ABSTRACT
There is some truth to the maxim “publish or perish.” Researchers in the academic world are inevitably judged by the number and quality of their published papers; they are rarely judged by their dexterity in the laboratory, their teaching skills, or their erudition. Moreover, even the most extraordinary experimental results are of little benefit if they fail to reach the appropriate audience. Thus, the preparation and subsequent publication of a scientific paper are as important as the experiments that the paper describes. Without a published account, the value of any results is very limited. However, novices and experienced researchers often approach the writing of papers with considerable apprehension because the task is so different from work in the laboratory and yet so much depends on successful publication in an appropriate journal.
