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HOW TO WRITE A SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION

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Title: HOW TO WRITE A SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION


1
HOW TO WRITE A SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION
  • Karl-Heinz Schwalbe

You just sit down and start writing?
2
WHY DO SCIENTISTS WRITE?
  • Scientific research is not complete until the
    results have been published.
  • Writing an accurate, understandable paper is
    therefore as important as the research itself.
  • To make a permanent, publicly accessible record
    of your findings
  • To convince your funding body to sink even more
    money into your research
  • Ego Your work is your epitaph
  • Your supervisor forces you
  • No PhD without publication (the thesis is one)

3
STRUCTURE OF A PAPER
  • Scientific writing has to be simple, clear, and
    to the point. No jargon or flowery literary
    embellishments, no exaggeration. It may follow
    the structure
  • Title Why should somebody read the paper?
  • Introduction What did you do? Why did you do it?
  • Materials/Methods How did you do it?
  • Results What did you find?
  • Discussion What does it all mean?
  • Conclusions What did we learn?

4
TITLE
  • The title should be descriptive of the paper.
  • Avoid complete phrases
  • Avoid acronyms, in particular those invented by
    the author
  • Avoid mathematical symbols
  • Avoid the term novel. Your work is supposed to
    be novel anyway.

5
ABSTRACT
  • Typically, the abstract should be no more than
    250 words.
  • The abstract should be a single paragraph.
  • The abstract should be written in the past tense
    (you have already done the experiments!)
  • The abstract should not cite references.
  • The abstract should not use acronyms nor symbols.
  • What the abstract should say.
  • State the principal objectives and scope of the
    investigation.
  • Briefly describe the methods employed.
  • Summarise the main results.
  • State the principal conclusions.

6
KEYWORDS
  • The keywords should cover the content of the
    paper.
  • They provide the profile of your paper for data
    banks.
  • Many journals provide a selection of keywords
    from which you are supposed to choose.

7
INTRODUCTION
  • This section provides the justification of the
    work done.
  • Give brief overview on state of the art of your
    area.
  • Cite the relevant literature.
  • The final section should describe the gap in
    knowledge you have filled and how you have done
    it.

8
MATERIALS / METHODS
  • Write in the past tense.
  • Include enough detail so that a competent worker
    can repeat the experiments or simulations.
  • Details include materials, test pieces,
    methods employed, parameters varied..
  • This contributes to good scientific practice!
    (And also The reviewers have to be able to
    understand what you have done!)
  • Do not include results in this section.

9
MATERIALS / METHODS, cont.
  • Nowadays, it is much appreciated when
    experimental and theoretical (analytical or
    numerical) work is combined
  • Theoretical work without validation by
    experiments is often of not much value.
  • And also it is valuable to have experimental work
    backed up by theoretical models.

10
RESULTS
  • The best way to present results is showing them
    as clear diagrams, with explanations in the text.
  • Be selective you do not have to include every
    detail you have obtained.
  • It is not advisable to present results in figures
    and tables.
  • Reserve extensive interpretation of the results
    for the Discussion section. However, a brief (one
    or two sentences) discussion of an experimental
    result often serves as a nice transition to the
    next simulation, or experiment, and so gives the
    paper a flow.

11
RESULTS, cont.
RESULTS, cont.
  • In papers on analytical work, please do not write
    endless formulas. If you have very long
    derivations it may make sense to shift some of
    the derivations into an appendix. Otherwise the
    reader may get lost.
  • If you use numerous formulas and hence a large
    number of mathematical symbols, PLEASE PROVIDE A
    LIST OF SYMBOLS!!! Otherwise a reader and the
    reviewer(!) - may give up.
  • I use to return such papers without a list of
    symbols.

12
RESULTS,
DISCUSSION
  • Requires much skill, provides order and
    interpretation of the results.
  • A mere reporting of experimental results without
    attempting to search for underlying mechanisms is
    of little value and will usually not accepted for
    publication.
  • Put your results into perspective by comparing
    them with the state of the art described in the
    Introduction.
  • Your results will thus contribute to the overall
    knowledge of your area.
  • Whenever possible, schematic representations of
    the model(s) developed are a very versatile tool
    for conveying your message to the reader.

13
DISCUSSION
DISCUSSION, cont.
  • A compilation of numerous diagrams and colour
    pictures does not make a scientific paper.
  • Ordering the data and systematic presentation
    and interpretation of the results is an
    intellectual effort that has to be performed by
    the author and not by the reader.

14
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS
  • Start with a few phrases to summarise the work
    done.
  • List the main conclusions (lessons learned).
  • Perspectives for further work may be given.
  • This section is frequently misunderstood to be a
    repetition of the Abstract.

15
CONCLUSIONS
FINAL REMARKS
  • Put yourself into the position of the reader so
    that you can explain what you have done.
  • Do not forget Acknowledgements.
  • Internal quality control is very important.
  • We have given you some guidance on how to
    organise your manuscript, but
  • THE SCIENCE IS YOUR JOB!

16
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