Guest guest Posted March 13, 2000 Report Share Posted March 13, 2000 >The following list of phrases and their definitions might help >you understand the mysterious language of science and >medicine. These special phrases are also applicable to anyone >reading a PhD dissertation or academic paper. > >"IT HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN"... I didn't look up the original >reference. > >"A DEFINITE TREND IS EVIDENT"... These data are practically >meaningless. > >"WHILE IT HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE DEFINITE ANSWERS TO >THE QUESTIONS"... An unsuccessful experiment, but I still hope >to get it published. > >"THREE OF THE SAMPLES WERE CHOSEN FOR DETAILED STUDY"... The >other results didn't make any sense. > >"TYPICAL RESULTS ARE SHOWN"... This is the prettiest graph. > >"THESE RESULTS WILL BE IN A SUBSEQUENT REPORT"... I might get >around to this sometime, if pushed/funded. > >"IN MY EXPERIENCE"... Once > >"IN CASE AFTER CASE"... Twice > >"IN A SERIES OF CASES"... Thrice > >"IT IS BELIEVED THAT"... I think. > >"IT IS GENERALLY BELIEVED THAT"... A couple of others think >so, too. > >"CORRECT WITHIN AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE"... Wrong. > >"ACCORD1NG TO STATISTICAL ANALYSIS"... Rumor has it. > >"A STATISTICALLY-ORIENTED PROJECTION OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF >THESE FINDINGS"... A wild guess. > >"A CAREFUL ANALYSIS OF OBTAINABLE DATA"... Three pages of >notes were obliterated when I knocked over a glass of beer. > >"IT IS CLEAR THAT MUCH ADDITIONAL WORK WILL BE REQUIRED BEFORE >A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF THIS PHENOMENON OCCURS"... I don't >understand it > >"AFTER ADDITIONAL STUDY BY MY COLLEAGUES"... They don't >understand it either. > >"THANKS ARE DUE TO JOE BLOTZ FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THE >EXPERIMENT AND TO CINDY ADAMS FOR VALUABLE DISCUSSIONS"... Mr. >Blotz did the work and Ms. Adams explained to me what it >meant. > >"A HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT AREA FOR EXPLORATORY STUDY"... A totally >useless topic selected by my committee. > >"IT IS HOPED THAT THIS STUDY WILL STIMULATE FURTHER >1NVESTIGATION IN THIS FIELD"... I quit. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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