OT - True Definitions!

[Guest guest]

The following list of phrases and their definitions might help you

understand the mysterious language of science and medicine.

" 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 THE

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 " ... Rumour 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.

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.