scientific writing erik dietzenbacher faculty of economics and business, university of groningen,...
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SCIENTIFIC WRITING
Erik Dietzenbacher
•Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
•Regional Economics Applications Laboratory (REAL), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA•Graduate University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
Student ↓Research Master studentPhD student ↓ResearcherFaculty staff member ↓Professor
›
Let’s talk about your future
Student ↓Research Master student › write application for projectPhD student › write PhD thesis ↓Researcher › write papers for scientificFaculty staff member journals ↓Professor › write papers and books
› write applications for research grants
Your future
Student ↓Research Master student › write application for projectPhD student › write PhD thesis ↓Researcher › write papers for scientificFaculty staff member journals ↓Professor › write papers and books
› write applications for research grants
Business/Governm › write policy reports
Your future
Writing IS your future!
You’re in business!
You will be evaluated
(quality of your project application, your quality as researcher)
on the basis of WRITTEN output
Writing IS your future!
Whether you like it or not: language of science is English
as economist you don’t need to write poetrybut the reader must understand you!
(follow courses, spend some time abroad)
What is writing?
Writing is: conveying a message
There is a sender and there is a receiverwhat the receiver receives must be the same as what the sender has sent
What is writing?
Writing is: conveying a message
There is a sender and there is a receiverwhat the receiver receives must be the same as what the sender has sent
Obvious??
What is writing?
Writing is: conveying a message
There is a sender and there is a receiverwhat the receiver receives must be the same as what the sender has sent
(not trivial and far from easy, with written messages: no chance for corrections)
Two aspects of conveying a message
(1)
The reader must be willing to spend time on reading your message
Like with a good meal: the appetizer is crucialabstract and introduction are the appetizer
(if they are good: the reader has an appetite for the full story and wants to read all the details)
Two aspects of conveying a message
(2)
The reader must be able to understand your message when (s)he tries
You must express yourself very, very clearly
there must be absolutely no room for alternative interpretations
Two aspects of conveying a message
(2)
The reader must be able to understand your message when (s)he tries
You must express yourself very, very clearly
there must be absolutely no room for alternative interpretations
For poets: GDP = national income = welfarebut not for economists
Another (obvious) aspect of conveying a message
You must know what you are talking about!Obvious?
NOT AT ALL!!
Too often: a poor story (or bad presentation) is not caused by poor writing (or presentation) skills
but by the researcher not mastering his/her subject
Yet another obvious aspect of conveying a message
You must know who is the receiver of your messagein other words: know your audience!
> experts in the field(come to the point quickly, convince on details)
> a more general audience(avoid jargon, convince on relevance)
> the most difficult case: more than one audience(the “best of both worlds” means walking on thin ice!)
This lecture’s immediate future:
Central message so far:writing will determine the rest of your lifestart practicing tomorrow!
This lecture’s immediate future:
Central message so far:writing will determine the rest of your lifestart practicing tomorrow!
Rest of this lecture:more specific14 lessons for writing a scientific paper
This lecture’s immediate future:
Central message so far:writing will determine the rest of your lifestart practicing tomorrow!
Rest of this lecture:more specific14 lessons for writing a scientific paper
Once again, recall the importance of writing:even the most brilliant research resultsshould not only exist in your headbut must be available on paper
Essentials: Paper should be:
well structured, clear and fun to read
How to write a paper in 14 lessons
Have a clear structurejust a bag of excellent ideas is not sufficientrecall: you’re in business, you have to sell you story
• Abstract• Introduction
◦ motivation◦ background
• Literature (review)• Methodology and techniques• Data description• Results and discussion• Summary and conclusions
Lesson 1: Structure of your paper
Talking about structure: structure of your “story” or line of reasoning
Often a struggle: what is absolutely essential what is not (and thus a potential cause for confusion)
TIP:
Lesson 1: Structure of your paper
Talking about structure: structure of your “story” or line of reasoning
Often a struggle: what is absolutely essential what is not (and thus a potential cause for confusion)
TIP: Tell it to your mother!strip your story to its bare essentialstake its clothes off → naked truththat is the starting-point for
building up (and dressing) the story
Lesson 1: Structure of your paper
Talking about structure: structure of your “story” or line of reasoning
Often a struggle: what is absolutely essential what is not (and thus a potential cause for confusion)
TIP: Tell it to your mother!strip your story to its bare essentialstake its clothes off → naked truththat is the starting-point for
building up (and dressing) the story
TIP 2: use presentationsusually limited time → you can only tell the essentials
Lesson 1: Structure of your paper
Do not write a long introduction
The introduction should make clear what the research is about, why it is relevant and how it enhances our current knowledge
Remember: introductions are often read also by non-experts, so keep the introduction clear and simple
(the technical details to “convince” the expert reader must be kept for a later stage)
Lesson 2: The introduction
Very important:
Abstract ≠ Introduction ≠ Summary
Abstract is short and contains the central messageno technical terminologyif necessary: use “the so-called … indicator”
or “we will develop …”
Introduction: sketches background and line of reasoning
Summary (and discussion):summarizes the findings (empirical or theoretical)(in that case: do discuss something)
Lesson 2: The introduction
Research question should be as specific as possible
If possible, split it up in sub questions
However, make sure that sub questions are clearly related
and tell the reader about these relationships!!
