
15. Thanks are due to Joe Glots for assistance with the experiment and to John Doe for valuable discussion...
Glots did the work and Doe explained what it meant

(Original souce: unknown)