Ten easy lessons for good communication of LCA

摘要

Some time ago, I included in an exam for my M.Sc. students a small experiment. It consisted of pasting a small fragment, just one graph, from a recent peer-reviewed article that was published in The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. The question to the students was easy; "Point out three mistakes." All students were able to mention two or three errors. This triggered some reflection. Are my students, who have not yet earned a M.Sc, let alone a Ph.D., more clever than a whole cluster of authors, peer-reviewers, and editors, many of whom are doctors and professors? I think I now know the answer. All these authors and peer-reviewers are clever as well, but they have become accustomed to mistakes that are so often made that they are no longer seen as wrong. My students are fresher, and easily find them. Interaction with fresh students keeps a scientist fresh as well. Many of my heterodox points of view originate from interaction with students, who ask naive questions that are exactly to the point. It is the purpose of this paper to communicate some of my lessons learnt.