Writing a scientific paper Khon Kaen 2555. If you want to learn sailing Start to love the Sea.
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Transcript of Writing a scientific paper Khon Kaen 2555. If you want to learn sailing Start to love the Sea.
Fourth step in writing
Formulate your findings in one or twoscentences
Explaine in five minutes to an outsider the importance of your finding.
If this does not work go back to step three
Before you start writing
Decide what are the key conclusions of the paper- the important message that you want to put across. Do you have all the data AND the figures to prove your point?
If possible, give an informal ORAL presentation of the work before you start to write the paper. This way you will clarify the story you want to tell and can anticipate objections or misunderstandings that must be addressed in the text.
You are comming close to start
– What is the problem being addressed?
– Why is it important?
– What have others done to address the
problem?
– What have you done to address the
problem and how different is it?
Analize possible conflicts
Formulate the general concepts in the field
Are your data compared to the current theories:
an extention easy to present a confirmation difficult to present, need fantasy
or conflictinghard to present,
need sharp formulation
Selection of journal
Make a ranking order of journals in your field
When your data are for the current theory:
- a big extention, go to top end- a moderate extention, go just above average
- a realistic conformation go to average- a minor conformation go just below average
- a conflict with strong arguments, go to top end- a conflict with moderate arguments go average
Getting started
The Sequence
• Fix realistic schedule (moderate)- Decision is final- Adherence foresees a good outcome
• Figures, tables• Methods and Results• Discussion and Introduction• Abstract and Title
Structure
• A good article has a definite structure, makes its point, and does not waste space and time
• The most difficult part in writing a scientific paper is planning its structure
Figures and Tables
• Assemble draft FIGURES and Tables.• Lay them out in order on a table or desk.
• Decide what are the key points that you need to make, and write them out. Focus on hypotheses that you tested.
Be critical on your data
• Are there any weird or unexpected data ?
• Never push them aside
• Think about an explanation
Results and Methods
• In general it is easiest to start writing RESULTS and METHODS.
• • Just start writing the data as if you were
describing them to your colleagues.
• Lay out general arguments and then go into details so that you prepare the readers for what follows and the logic you are going to use.
Methods section
• Enough information for an experienced investigator to repeat your work
• Avoid tiresome detail
• Cut-and-paste from previous work of the author(s), not somebody else’s
• It is the first section of the paper in which subheadings should be used
Results sectionWhat are the findings relevant to each objective?
Have all objectives been met?
• Common mistakes– Raw data– Redundancy– Discussion and interpretation of data– No figures or tables – Methods/materials reported
Discussion
• Interpret results – Did the study confirm/deny the hypothesis?– If not, did the results provide an alternative
hypothesis? What interpretation can be made?– Do results agree with other research? Sources
of error/anomalous data?– Implications of study for field– Suggestions for improvement and future
research?• Relate to previous research
Discussion
• First paragraph- State major findings- Paraphrase abstract
• Middle paragraphs- Base each on a major result
• Always focus on your results• Never discuss prior work without
reference to your work• Refer to Tables and Figures
Discussion
Last paragraph- “In summary…” (2-3 sentences)- “In conclusion…” (biggest message,
return to Intro, avoid speculation, avoid “need more work”
Introduction
• The first paragraph is crucial for catching the attention of the audience and for conveying to them the importance of the questions that you have addressed in the paper.
• If you don’t catch the attention of the audience in the first few sentences, the chances are high that they won’t continue reading.
• So, make the first sentence both snappy and profound.
Introduction
– 2-3 paragraphs, <450 words• First paragraph
- Introduce broad area• Second paragraph
- Explicit rationale
• Last paragraph- Hypothesis
- Summary of problem (selling point)
TitleSpend time and think about the Title
Your article is often about a molecule, a gene,or a detail of a disease.
So What ? There are thousands of molecules, genes, and diseases
Therefore formulate the real point
For everybody else it looks like eaghkib
Title• Max info in the least of words
• <12 words
• <100 characters
• The title is a label • Should almost never contain abbreviations • Easier to understand, more impact
First Draft• Write as quickly as possible• As if thinking out loud• Get everything down• Ignore spelling, grammar, style• Skip troublesome words• Correct and rewrite only when the whole text
is on paper• Do not split the manuscript among the co-
authors
Writing
• At assigned time: write (not read)
• Don’t wait for the muses
• A craft, not an art: practice
• Ideas come while writing
• Read good authors, especially non-medical
To Who do you submit your paper ?
The major question you have to realize:
To an unknown editor, who has to judge to many different papers, in to little time, who knows general facts about your fieldbut mostly lacks specific knowledge, and is bound to the policy of the journal
The Limbic system
All perceptions go first to the limbic systemThere they get an emotional label
With a pos or neg label the perception become consciousIn the cortical area of the brain
Perception (looking at a manuscript)
emotion
judgment
after the judgment it becomes rational and conscious
1. GIRK channel modulation by allosterically regulated RGS proteins
2. AtWRKY15 perturbation abolishes the mitochondrial stress response that steers osmotic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis
5. A novel approach to malaria vaccines. The way to greater efficacy.
4. The role of Histone demethylase JHDM2A for Tnp1 and Prm1 transcription.
Which Title gives you a good feeling ?
3. Electronic sensor and actuator webs for large-area complex geometry
A specific detailed title is OK for a specialized journal
A broad title is needed for a varied group of readers
How to attract the attention of this editor
He must understand your research question in 10 seconds
He must understand how you solve the question in 20 seconds
He must become enthusiastic in 30 seconds
Only then, he really starts to read your paper after 40 seconds
First 10 seconds : judgment of title
At this moment the subject must be clear. Tip: give details in subtitle
Following 20 seconds
First sentence of the abstract must put the problem in a general perspective (zoom out)
Then, why is your gene or molecule important for this question (zoom in) and how will you solve the problem.
If you don’t believe in your paper
Do not send it away,
A bad paper will ruin a good one in the future