Technical journal

A technical journal was a publication detailing advances in technology and other scientific fields. They are an important means of how professionals can keep their skills up to date.

Montgomery Scott was an avid reader of technical publications, both in his capacity as a chief engineer, but also as an off-hours pursuit. In 2268, James Kirk requested that Scott go on shore leave while he was engrossed in such a journal. Scott ended up being confined to quarters after the leave, and was glad to get back to his reading.

The particular journal diagram Scott was reading was labeled "Primary phaser L,R; star ship Mk IX/01; Constitution-class. (TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles")

Background information[]

A clearer view of Scott's journal page was acquired by Greg Jein from Lincoln Enterprises and published in a 1975 fanzine called T-Negative. According to his research, the image also was used on stage in "Space Seed", but wasn't visible in that episode's final cut. It is notable as the first mention of the Constitution-class of starship. At the time it was believed that it was created by art director Matt Jefferies after a real world studio boiler, but it was later revealed that it actually concerned the depiction of two varieties of hydraulic fluid reservoirs, used by the US Air Force at the time. [1]^(X)

On the topic of technical journals, James Doohan once noted, "You know, they talk about Scotty reading technical journals. They got that idea because James Doohan reads technical journals." (Starlog #94, May 1985, p. 28)

In the first draft script of ENT: "Fortunate Son", Ryan stated that he had read about transporters in "the technical briefs." In the final draft of that script, however, Ryan stated only that he had read about transporters without disclosing where, which he also says in the episode's final version.

External link[]

• The Case of Jonathan Doe Starship from T-Negative, April 1975 (reproduced at Trekplace.com)