BCMJ, Vol. 44, No. 5, June 2002, page(s) 226—Personal View
Michael Stephenson, MD
Re: Style, in the Pulsimeter
Is it really necessary to present the announcement of the Welsh Men’s Choir (BCMJ 2002;44[3]:121) in the style of a scientific publication? Surely it is inappropriate to offer an abbreviation, VMWC, that takes longer to say (or think) than the simple word “choir”? There is nothing with which the reader can confuse it! Also, the phrase “of mixed ethnic origin” seems out of place: too jargony for an artistic event. The more I look at that sentence the less I like it. I would hope that a men’s choir had male voices! And if one seeks brevity and conservation of ink, as I have been told publishers appreciate, perhaps it could be understood without saying that Jason Howard is going to sing?
—Michael Stephenson, MD
Vancouver
