When sentence openers do not vary, the sentences do not seem to connect

1
Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. A cloud
of hot rock and gas surged northward from its
collapsing slope. The cloud devastated more than
500 square kilometers of forests and lakes. The
effects of Mount St. Helens were well
documented with geophysical instruments. The
origin of the eruption is not well understood.
Volcanic explosions are driven by a
rapid expansion of steam. Some scientists believe
the steam comes from groundwater heated by the
magma. Other scientists believe the steam comes
from water originally dissolved in the magma. We
need to understand the source of steam
in volcanic eruptions. We need to determine how
much water the magma contains.
When sentence openers do not vary, the sentences
do not seem to connect
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Vary opener ? vary rhythm
subject-verb prepositional phrase adverb depend
ent clause infinitive phrase
Mount St. Helens erupted on May In minutes, the
mountain emitted Recently, debate has
arisen... Although the exact time of the
eruption surprised scientists, evidence had been
collected... To understand the eruption, we have
to...
3
Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. Its
slope collapsing, the mountain emitted a cloud of
hot rock and gas. In minutes, the cloud
devastated more than 500 square kilometers of
forests and lakes. Although the effects of
the eruption were well documented, the origin is
not well understood. Volcanic explosions are
driven by a rapid expansion of steam. Recently,
debate has arisen over the source for the steam.
Is it groundwater heated by magma or water
originally dissolved in the magma itself? To
understand the source of steam in volcanic
eruptions, we need to determine how much water
the magma contains.
Action Point
Varying sentence openers enlivens the writing and
allows connections.
4
Action Point
The more muddled the original, the more revisions
are needed to streamline it
In our study, we examined the electrical
breakdown of nitrogen in uniform fields. For
these experiments, the electrode gap
distances were typical (1 mm), while the
pressures were relatively high (760 torr).
At high pressures (760 torr) and typical
electrode gap distances (1 mm), the electrical
breakdown of nitrogen was studied in uniform
fields.
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Download from WebCT the excerpt from Pilsik
Chois dissertation.
6
Reviewing Papers for a Journal
Three questions to ask of every manuscript Do
I understand it? Do I believe it? Do I
care?
Skim the paper. What is the "intellectual
plot-line" of the article?
While reading the manuscript, ask yourself, Is
the research question or objective clearly
stated? Is the research question interesting
and important? Is the work original? Has it
missed the literature? Is the work valid?
Are the conclusions supported by the data? Is
the work well presented? Is there a fatal
flaw? Should the journal publish the work?
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What should be in your report
Head any separate documents with the papers
title and other identifying information. Begin
with a brief outline of the paper. Say
something nice about the paper. Major comments
then minor comments. Number them. Dont submit
handwritten edits on the margins of the paper.
Stick to what you know. Dont get personal or
make disparaging comments. Reserve tough-love for
cover letter to the editor. Be courteous and
constructive. Dont allow the best to be the
enemy of the good. Make a recommendation.
There are no bad authors, just bad
manuscripts. Steve Shugan, Editor in Chief,
Marketing Science
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Good Reviews and Bad Reviews A good review is
supportive, constructive, thoughtful, and fair.
It identifies both strengths and weaknesses, and
offers concrete suggestions for improvements. It
acknowledges the reviewer's biases where
appropriate, and justifies the reviewer's
conclusions. A bad review is superficial, nasty,
petty, self-serving, or arrogant. It indulges the
reviewer's biases with no justification. It
focuses exclusively on weaknesses and offers no
specific suggestions for improvement.
9
In the big leagues, even the best hitters
regularly strike out.
A publisher rejected George Orwell's Animal Farm
because "it's impossible to sell animal stories
in the U.S.A."
Paul Samuelson states "Yes, journals have
rejected papers of mine, some of them later
regarded as 'classics.' I used to say, with only
moderate exaggeration, that the quality of papers
of mine at first rejected is not less than the
quality of papers accepted at once." Nobel
Prize Winner 1970
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The Grim Reaper Knocks On All Doors
I presented my paper (on the Duesenberry-Modiglia
ni consumption function) at a 1949 Conference on
Income and Wealth, and then submitted it for
publication to Econometrica. The paper was
returned with a letter rejecting my paper with no
offer to revise and resubmit. As I recall, the
only reason for rejecting the paper was that in
his view these were no times for formulating
ingenious new hypotheses, the important issue of
the time being to pursue better estimation
methods recognizing problems of simultaneity. By
contrast, my paper used single equation methods."
Franco Modigliani, Nobel Prize Winner 1985
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The Market for Lemons
"I submitted it in June, 1967 to the American
Economic Review. I got a reply from the editor
which said that the article was interesting but
the American Economic Review did not publish such
trivial stuff." The article next went to the
Journal of Political Economy. Again it was
rejected. Akerlof kept trying. "I next sent the
article to the Review of Economic Studies. I had
been urged by one of its co-editors to do that.
Instead it went to another editor whose view of
'The Market for 'Lemons" was decidedly less
favorable. It was rejected on the grounds again
that it was 'trivial.' Finally I sent it to the
Quarterly Journal of Economics which accepted it
with some degree of enthusiasm." Akerlof
believes that journal editors refused the article
both because they feared the introduction into
economics of informational considerations and
...they also almost surely objected to the style
of the article which did not reflect the usual
solemnity of economic journals." George
Akerlof, Nobel Prize Winner 2001
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The Kindest Cut of All
"We have read your manuscript with boundless
delight. If we were to publish your paper, it
would be impossible for us to publish any work of
lower standard. And as it is unthinkable that in
the next thousand years we shall see its equal,
we are, to our regret, compelled to return your
divine composition, and to beg you a thousand
times to overlook our short sight and timidity."
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Elements of a Curriculum Vitae (CV) Elements of a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Personal information Name, address, area code, telephone number, and e-mail address. Your name should be at the top center of the page in bold print. List both your office address and your home address, along with both phone numbers.
Educational history List every postsecondary school you have attended, with your major, degree, date of completion (or expected date), the titles of your theses and dissertations, and the chairs of your advisory committees. Also list minors, subfields, and any honors youve received.
Professional experience All teaching or research positions youve held should go here.
Dissertation Abstract Include list of committee members.
Teaching and research interests Generally, these will be two separate categories.
Refereed Publications Give citations materials pending publication, which should be marked as forthcoming.
Papers under submission What stage of review (revised and resubmitted,)
Working Papers Title and authors with journal to which they are targeted.
Papers presented Give titles of professional presentations, name of conference or event, and dates and location.
Projects under way Here you can describe any research projects recently conducted or currently in progress. Include the type of research, the purpose of the project, etc.
Grants For each grant, include the name of the grant, the name of the granting agency, the date received, and the title or purpose of the research project.
Academic service Include the names of all committees youve served on and a description of each academic service position youve held.
Memberships List all national, regional, state, or local professional organizations to which you belong, with dates of membership.
References Between two and four people with full addresses.
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Top Ten List of What Search Committees are
Searching For?
10. Will you finish your dissertation before
arriving on campus? 9. Can you publish in the
major journals? 8. Can you tell a research story
that they can remember when asked at a faculty
meeting a week after the interview? 7. Do you
recognize a good research project when you see
it? A not so good one? 6. Do you generate good
projects on your own? 5. Do you fit a recognized
need? 4. Would you add intellectual vitality? 3.
Could you (eventually) handle a classroom filled
with MBAs? 2. Will the profession say, Wow!
when they hear of your hiring? 1. Would they
have fun lunching with you for the rest of their
careers?