Intended for healthcare professionals

Letters

Embrace scientific rhetoric for its power

BMJ 1995; 311 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.311.6996.61b (Published 01 July 1995) Cite this as: BMJ 1995;311:61
  1. Doron Junger
  1. House officer in surgery John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9OU

    EDITOR,--I would like to join the formidable debate between Richard Horton and Trisha Greenhalgh on the rhetoric of research.1 2 As Greenhalgh points out, “Scientific writing is by definition rhetorical.” All researchers do, frequently without intention, use language to emphasise the likely truth of their results. The paramount question, however, is whether such “spin” is detrimental to science. I believe that the contrary is true.

    Firstly, the eloquence of basic …

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