Keep This Book In A Safe Place! A review of "Eloquent Science"

For my work as a teacher of scientific English, I have a shelf full of textbooks, manuals, and references. But one book is never there when I need it: "Eloquent Science" (Schultz 2009). This is because my wife takes it. Without asking.

Yes, even though Ania’s first language is Polish, and the book is in English, she takes it. And, even though she’s a veterinary scientist, and the subtitle of the book is “A practical guide to becoming a better writer, speaker and atmospheric scientist”, she leaves it on her desk or in her bag. Without telling me where it is, of course.

So I went to my wife and said, “Why are you always stealing my book?”

Things got exciting. Anyway, after a serious talk about how married couples share (I nodded), we got to the part you want to hear about. Ania told me that Schultz covers all aspects of writing research articles, plus posters, presentations and how to write reviews of other scientist’s papers. He writes clearly and briefly, with many lists and tables, so you don’t have to spend unnecessary time reading.

Are you using your favorite word incorrectly? (Other misuses of “parameter”)

The word parameter has been corrupted. Originally, it was just a mathematical term, but now it’s used in a vague way by the general public (Burchfield 2000, 570). Politicians and journalists love to talk about “the parameters of a situation” — it sounds so scientific! However, even a basic introduction to statistics for people who are afraid of mathematics will warn you that this is not the correct technical usage of the word (Rowntree 2000, 83).

Unfortunately, imprecise usage of the word parameter has infected the scientific world. In my last post, I explained what a parameter is and how it's different from a variable. But parameter is also confused with other words. For example, after reading that post, Mariusz Kowalewski of the University of Zurich emailed me that he often sees people writing parameter when they mean factor. (Thanks, Mariusz, for pointing this out.)

Are you using your favorite word incorrectly? ("Parameter" or "variable"?)

Parameter. It’s a word that sounds impressive. And you can find it everywhere in the scientific literature. Scientists describe the parameters of a sample, list diagnostic parameters, and even calculate the parameters of various shapes. The word just feels good — don’t you feel like a serious scientist when you write “parameter” or dream of telling a plenary session of your peers that you have pinpointed the parameters of a problem?

But do you really, precisely know what parameter means in English? Have you noticed that the word parameter is used differently in high-impact journals and low-impact journals? Have you read what the Council of Biology Editors (now the Council of Science Editors) has written about the correct usage of “parameter” and “variable” (Council of Biology Editors 1994, 115)?

Before we go any further, take a moment to write down or tell yourself precisely what you think parameter means in English. (Hint: None of the examples above are correct.)