Sin ttulo de diapositiva

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The simplest way to write a paper
The simplest way to write a paper
By Reme Melero (rmelero_at_iata.csic.es) Managing
editor Food Science and Technology International
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This presentation is a show of flashes to put
forth the main concepts and ideas about the
way to prepare a paper. There are numerous
books, articles and manuals that specify
particular rules for style and grammar,
therefore these aspects will not mention here.
The aim is to make the students to think, to
awaken their curiosity and to create their own
criteria to judge and criticize their own work,
and finally to express it.
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This work is addressed to graduate or
postgraduate students not to editors or any other
specialist joined to the publishing world, and
emphasizes the importance of the scientific
research communication.
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It is focused on
The importance of science communication and
research transfer to the scientific community
How to organize the material (results, tables,
figures, references...) to constitute a map of
information, and how to move the pieces into a
comprehensive whole.
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and on .....
The main guidelines to structure a manuscript and
preparing a draft. The characteristics of any
part in a paper. The revision of the first
draft. The submission of the original work and a
brief description of the manuscripts handling in
the editorial office.
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• The construction of the science is based on the
  communication of the research results.

Why is important your scientific contribution?
Previous works are the basis for yours, when you
enter in the loop (intake, production, output and
feedback) you become a consumer and a producer
and so on till the end of
Literature
Research
Production
your research career. Within the circle it is
relevant to communicate your results as brief and
clear as possible.
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How does the process begin?
Preliminary research
Question
yes
answer
no
New research
conclusions
Project design
results
Lab work
Dissemination retrieval
manuscript
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Be aware of the contribution of your research to
the Scientific Community and try to share it with
your colleagues How?
Communicating your results (written, oral,
others)
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When you consider you have finished an
homogeneous part, be sure before closing the
assays.
Arrange and organize your notes, references or
any other material, display and classify it.
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How to start to write a manuscript?
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Organize your information
graphs
references
tables
figures
photos
schemes
notes
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Structure your information in separate blocks
Notes, comentaries, references, objetives
introduction
Samples, individuals, sampling, analytical and
statistical methods, ...
material methods
Answers to the objetives support-ed by numerical,
graphical or any other forms
results
Analysis of the results, comparison with other
authors
discussion
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Try to integrate your puzzle of information
And structure it
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Structure of a scientific paper

• Title
• Authors names and
• affiliation
• Abstract, keywords
• Introduction
• Material and methods

• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusions
• Acknowledgements
• References
• Annexes

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TITLE
The title should inform accurately about the
content of the manuscript without ambiguities.
Why is important the title? Most of information
retrieval services, browsers or data bases use
titles to elaborate their indexes, so the more
accurate and concise the better to its specific
dissemination and retrieval.
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Basic characteristics of a title
Informative Brief Specific Accurate Concise Unambi
guous
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Authors names and affiliations
Use always the same name (signature) to avoid
any confussion within the scientific community. A
reliable name is advisable. Identify the author
for correspondence (with ). Give the complete
name and address of the institutions or centers
the authors belong to. Currently e-mails are also
given.
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Keywords
Keywords have not to be empty words or express
generalities. Their source could come
from Descriptors from a thesaurus Free text
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Abstract
The abstract, summary or synopsis is, like the
title, one element within the manuscript of
relevant importance. The retrieval of the paper
and its reading depend greatly on it. Therefore
it should provide the concise information to
indicate whether the paper fulfils our
expectations.The main feature of an abstract is
its size. In very few words (200-300) the
abstract should inform about the main aspects of
the manuscripts and respond to why, what, how and
the results and their interpretation.
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Characteristics of an abstract
Short sentences, but not telegraphed No
references, tables or figures No acronyms,
abbreviations.. No excessive details
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Introduction
Brief Focused With the most relevant
references Without repetitions of known
stablished assumptions Aims and objetives
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Material and methods
Samples, sampling Individuals Material (origin if
neccesary) Methods (references and brief
description) Statistical methods (packages,
software..) Equations. Internationally
nomenclature accepted
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Results
Answers to the objectives Expose the experiences
logically sequenced Omit superfluous results Do
not remove those that invalidate the initial
hypothesis Do not repeat any information in
tables or figures, and in the text
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Discussion
What do the results mean? Are my results compared
with other previous works? Do not repeat
results Conclusions
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Acknowledgements
Names, institutions, projects, grants, etc...
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Citation
S. Harvard
S. Vancouver
(numerical sequence)
(Name and year)
......These results agreed with previous works
1,2......
......These results agreed with previous works
(Smith, 1996 Brown et al., 1998)....
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Bibliographic elements
Journal article Authors. Year. Title. Vol.
(issue).pp-pp.
Book Author(s). Year. Title. Edition. City of
publication. Publisher. pp.-pp.
Chapter of book Authors chapter. Year. Chapter
title. Editor. Book title. Edition. City of
publication. Publisher. Pp.pp.
Patent Author. Year. Patent title. Number of the
patent.
Congress comunication Author. Year. Title of
the communication. Title of the congress. City.
Date
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Verb tenses
Active voice
Directives, conclussions, generalities, stable
conditions
Present
Past
Procedures, results, finished statements
Pasive voice
Do not flaw the text with redundant passive
voice, avoid it when neccesary and apply when the
subject is unknown and the object relevant
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Tables
(Express in a tabular way concise results)
Simple, avoid grids and backgrounds, use only the
concise lines to separate the content from the
headings.
Do not forget the units of the headings.
Do no repeat any information in tables and
figures or within the text.
The table should contain at least 2 x2, rows x
columns.
Use only the essential footnotes
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Figures
Figure figure caption axesunits content
Figures are preferably to show tendencies more
than particular (discrete) data.
Avoid grids, lines, frames, and legends inside
the drawing.
Avoid figures with only a line.
Use common symbols, clear and neat within the
traces.
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Have you chosen the journal? Have you the
instructions to authors?
Lets write the first draft
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AVOID
Obscure
Long
Jargonized
MANUSCRIPTS
Redundant
Ambiguous
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Manuscripts
The simpler
The shorter
The clearer
The Better
The more arresting
The more concise
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Does your paper answer these questions?
Why?
introduction
How?
material methods
What did you find?
results
What does it mean?
discussion
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Check the accuracy of the data in tables and
figures
Are all tables and figures neccesary?
Could you join figures or tables?
Do you repeat any information?
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Re-read first draft
Revise the style
2nd draft
Review the content, data, references
Final manuscript
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