Writing with Precision, Clarity, and Economy

The instructions to Authors for Ecology and Ecological Monographs include the statement: “Write with precision, clarity, and economy.” This wonderfully self-illustrative sentence contains some of the most important instructions given to prospective authors, yet it is probably the most overlooked. Based on my experience as a subject editor for the past three years, I contend that verbiage, obscurity, and imprecision in manuscripts slow the editorial process and ultimately hamper communication. Many of my comments and solutions will sound familiar. They should. Our familiarity with them does not, however, make them less important.