Writing Tips: First Impressions- Titles, Abstracts, and Cover Letters

manuscript_titles

For 17 years as an editor, I had the pleasure of reading great manuscripts and the pain of reading poorly presented ones. The first parts of the manuscript that the editor sees are the title, abstract, and cover letter. So, it is essential to devote time and effort to crafting these with both the expert … Read more

Writing Tips: Words to Avoid

alternatives_to_regulates

The Importance of Precision One of the most common issues I encounter as an editor is the use of imprecise verbs in scientific research. It is possible that the author cannot be more precise, because the experiments have not been done to determine how the change occurred or because the conditions may produce diverse outcomes. … Read more

TGF-β and Wnt Signaling Challenge the Concept of ‘a’ Pathway

many-pathways

Researchers commonly refer to the molecular and biochemical events that occur in response to extracellular signals as pathways. There is a tendency to lump a related set of pathways into a general overarching pathway. For example, researchers may refer to the TGF-β pathway or the Wnt pathway. These are no more individual pathways than the … Read more