Effective Writing in Psychology. Bernard C. Beins
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To Linda, Simon, Jenny, Evie, and Julian, our wonderful family that makes everything special
Preface to the Third Edition
A writing project is never really complete. We just decide that we are through with it or encounter a deadline. Anybody who has embarked on writing projects knows that there is always more to say; and, in retrospect, we invariably think of how it could have been better.
This book is no different. After the first edition, we spotted places where we thought we could have been clearer, our prose could have been crisper, and we could include new information. When we finished revising the book for the second edition, we tried to remedy the flaws that we saw in the first. (It's probably the case that nobody else saw a particular need to change things, but we did.)
For this edition, we again tried to improve the book. There are some topics that we thought were clearly in need of amendment. For example, how we describe certain groups of people has changed since the second edition; and because university library websites have changed, some of the guidance about searching for resources now seem obsolete. Revisions such as these are designed to ensure that our book continues to be a useful resource for your writing.
In addition, the American Psychological Association (APA) developed the seventh edition of its publication manual, necessitating significant revisions of the chapters on APA style. Some of the guidelines from previous versions of the manual represented an era when an editor may have had stacks of paper manuscripts that could become mixed up if not properly labeled. With electronic communication, some of those guidelines became irrelevant. This edition of our writing book presents the formatting that is most relevant to papers you are likely to write, but the full style manual contains much more information, and we encourage you to use it as a resource if you have a question or encounter a situation not covered in this book. We have tried to eliminate elements that you probably won't need to know about, which we hope should make it easy to find the information in the book that you need at any point in your writing.
We also found certain spots where, once again, we thought we could strengthen our writing and have tried to remedy those concerns. But as we noted at the beginning of this preface, the project is never really complete. We will undoubtedly spot aspects of this edition that, in retrospect, we would change. Nevertheless, we are confident that the book will provide you with the tools you need to produce high‐quality writing.
In creating this work, collaborating as a father/daughter team has once again been pure delight. It is rare to be able to combine the personal and the professional so wonderfully.
Finally, as with the earlier editions, the final product would not be complete without the work of the professionals at Wiley‐Blackwell, including Darren Lalonde, Monica Rogers, and Rajalakshmi Nadarajan.
Preface to the Second Edition
A writing project is never done. If you are thoughtful about your writing, you will always spot elements in your prose that you think could have been better. Thus writing a book like this one leads to a process, not a product. So, when we wrote the first edition of Effective Writing in Psychology, we recognized that it would be a helpful book with an interesting approach to writing. But there were also a few places where we wondered if we could have made our point more effectively or written more clearly.
So with this edition of Effective Writing we have had the opportunity to do it again, only better. Happily, we think that there were only a few instances in the first edition that needed clarification, expansion, or rewording. But we tried to take care of them to make the book even stronger. We hope you benefit from the changes we made.
In addition, as with any evolving domain, the technical aspects of writing in APA style have changed since the first edition of Effective Writing appeared. So we have adapted the sections on writing in APA style to conform to the sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Many changes to the publication manual are minor, so you will be able to learn and implement them easily. It has been as delightful working on this edition as it was on the first edition of Effective Writing. A father‐daughter collaboration is a joy. Our work together constantly reminded us of our mutual respect at the personal and professional levels.
As always, though, a project like this does not happen by accident. It requires collaborative efforts on the part of many people. We are grateful to the professionals at Wiley‐Blackwell for their help, in particular Matt Bennett, Nicole Benevenia, and Julia Kirk.
Preface to the First Edition
Mark Twain recognized the importance of effective writing skills when he said, “The difference between the right word and the nearly right word is the same as that between lightning and the lightning bug.” We wrote this book to help writers generate their own version of lightning when they write papers, create posters, or develop presentations in psychology.
As we have taught courses in writing and in psychology (one of us for over a third of a century), we have become very aware how important it is for students and researchers to develop solid communication skills. No matter what type of professional work you undertake, it will be critical for you to convey your ideas well.
As you write and communicate in psychology, you will face challenges that some other types of writers do not. Writing in psychology involves two separate components. One concerns the ability to create clear and crisp prose that people want to read. The second relates to the ability to convey a compelling message in technical and scientific language. All too often, scientific writers understand their concepts exceedingly well, but they fail to present a message that readers can understand, appreciate, or even want to read. Here this book enters the picture. We present suggestions and guidelines that will help you create interesting papers and cogently delivered oral presentations that will capture the attention of others.
This book will help writers at all levels of experience and skill. Some components of the book are oriented toward effective writing and give tips that are relevant for communicating with many different readerships. Other components provide direction for successful use of writing in APA style. By using both of these aspects of the book, first‐time and experienced writers can be comfortable knowing that their words will have an impact and that their work will be recognized as of professional quality.
We have worked to make this book both accessible and useful. At the same time, we have made it rigorous because writing should be as clear and precise as it is interesting.
Organization of This Book
The book begins with an overview of different kinds of writing and what makes writing for psychology different. In addition, we introduce some of the principles for developing credible arguments and effective communication, whether you are writing, speaking, or creating graphic presentations. We also introduce APA style, which is common in many of the behavioral and social sciences.
The book details guidelines on developing your own ideas and conducting Internet and library research to integrate them with issues that others have already addressed. The next focus of the book involves organizing your thoughts and beginning the process of writing and revising.
Following the chapters on effective communication strategies, we offer guidance on the technical aspects of writing a paper in APA style. In Chapters 10 through 15, you will learn