The scientific paper as an archaeological artefact

Abstract

Scientific research is typically communicated via papers in journals. To an outsider, the contents of these papers appear to by mystic and wonderful: to an insider, they convey rapidly and efficiently information about the research that has been done. Even to scientists, it may not be obvious that their papers provide the simplest way of communicating research. However, a detailed study of why papers are constructed as they are suggests that the lay-out is a consequence of a long evolution aimed at simplifying the complexity of scientific communica tion.