OK, limiting the vote to people whom I think we can assume know what vaguely they're talking about, i.e. Acta Cryst. / J. Appl. Cryst. authors, and using the IUCr search engine we get 553 hits for "structure amplitude" and 256 for "structure factor amplitude" (quite close to the ratio for Google so I don't think it's that far out). I didn't check on the peculiar quirks of the IUCr search engine re punctuation though (believe it or not I have more important things to do!).
The earliest AC paper I can find mentioning "structure amplitude" is this one from the Cavendish here in Cambridge published in 1948: http://journals.iucr.org/q/issues/1948/05/00/a00073/a00073.pdf i.e. vol 1: you can't get any earlier than that, so the term must have been in use before that, maybe even going back to the 1930's and the Braggs. The earliest AC paper I can find mentioning "structure factor amplitude" is this one from AERE Harwell in 1959: http://journals.iucr.org/q/issues/1959/09/00/a02617/a02617.pdf . The latest paper was 2008 in both cases. So anyway clearly both terms have been in use in parallel for many years, so the least you can say is that either is acceptable. Interestingly the authors of this paper: http://journals.iucr.org/d/issues/2004/12/01/ba5067/ba5067.pdf maybe decided to play it safe and used the term "structure amplitude" 5 times against "structure factor amplitude" 16 times (clearly bucking the majority trend!). I think all one can conclude from that is that both terms are equally clear to the majority of authors and readers alike. Cheers -- Ian > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-ccp...@jiscmail.ac.uk > [mailto:owner-ccp...@jiscmail.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Ed Pozharski > Sent: 12 January 2009 14:37 > To: Ian Tickle > Cc: CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK > Subject: Re: [ccp4bb] structure (factor) amplitude > > > Also I did a 'Google vote' for the two terms. 'Structure > amplitude' has > > 11300 hits. 'Structure factor amplitude' has only 4750. > So all round I > > would say that 'structure amplitude' wins by a considerable margin. > > > Results of another Google vote: > > "Earth is flat": > 55,100,000 hits > "Earth is round": > 53,600,000 hits > > Take that, Galileo, Columbus and Magellan!* > > Of course, this post of mine is utterly irrelevant, just like all my > other posts. Just emphasizing that majority is not always right. > > *The vote is close enough to trigger an automatic recount, but Vatican > has already declared victory and called on its opponents to concede so > that the healing process may begin. > > -- > Edwin Pozharski, PhD, Assistant Professor > University of Maryland, Baltimore > ---------------------------------------------- > When the Way is forgotten duty and justice appear; > Then knowledge and wisdom are born along with hypocrisy. > When harmonious relationships dissolve then respect and > devotion arise; > When a nation falls to chaos then loyalty and patriotism are born. > ------------------------------ / Lao Tse / > > Disclaimer This communication is confidential and may contain privileged information intended solely for the named addressee(s). It may not be used or disclosed except for the purpose for which it has been sent. If you are not the intended recipient you must not review, use, disclose, copy, distribute or take any action in reliance upon it. If you have received this communication in error, please notify Astex Therapeutics Ltd by emailing i.tic...@astex-therapeutics.com and destroy all copies of the message and any attached documents. Astex Therapeutics Ltd monitors, controls and protects all its messaging traffic in compliance with its corporate email policy. The Company accepts no liability or responsibility for any onward transmission or use of emails and attachments having left the Astex Therapeutics domain. Unless expressly stated, opinions in this message are those of the individual sender and not of Astex Therapeutics Ltd. The recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of computer viruses. Astex Therapeutics Ltd accepts no liability for damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. E-mail is susceptible to data corruption, interception, unauthorized amendment, and tampering, Astex Therapeutics Ltd only send and receive e-mails on the basis that the Company is not liable for any such alteration or any consequences thereof. Astex Therapeutics Ltd., Registered in England at 436 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge CB4 0QA under number 3751674
