Notes on the composition of scientific papers / by T. Clifford Allbutt.

  • Thomas Clifford Allbutt
Date:
1904
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Notes on the composition of scientific papers / by T. Clifford Allbutt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    by a collection of the commoner errors and defects, once for all I were deceived in my hope of bringing about some reformation of the essays, I might at any rate so economise my censures of the manner as to devote myself in future to the matter only. I fondly supposed that these criticisms of form might be put together for the press, as an open letter, in a few afternoons: I was sadly deceived. The task proved to be far heavier than I had anticipated. Moreover, for the humble duty I set before myself I had made no special preparation; I had read no grammars, nor the handbooks of literary artists. The treatise of Mr. Miles on Essay-writing appeared before my manuscript was finished, but by a mischance his volume—though kindly dedicated to me—had failed to reach me. Mr. Cornford's book appeared after my little work was done. Yet I am glad I did not see these books, or others of the kind, lest at the begin- ning I might have been tempted by such bright examples far out of my narrower way. The books of Mr. Miles and of Mr. Cornford are systematic and constructive, they survey the field and the methods of authorship; my hints, if, as I trust, they have some organic unity, are but comments on the more frequent or the more eminent defects of scientific essays, and are as unsystematic and occasional as the defects themselves. I have ob- served no scheme or proportions in my parts but
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