recall: no-one “buys” a bag of loose ideas
(readers are not clairvoyant, inform them)
Lesson 3: The research question
• It should become clear to what literature your research contributes
• However: do not try to give an exhaustive survey of the literature, only refer to the most important papers
• Make clear how your research differs from previous research
Lesson 4: Literature
• It should become clear to what literature your research contributes
• However: do not try to give an exhaustive survey of the literature, only refer to the most important papers
• Make clear how your research differs from previous research
TIP(?): most literature reviews are absolutely booooooring!!can only be read by those who know the literature alreadyare impossible to follow by the uninitiated
Lesson 4: Literature
TIP 1: make sure that you have some very recent referencesotherwise the reader may think that:◦ your knowledge is hopelessly outdated, or
Lesson 4: Literature
TIP 1: make sure that you have some very recent referencesotherwise the reader may think that:◦ your knowledge is hopelessly outdated, or◦ your field of research has been “dead” for quite some time
Lesson 4: Literature
TIP 1: make sure that you have some very recent referencesotherwise the reader may think that:◦ your knowledge is hopelessly outdated, or◦ your field of research has been “dead” for quite some time
TIP 2: have some references to top-field journals◦ only low-rated journals: then the topic must be low-rated
◦ be careful with websites (unless for data sources)
Lesson 4: Literature
TIP 1: make sure that you have some very recent referencesotherwise the reader may think that:◦ your knowledge is hopelessly outdated, or◦ your field of research has been “dead” for quite some time
TIP 2: have some references to top-field journals◦ only low-rated journals: then the topic must be low-rated
◦ be careful with websites (unless for data sources)
TIP 3: have some references to papers in the journalyou are submitting it to
Lesson 4: Literature
Explain your methodology very precisely
If your research is theoretical: explain the structure of the model, and how it has been solved
If your research is empirical: explain how you have analyzed the data (technique, estimation method, what data)
Lesson 5: Methodology
Explain your methodology very precisely
If your research is theoretical: explain the structure of the model, and how it has been solved
If your research is empirical: explain how you have analyzed the data (technique, estimation method, what data)
Be very, very clear:the reader should be able to replicate what you have done
if (s)he had the same data
Lesson 5: Methodology
Be very, very clear:the reader should be able to replicate what you have done
if (s)he had the same data
Sounds so obvious,but is extremely difficult
Lesson 5: Methodology
Be very, very clear:the reader should be able to replicate what you have done
if (s)he had the same data
Sounds so obvious,but is extremely difficultand rarely met!!!
Lesson 5: Methodology
Be very, very clear:the reader should be able to replicate what you have done
if (s)he had the same data
Sounds so obvious,but is extremely difficultand rarely met!!!
