Personal computer word processing for veterinary article writing: personal computers and printers.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Scientific Communication
• Information Technology

Background:

• Word processing technology enhances the efficiency and accuracy of scientific manuscript preparation.
• Personal computers (PCs) are now suitable for word processing tasks in scientific writing.
• The adoption of PCs for scientific writing necessitates informed system selection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and requirements of using personal computer word processing systems for scientific article writing in veterinary medicine.
• To guide veterinarians in selecting appropriate hardware and software for manuscript preparation.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed editors of 29 clinical veterinary and medical journals regarding manuscript submission requirements.
• Evaluated the capabilities of personal computer hardware and word processing software for scientific writing.
• Estimated the cost range for a functional personal computer word processing system.

Main Results:

• All surveyed journals accept articles produced by common personal computer printers (dot matrix or near-correspondence quality).
• A complete system (computer, printer, software) costs between $2,300 and $6,000.
• The primary challenge for veterinarians is acquiring adequate information to choose a suitable system.

Conclusions:

• Personal computer word processing systems are viable tools for veterinary scientific writing.
• Veterinarians need to invest time in research to select appropriate systems for their specific scientific writing needs.
• The cost and technical requirements are manageable for adopting this technology in veterinary practice.