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 Ph.D. 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 THESE
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.
"ACCORDING 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
INVESTIGATION IN THIS FIELD"
-- I quit.