Do the test:Read a paper and imagine you would have to replicate itwithout having to guess what the author has done
Lesson 5: Methodology
If you are going to use existing data: explain the sources very precisely
If you are going to construct your own data: explain very precisely how you will gather your data
If you gather data by a survey: explain the design of the surveyinclude a pilot and explain very precisely who will be surveyed and why
Lesson 6: The data
If you are going to use existing data: explain the sources very precisely
If you are going to construct your own data: explain very precisely how you will gather your data
If you gather data by a survey: explain the design of the surveyinclude a pilot and explain very precisely who will be surveyed and why
Be very, very clear:the reader should be able to “replicate” what you aim to do
just on the basis of your description
Lesson 6: The data
Once again: try to convince your mother
• Do not include an endless number of huge tables or complex graphs (in general: more ≠ better)
Lesson 7: Results section
Once again: try to convince your mother
• Do not include an endless number of huge tables or complex graphs (in general: more ≠ better)
• If you have zillions of results, try to summarize them in a simple table that highlights your key finding (what do you really want to tell?)each key finding may require a separate table
Lesson 7: Results section
Once again: try to convince your mother
• Do not include an endless number of huge tables or complex graphs (in general: more ≠ better)
• If you have zillions of results, try to summarize them in a simple table that highlights your key finding (what do you really want to tell?)each key finding may require a separate table
• Once again: what is your message?strip down the results until you have the naked truththat is the starting point for dressing up again
which yields your table
Lesson 7: Results section
Lesson 7: Results section
How to discuss the results in the table?
• It is not very useful (and informative) to write downwhat the reader can see in the table(avoid: this is the largest, that ranks two, then we have etcetera)
Lesson 7: Results section
How to discuss the results in the table?
• It is not very useful (and informative) to write downwhat the reader can see in the table(avoid: this is the largest, that ranks two, then we have etcetera)
• Macroscopic view: Sketch the rough, overall picture of your picturefocusing on your central message in the table
Lesson 7: Results section
How to discuss the results in the table?
• It is not very useful (and informative) to write downwhat the reader can see in the table(avoid: this is the largest, that ranks two, then we have etcetera)
• Macroscopic view: Sketch the rough, overall picture of your picturefocusing on your central message in the table
• Microscopic view:Highlight (and discuss) the interesting (strange,surprising?) results
• If possible: make a connection between results
Explain how your research expands our current knowledge: what do we learn from it?
Indicate very precisely the new elements in your research (new model, new method, new data….)
Recall: you’re in business and trying to sell a storyif you have a unique selling point: tell itit will increase your “business success”
If you cannot tell what is so new about your story then why would the editor accept your paper?you are competing with many other authors who do have some news
Lesson 8: Innovation of your research
Indicate very precisely the new elements in your research (new model, new method, new data….)
Example: we develop a new measure!
Lesson 8: Innovation of your research
Indicate very precisely the new elements in your research (new model, new method, new data….)
Example: we develop a new measure!
Q1: why, we already have 173 alternative measures?
Lesson 8: Innovation of your research
Indicate very precisely the new elements in your research (new model, new method, new data….)
Example: we develop a new measure!
Q1: why, we already have 173 alternative measures?we want a better measure!
Lesson 8: Innovation of your research
Indicate very precisely the new elements in your research (new model, new method, new data….)
Example: we develop a new measure!
Q1: why, we already have 173 alternative measures?we want a better measure!
A1: what’s wrong with the other measures(they cannot handle certain questions, they are incorrect or produce implausible results, this one is simpler to calculate)
Lesson 8: Innovation of your research
Explain why your research may be relevant for society and science
If possible, explain why your research may be relevant for
other fields (e.g. if you develop a new methodology)
Recall: you’re in business and trying to sell a story
Lesson 9: Relevance of your research
Explain why your research may be relevant for society and science
If possible, explain why your research may be relevant for
other fields (e.g. if you develop a new methodology)
Recall: you’re in business and trying to sell a storyif you cannot tell what is so relevant about your story then why would the reader show an interest?you are competing with many other story-tellers who do have a relevant story
Lesson 9: Relevance of your research
Discuss your paper not only with your supervisor, but also with other students
Learn from them: is it clear what you have written?
Lesson 10: Testing your paper
You are the expert, your aim is to help the reader in becoming an expert
The reader must (be able to) understand each and every single detail
The reader should be able to replicate what you have doneif (s)he had the same data
Lesson 11: Be a reader yourself!
TIP: after writing your paper, put it aside for two monthsread again what you have written after these two months
Lesson 11: Be a reader yourself!
