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Scientific papers and the English language
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Editorial
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SCIENTIFIC PAPERS AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Copyright9 1996 by William E. Jones. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or copied either wholly or in part without permission of the publisher. Subscriptions: P.O. Box 1209, Wildomar, CA 92595; phone (909) 678-1889. U.S. subscription rate $60; Canada and Mexico $70; overseas and libraries $90. Payment must accompany order.
Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (ISSN No. 07370806) is published monthly (12 times a year) by William E. Jones, DVM, PhD, 20225 Grand Ave., Wildomar, CA 92595.Publication postage paid at Lake Elsinore, CA 92530. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Journa/of Equine Veterinary Science, P.O. Box 1209, Wildomar, CA 92595.
Original work published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science is peer-reviewed by two or more referees familiar with the content of the paper. Referees' comments are incorporated into a revised manuscript and reviewed for a second time before publication. Authors are encouraged to obtain a complete copy of "Author's Guidelines." FAX: 909678-1885.
Ii
There was a time when it was very important for English-speaking scientists to learn one or more foreign languages. A general requirement for the PhD degree in the science area has been learning one or more languages so that the candidate could read scientific papers published in other languages. Lately many of the PhD programs have dropped the language requirements and substituted computer language or other new technology courses. While it is still very worthwhile for scientists of any nationality to learn other languages, it has become less critical to English-speaking scientists because the English language has become so widely accepted around the world in commerce, business, and science. The vast majority of scientific papers are now published in English, even in countries where English is not the national language. Japan, for example, publishes Journal of Equine Science (not to be confused with this journal, JEVS) all in English. Because of the trend to publish most scientific papers in English, a hardship is placed on scientists who are not well versed in English. Those of us with English as our first language should be wise enough to realize that perfect English does not equate with good scientific merit, and conversely poor English does not equate with poor scientific merit. Many of the major scientific journals are not interested in reviewing papers with less than perfect English. But our policy at this journal is to go the extra mile with those authors who have taken the time to put their papers into English even though it is not their first language. Not that we are encouraging submission of papers with sloppy English, but we are helping foreign language authors in revising manuscripts for English grammar improvement. As examples, this issue carries two papers written by people who originally struggled to make their English understandable. As you read these papers-- and hopefully you will have difficulty in determining which ones they a r e - - please understand what extra work has been done by the author and our staff to bring you the information therein. William E. Jones, DVM, PhD
Printe~176176176 3 7E Arr~
San Dimas, CA 91773. Phn: 909-592-4419.
2~ I1
I
il I:!i:i:~i::i i:i :i : i ! i! i ]iii i~i i iill~:i EI~ NEii~ii~i~i i i~ii ~!~i!i~ii i!ii iiIi iiliii !i ij,i i i ii ii:ii:i::i:i:iiiiii i i :i i:i i i!i i i :i i:i i i i i i i i i i:i l l il liiiiii ::iiii[i i i:]'i!::~i~iii~~i!]~i ]i~i iii]~i ii ~!i~i ii i i~i ~i i :i~iiii ~:i~i i~ iilii~il ~]: !:ii~i iii~i ~iiii]ii~iiil i~:ii Ill
Editorial
IIIiiiiiiiii~ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~iiii~iiiii!i'~i:i:i!ii~ii~iiiii iii~iiii!i~ii i~i!~!Jiiiiiii~ iiiiiii~~i~ii~i ii~iiiiiiiii!ii!ii!i!iiiii~iiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilII
SCIENTIFIC PAPERS AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Copyright9 1996 by William E. Jones. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or copied either wholly or in part without permission of the publisher. Subscriptions: P.O. Box 1209, Wildomar, CA 92595; phone (909) 678-1889. U.S. subscription rate $60; Canada and Mexico $70; overseas and libraries $90. Payment must accompany order.
Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (ISSN No. 07370806) is published monthly (12 times a year) by William E. Jones, DVM, PhD, 20225 Grand Ave., Wildomar, CA 92595.Publication postage paid at Lake Elsinore, CA 92530. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Journa/of Equine Veterinary Science, P.O. Box 1209, Wildomar, CA 92595.
Original work published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science is peer-reviewed by two or more referees familiar with the content of the paper. Referees' comments are incorporated into a revised manuscript and reviewed for a second time before publication. Authors are encouraged to obtain a complete copy of "Author's Guidelines." FAX: 909678-1885.
Ii
There was a time when it was very important for English-speaking scientists to learn one or more foreign languages. A general requirement for the PhD degree in the science area has been learning one or more languages so that the candidate could read scientific papers published in other languages. Lately many of the PhD programs have dropped the language requirements and substituted computer language or other new technology courses. While it is still very worthwhile for scientists of any nationality to learn other languages, it has become less critical to English-speaking scientists because the English language has become so widely accepted around the world in commerce, business, and science. The vast majority of scientific papers are now published in English, even in countries where English is not the national language. Japan, for example, publishes Journal of Equine Science (not to be confused with this journal, JEVS) all in English. Because of the trend to publish most scientific papers in English, a hardship is placed on scientists who are not well versed in English. Those of us with English as our first language should be wise enough to realize that perfect English does not equate with good scientific merit, and conversely poor English does not equate with poor scientific merit. Many of the major scientific journals are not interested in reviewing papers with less than perfect English. But our policy at this journal is to go the extra mile with those authors who have taken the time to put their papers into English even though it is not their first language. Not that we are encouraging submission of papers with sloppy English, but we are helping foreign language authors in revising manuscripts for English grammar improvement. As examples, this issue carries two papers written by people who originally struggled to make their English understandable. As you read these papers-- and hopefully you will have difficulty in determining which ones they a r e - - please understand what extra work has been done by the author and our staff to bring you the information therein. William E. Jones, DVM, PhD
Printe~176176176 3 7E Arr~
San Dimas, CA 91773. Phn: 909-592-4419.
2~ I1