Submitting your papers

Some of you will choose to submit your papers electronically - which is fine. I have no problem accepting papers by email, it is actually far more convenient. However, make it easier on me, if you would:

1. Include your last name in the filename somewhere, preferably first.
2. Include 'ph102' in the filename.
3. Remember that I will have >50 papers in the end ...

For example, "smith_ph102.pdf" is good. I know which paper is which right away, alphabetical sorting will work, and I know this is related to ph102.

These silly little things help a lot in the end - having 55 files named 'physics-paper.pdf' or something similar is extremely frustrating.

How to write a physics paper

Physical Review Letters' editorial board tells you how to write a good 'letter.'

By 'letter,' of course they mean 'short paper suitable for a general physics audience,' not something of the 'Dear John' variety.

Of particular note: I am not alone in being deeply confused by scientists' love for the passive voice. From the article:

The issue of sentence-level construction is less critical, and it will not surprise me if some writers still take comfort in the passive-voice style described above. Frankly, this comfort is a mystery to me.

In all, the article is useful advice from one of the top physics journals around. And I'm not saying that just because we have the same initials.

Fun

http://xkcd.com/397/