72 BIOCHEMICAL EDUCATION October 1975 Vol. 3 No. 4

is irretrievable and its appropriateness can increase or decrease his cumulative score. Since there is a tendency to deny one had made a certain choice if its outcome proves undesirable, a response to each choice is printed beside it as a latent image. Having made a specific choice, the student reveals the response with an image developer, which incidentally records that he has made that choice by staining the paper. The responses may include any combination of information, non-information, directions, implicit approval or explicit disapproval. Typical laboratory and clinical sections of the problem are appended.

The student is not required to submit the completed problem for scoring unless he so wishes. However, he must show that he has at least attempted it to gain admission to a small group tutorial class in which residual difficulties are resolved and the role of biochemistry in explaining the symptomatology of the disease, as well as in its diagnosis and rational treatment are reinforced.

Preliminary testing of this problem has shown, as might be expected, that even those students who have completed a medically-

orientated biochemistry course do not perform quite as well as clinicians, although some of the latter are more inclined to diagnostic "overkill". However, such students compare favourable with basic scientists in their ability to recall or search out factual information and to devise effective diagnostic strategies. An adequately controlled study will be needed to determine whether the students' enthusiasm for this learning mode is associated with objective gains in biochemical understanding and decision-making skills.

REFERENCES Clinical Simulations: Selected Problems in Patient Management.

ed. C. H. McGuire and L. M. Solomon, Meredith Corporation, N.Y., 1971.

z Handbook of Written Simulations. C. H. McGuire, L. M. Solomon and P. G. Bashook. Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovish. N.Y. in press.

ELSIE: SECTIONJ

In view of what you've just found, you would NOW expect, in the same specimen, (an) abnormal amount(s) of (MAKE UP TO 7 CHOICES):

J.1. CzHsCHCOCOOH

CH3

J.2. Cystathionine

J.3. p-OH.CeH4.CH2.COCOOH

J.4. S-adenosyihomocysteine

J.t. Carnosine

J.6. SCHzCHzCHNH2COOH

SCH2CHzCHNHzCOOH

J.7. Cobalamine

J.1. Absent.

J.2. Low.

J.E. Absent.

J.4. Technique for measuring this is not available in Lab.

J.5. Normal. (But why would you be interested in a dipeptide of alanine and histidine?)

J.6. High.

J.7. Normal.

After having considered the answer(s) to your choice(s)

TURN TO SECTION L

Writing a Scientific Paper By Vernon Booth. 3rd edi t ion, 1975. Pp 26, pape rback . Avai lable f rom the Biochemical Society (Publ icat ions) , P .O. Box 32, Commerce Way, Colchester , CO2 8HP, Essex, U.K. £0.50 or U.S. $1.50 including postage. Special d iscounts are offered to b o n a fide s tuden t bodies or depar t - men t s wishing to purchase in quant i ty 11-20 copies, less 10%, 21-30 less 20%, 31-.50 less 30% and 51 or more copies, less 40% discount . Remi t t ance to accompany all orders .

In 1970 Vernon Booth was awarded the F'wst Prize in a com- petition organized by Koch-Light Laboratories Ltd., Colnbrook, Bucks., U.K. His article 'Writing a Scientific Paper' was printed first in 1971, and 10,000 copies were distributed freely by Koch- Light. A Second Edition was prepared by Dr. Booth and distributed privately. Copies of the First and Second Editions are no longer in print but requests for them have not ceased. Hence this Third Edition, which has been extensively revised.

The main purpose of the booklet is to help research students and scientists avoid faults rather than to replace editorial directions which are issued by Journals. Its most important sections are those dealing with literary style and pitfalls. Dr. Booth advises us that we

should often ask ourselves "Would a reader whose first language is not English understand what I have written?" He recommends the use of ordinary words, simple constructions and short sentences. Avoid beginning a sentence with a long qualifying phrase and do not pile up noun adjectives ("albino rat liver xanthine oxidase activity"). Cut out needless words and phrases such as "It is worth pointing out in this context t h a t . . . " . Make every word count but beware of using the wrong word such as intensive for intense, varying for various, efficient for effective. Watch for the catch of a wrongly attached participle ("After standing in boiling water for an hour, examine the flask."). Another catch is that some wor.ds in English are reversing their meaning. Quite is an example. "His method is quite good" means it is less good than good, while "a certain amount" usually means an imprecisely known amount. There is useful advice on punctuation, headings, abbreviations, tense, organisation of the paper and preparation of the typescript, etc.

The Biochemical Society has done a useful service in ensuring that this booklet is kept available. All those about to write a thesis or their first paper would do well to get a copy. The contents of this booklet will also be found in Biochemical Society Transactions, 1975, 3, 1-26. Don't write to the Author for a free reprint. He has none.

B. A. I~lby