Editorial: An Honor to Our Authors

PERSPECTIVES IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE Volume VIlI · Number ? · Autumn IQ64 EDITORIAL: AN HONOR TO OUR AUTHORS The quality ofajournal is determined by those who write for it. Those ofus who are associated with perspectives are proud that biologists and physicians who have heuristic ideas and express them well are willing to publish in our journal. We hope that authors will share our pride that perspectives in biology and medicine was selected by the American Medical Writers' Association to receive an "Honor Award for Distinguished Service in Medical Journalism." The citation, presented September 25, 1964, follows. D.J.I. Research has many faces. One face is the totalpush to investigatephenomena vertically, to confirm or to find out more about an observation or phenomenon or beliefnow held. Another face is horizontal exploration. But at the inception ofsearch or research is the idea. There are no protocols by which ideas spawn or grow. While we use objective methods and precision in mensuration in order to determine their goodness offit, these are used after the idea has been initiated. The idea is the fundamental phenomenon even though it be ephemeral or transient. To stimulate ideas we have no objective methods—we must leave their evocation to the mind of man. We are tendering an award to thejournal perspectives in biology and medicine because its tenor is heuristic. It is concerned with ideas, hence fundamentally basic to investigation and research. There are in its pages few figures, no sequential designs, nor the paper hardware of research. Instead, it shifts into the so-called other categories for in its pages are views, or feelings, or accounts ofwork. And often this is subjective. But subjectivity is a prime quality of man. And ideas spring from man and his subjectivity. Often it does not matter if an idea is right or wrong—and today's right idea is frequently supplanted by tomorrow's idea which may show today's idea to have been wrong. What is important is a plethora ofideas, disciplined though perhaps not necessarily popular ideas, for from them substantial, and at times overwhelming, good comes through. We speak ofcommunication. And we enshrine it. In that process we often forget that communication is merely a process and not an end in itself. Above all, before communication can take place, the communicator must have something to say. The intention of perspectives in biology and medicine is to communicate new ideas in the biological and medical fields, or to re-examine older ones, and perhaps to give a forum to ideas which may not hew to the current party line or which may be otherwise unconfirmed. Perhaps the dissemination ofthese ideas stimulates other ideas. As to the appearance ofthejournal, it is gratifying to note that while the substance is sound, theform is also palatable. Theliterary quality ofthe contributionsthatperspectives in biology and medicine carries is, by-and-large, clear, well-expressed, and conveys to the reader with little ambiguity, perspectives in biology and medicine is to be congratulated for its practice ofhigh literary standards without emasculating into formula writing or syntactical conformity the variety ofcontributions it carries. It is to be congratulated also for avoiding colorless recitals. It is easy enough to have perfect syntax and to kill the spirit. These are some ofthe contributions ofperspectives in biology and medicine to communication. Therefore, acting in behalfofthe Committee on Specialty and ResearchJournals ofthe A.MW.A., I [Erwin Di Cyan] tender to you, Dwight J. Ingle, Editor, this Award for Distinguished Service in Medical Journalism for perspectives in biology and medicine and I present you with this citation for distinguished accomplishments in medicaljournalism . NEW-CAR BLOCK I've trained myselfso that my mind disbars All thoughts ofluxuries I can't afford. The only time, for instance, that I look With special interest at new-model cars Is when I'll buy; yet I am never bored With ads, displays, or talk ofsome new book. It may be that my brain contains a nook For parking thoughts of things I like or need, Until with fuller pocketbook they're freed. Ifthis is so, then thoughts ofnew cars must Demand more space than my head can supply, Or maybe costly books do...