3 ms·
Actually, when reading papers, I find the ‘communication’ parts to have the least value. It’s probably just me, but I try to skip over those parts because they
by afpx 8y ago
Actually, when reading papers, I find the ‘communication’ parts to have the least value. It’s probably just me, but I try to skip over those parts because they tend to bias and frame the results. I want to understand the intent, strategy, methodology, math, models, data, outcomes, etc. but not editorializing. Plus, many good scientists aren’t necessarily experts at prose or communication, anyway. Why can’t the communication parts be provided as addendum?
For people who work in private R&D, like me, we try to keep lab notebooks so that we have records of pretty much everything imagined or tried, warts and all. Sure, it can seem haphazard, unformatted, and not packaged for general consumption. But, it’s meant for collegues anyway, and it fits the purpose.
As for your last paragraph, I totally empathize with your frustrations. But, those seem to be more structural issues with the economics and politics of science and the academies. I certainly would love to see change there, as well. I wish research could be funded in different ways. But, as a consumer of research, I can only really describe my particular use cases.
- radarsat1 8y agoWhat I mean by "communication" is what you describe as "the intent, strategy, methodology, math, models, data, outcomes." What do you mean by editorializing? If you mean discussing implications on existing theories, I think this can be done badly or done well (like all parts of a paper.) But when doing research it's important to read follow-ups and rebuttals. We can't forget that science is a process, an on-going discussion. It's not a single result or paper.
- afpx 8y agoI think many readers (science journalists, in particular) only read the abstract, introduction, and then immediately jump to the conclusions. The introduction section almost always frames the paper with opinions and biases. And, the conclusion section often focuses too heavily on how great the results are (and the author’s prowess) without identifying interesting issues or irregularities encountered in the methodology, data, or outcomes. I get that publishing is a huge part of a scientist’s career success and for self-promotion, but I see many papers that over emphasize those aspects. Again, I don’t fault them. One can’t easily get funding without a reputation. But, in my idealized (and probably unrealistic) world it would be different. I do want to stress that I’m not complaining. What I have access to is amazing. But, sometimes I wish I could see it all.