TIP: after writing your paper, put it aside for two monthsread again what you have written after these two months
typically: what exactly did I mean here?that is the spot that needs improvement
because: if you as the writer cannot understand it after just two months
how on earth should an innocent reader be able to understand your scribbling?
Lesson 11: Be a reader yourself!
Select the appropriate journal
Do not submit an average paper to a top journalit is a waste of time, it will be rejected
Lesson 12: Submission
Select the appropriate journal
Do not submit an average paper to a top journalit is a waste of time, it will be rejectedif you want to gamble, go to the casino
Lesson 12: Submission
Select the appropriate journal
Do not submit an average paper to a top journalit is a waste of time, it will be rejectedif you want to gamble, go to the casino
Do not submit a good paper to a low-ranked journalit’s a waste of quality, you can do better
Selecting the appropriate journal is important but difficultit requires you to know the quality of your workvery difficult for young researchers
Lesson 12: Submission
Select the appropriate journal
Do not submit an average paper to a top journalit is a waste of time, it will be rejectedif you want to gamble, go to the casino
Do not submit a good paper to a low-ranked journalit’s a waste of quality, you can do better
Selecting the appropriate journal is important but difficultit requires you to know the quality of your workvery difficult for young researchers
TIP: present it at conferences and use the feedback
Lesson 12: Submission
Typically there are guidelines for submission(length of abstract, style, questions when submitting
electronically)
Lesson 12: Submission
Typically there are guidelines for submission(length of abstract, style, questions when submitting
electronically)
don’t be stubborn, just obey the rulesand make sure to meet the guidelines!!!
Lesson 12: Submission
Typically there are guidelines for submission(length of abstract, style, questions when submitting
electronically)
don’t be stubborn, just obey the rulesand make sure to meet the guidelines!!!
If you do not (or cannot) cope with a simple set of guidelines or questions
how can I (as editor) trust you can write a good paper?
Lesson 12: Submission
Typically you will receive comments by the referees and (often) a chance to respond
For your response, there are two simple rules:
Lesson 13: Coping with the referees’ comments
Typically you will receive comments by the referees and (often) a chance to respond
For your response, there are two simple rules:
RULE 1: The referee is always right!
Lesson 13: Coping with the referees’ comments
Typically you will receive comments by the referees and (often) a chance to respond
For your response, there are two simple rules:
RULE 1: The referee is always right!
RULE 2: In case the referee is not right, we fall automatically back to rule 1
Lesson 13: Coping with the referees’ comments
These two rules sound silly and childishyet, they contain a lot of truth
Even if the referee makes very stupid comments
it indicates that you have failed to convey your messageadequately
so not the referee is to blame blame yourself and try to write better (i.e. more clear)
Lesson 13: Coping with the referees’ comments
> Reference list and citing references:irrelevant but very important
> Do the test
Lesson 14: Reference list
> Reference list and citing references:irrelevant but very important
> Do the test
> Take one minute to decide on the quality of the paper> What does the reference list “look like”> Like a mess: paper is of poor quality
Lesson 14: Reference list
> Reference list and citing references:irrelevant but very important
> Do the test
> Take one minute to decide on the quality of the paper> What does the reference list “look like”> Like a mess: paper is of poor quality
> Surprisingly often: correct qualification
> For me: reference list contains a very important signal
Lesson 14: Reference list
> What are good journals?SSCI impact factors
IF(2008) for journal A =(# citations to papers published in 2007 in A + # citations to papers published in 2006 in A) :(# papers published in 2006 + 2007 in A)
the average number of times that a paper in A is cited in the next year and the year after that
Additional issues
> What are good journals?SSCI impact factors
> Although there is a lot of critique, all over the worldmany institutions use publications in journals withan impact factor as a criterion
Additional issues
> Measuring output
> In Groningen:top (field) journals: 5 pointsvery good journals: 3 pointsother SSCI journals: 1 point
for a list, see www.som.rug.nl
> n authors: each author receives a share 2/(n+1)of the number of points for that journal
Additional issues
> Requirement to become fellow of research school:
at least 5 points in 4 years
(5 papers in 1-point journals;10 papers, each with 3 authors, in 1-point journals1 single-authored paper in a 5-point journal
> visibility of an institute in the international scientificcommunity: only through publications intop and very good journals
> fellows get 40-50% of their time for research
Additional issues