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Communicating Science: The Scientific Article from the 17th Century to the Present
Available now for the first time in paperback, COMMUNICATING THE SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE FROM THE 17TH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT elaborates the emergence of the scientific article from its beginnings to the present. Gross, Harmon, and Reidy analyze numerous sample texts in French, English, and German, focusing on the changes in the style, organization, and argumentative structure of scientific communication over time. The authors also speculate on the currency and influence of the scientific article in the digital age. COMMUNICATING THE SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE FROM THE 17TH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT has been an invaluable resource text in the rhetoric of science and stands as the definitive study on the topic. "[COMMUNICATING SCIENCE] offers a moment of coalescence in the rhetoric of science as a model of rigorous research, not likely to be duplicated soon. It will be a staple introductory text in science studies courses and a stimulant for better scholarship in the field." -Jeanne Fahnestock, RHETORIC SOCIETY QUARTERLY "Communicating Science is a substantial contribution to the literature mapping out the changing language and rhetoric of the scientific article from 1665 to the present." -Charles Bazerman, ISIS "Gross, Harmon, and Reidy have set a new and higher standard for methodological and presentational rigor in scientific communication content analysis." ¬¬-Kathryn Northcut, JOURNAL OF TECHNICAL WRITING AND COMMUNICATION "Gross, Harmon, and Reidy's decision to emphasize depth over breadth is characteristic of groundbreaking scholarship." -Suzanne Black, JOURNAL OF BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION "Communicating Science is a marvel of scholarship and expression and deserves to be in the curriculum of every university's rhetoric department." -Tim Whalen, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION "The book will be an essential starting point for future discussion of the history of scientific writing." -John Turney, DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS "A book to buy, to read, and to think about." -A. J. (Tom) van Loon, EUROPEAN SCIENCE EDITING
- GenresScience
280 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
About the author
Alan G. Gross
31 books4 followersAlan G. Gross (born 1936) is a Professor of Rhetoric and Communication Studies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He has written a number of books, perhaps most well-known being The Rhetoric of Science (Harvard University Press, 1990 and 1996). This book was reviewed by the historian and philosopher of science Joseph Agassi. Gross received his Ph.D. in 1962 from Princeton University.
His research is centered around three areas: scientific communication, rhetorical theory and, most recently, visual communication. Currently, he is completing a manuscript on scientific communication and putting the finishing touches on prospectus for a book on visual conmmunication the sciences.
Publications:
The Rhetoric of Science. Gross, Alan, Harvard, Author, 1996.
Rhetorical Hermeneutics: Invention and Interpretation in the Age of Science. Gross, Alan, William M. Keith, SUNY, Co-Editor, 1997.
Rereading Aristotle's Rhetoric. Gross, Alan, Arthur E. Walzer, Southern Illinois Press, Co-Editor, 2000.
Chaim Perelman. Gross, Alan, Ray D. Dearin, SUNY, Co-Author, 2003.
Communicating Science: The Scientific Article from the 17th Century to the Present. Gross, Alan, Joseph E. Harmon; Michael Reidy, Oxford, Co-Author, 2002.
Starring the Text: The Place of Rhetoric in Science Studies. Gross, Alan, Southern Illinois, Author, 2006.
The Scientific Literature: A Guided Tour. Gross, Alan, Joseph E. Harmon, Chicago, Co-Editor, 2007.
His research is centered around three areas: scientific communication, rhetorical theory and, most recently, visual communication. Currently, he is completing a manuscript on scientific communication and putting the finishing touches on prospectus for a book on visual conmmunication the sciences.
Publications:
The Rhetoric of Science. Gross, Alan, Harvard, Author, 1996.
Rhetorical Hermeneutics: Invention and Interpretation in the Age of Science. Gross, Alan, William M. Keith, SUNY, Co-Editor, 1997.
Rereading Aristotle's Rhetoric. Gross, Alan, Arthur E. Walzer, Southern Illinois Press, Co-Editor, 2000.
Chaim Perelman. Gross, Alan, Ray D. Dearin, SUNY, Co-Author, 2003.
Communicating Science: The Scientific Article from the 17th Century to the Present. Gross, Alan, Joseph E. Harmon; Michael Reidy, Oxford, Co-Author, 2002.
Starring the Text: The Place of Rhetoric in Science Studies. Gross, Alan, Southern Illinois, Author, 2006.
The Scientific Literature: A Guided Tour. Gross, Alan, Joseph E. Harmon, Chicago, Co-Editor, 2007.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 22, 2020
The book opens with an origin story, a story of birth. Where did the scientific article come from? Was it a bastard? Was it legitimate? Who were the parents?
Science as an enterprise had difficult beginnings. You can quickly see why when you examine the ways of various groups of people around the world. Life is short, we must get on with it. Who has time to stop and ask, "Why does that happen?" In fact, in most cultures asking such questions is considered uppity. Submit and get on with it is the prime directive of all human cultures. Violating that taboo means you become an outcast. The outcast is the one who makes science, at least until science gained standing, which it now enjoys. The struggle to make science legitimate was difficult and often bloody.
Once science and the types of questions scientists asked became socially acceptable, there was clearly a need for rapid communication of research. This is the place where this book comes in. I might remind most of you that George Romero's Day of the Dead film, featuring an outstanding performance by Richard Liberty, R.I.P., presents a character "Doc" who tells his colleagues, "My father never thought I'd get rich doing pure research." That statement alone validates my claim for the awkward social position of the scientist.
Gross and his collaborators now want us to become more aware, in the course of their explication, how the scientific article is designed, vetted, and published.
Science as an enterprise had difficult beginnings. You can quickly see why when you examine the ways of various groups of people around the world. Life is short, we must get on with it. Who has time to stop and ask, "Why does that happen?" In fact, in most cultures asking such questions is considered uppity. Submit and get on with it is the prime directive of all human cultures. Violating that taboo means you become an outcast. The outcast is the one who makes science, at least until science gained standing, which it now enjoys. The struggle to make science legitimate was difficult and often bloody.
Once science and the types of questions scientists asked became socially acceptable, there was clearly a need for rapid communication of research. This is the place where this book comes in. I might remind most of you that George Romero's Day of the Dead film, featuring an outstanding performance by Richard Liberty, R.I.P., presents a character "Doc" who tells his colleagues, "My father never thought I'd get rich doing pure research." That statement alone validates my claim for the awkward social position of the scientist.
Gross and his collaborators now want us to become more aware, in the course of their explication, how the scientific article is designed, vetted, and published.
Displaying 1 of 1 review