On scholarly writing

摘要

Dr. Margretta Madden Styles, former Dean of the University of Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio, Wayne State University, and the University of California at San Francisco, wrote several books and articles that began with the same word. That word is "on," a simple, two-letter word. On, a preposition, is defined as a function word used to indicate reason, ground, or basis (Merriam-Webster, 2013). How can such a simple word have such importance? Knowing the reason or the grounds for something or doing something "on the basis of" all convey that some rationale for considering a subject or taking some action exists.