A theme of this book is to establish uniform protocols for producing complex research documents with single authors or multiple contributors and reference citations. Streamtools is a collection of best practices for scientific and technical writers. The file management allows re-use of the legacy content, network file sharing and applications. i.e. Sharepoint Examples of major software are Microsoft Word, Math Type and Visio. The authors provide an excellent contrast of Microsoft Word to LaTeX. The writing process has 4 stages. i.e. Definition, Preparation, Writing and Completion. Table 2.1 provides an excellent editing markup table with sample comments like c:model for model document.
Version control is critical so that everyone understands who worked on a document and when the work was completed. The authors provide a good graphing protocol including (1) right sized fonts 2) label x-y axes (3) description of the label (4) center the graphic (5) graph lines should be thick. The book should contrast non-standardized formats with the standardized ones produced by the popular database packages. Popular database packages for collaborative works are EndNote, Reference Manager and Pro Cite. End Note is the most popular according to the authors.
Table 5.9 provides common proofreading marks like "cap" and "ital." Another section describes methods for decision making. i.e. majority vote, consensus, leader decides, the expert decides, a tool decides by pre-input algorithmic criteria. Ultimately, a team leader must deal with "analysis paralysis" by ending the project at a logical vantagepoint.
Overall, this work would be helpful for establishing uniform rules pertinent to research documents, full length books, patents and similar art. Patent art is complicated because the inventor must track the concept from inception, explain the novelty of the invention, its design, the operation in the preferred mode and claims formulation. Detailed descriptions may be written to distinguish the invention from all others. Unobviousness must be explained fully to the patent examination team prior to allowance and publication of the new patent art in the Official Gazette.
The aforementioned projects require a considerable amount of standardization designed into the formulation process at the commencement of the undertaking until a successful conclusion. This work provides a good explanation of many of the complexities involved in setting forth and
completing the project documentation. As such, the acquisition of this work is encouraged for a wide constituency of researchers, small inventors and the general public.
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