Ease

Abstract

background Most deaths from malaria could be prevented if malaria epidemics could be predicted in local areas, allowing medical facilities to be mobilized early. objectives As a first step toward constructing a predictive model, we determined correlations between meteorological factors and malaria epidemics in Ethiopia. methods In a retrospective study, we collected meteorological and epidemic data for 10 local areas, covering the years 1963-2006. Poisson regression was used to compare the data. results Factors AAA, BBB, and CCC correlated significantly (P<0.05) with subsequent epidemics in all 10 areas. A model based on these correlations would have a predictive power of about 30%. conclusions Meteorological factors can be used to predict malaria epidemics. However, the predictive power of our model needs to be improved and validated in other areas. This understandable and concise abstract forms the “skeleton” for the entire article. A final comment: This example is based on an actual research project and, at first, the author was in a “box” full of the mathematics, statistics, and computer algorithms of his predicting model. This was reflected in his first version of the abstract, where the word “malaria” never appeared. Written by Ed Hull edhull@home.nl (for more information, see Bless and Hull 2008) ______________________________ 1 IMRaD stands for Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. EASE Guidelines for Authors and Translators of Scientific Ar ticles to be Published in English, June 2014 8 ©2014 European Association of Science Editors (www.ease.org.uk). Non-commercial printing allowed. Empty words and sentences Many English words are empty – they do not add information but require the reader to fill in information or context to be understood. The reader is forced to supply his or her own interpretation, which could be different from what you, the writer, mean. Empty words seem to give information and uncritical readers do not notice them – that is why they work so well for marketing texts. However, empty words do not belong in articles reporting scientific research. Empty words require the reader to supply the meaning – very dangerous. Concise and clear communication requires words that convey specific meaning.