Writing a scientific paper

Khon Kaen 2555

If you want to learn sailing

Start to love the Sea

If you want to learn writing

Start to love nice stories

The most important problem

in scientific writing is given by

the formula: E = mc2

E = mc2

Emotions = manuscript x corrections2

First step in writing

Don’t write

Second step in writing

Don’t write

Third step in writing

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

Writing

1. Read

2. Write

3. Review

4. Rewrite

5. Relax

6. Repeat Steps 3-5

• Secret of writing is rewriting

• Secret of rewriting is rethinking

Just before the Final stage

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 first 10 seconds are the most critical

The neuro-anatomy of judgment of a manuscript

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

The first dominant judgment is made on the title

And abstract

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

Peer review

Congratulations

Do you want to

become an active writer?

Workshop writing

First draft

Final version

But only the begin

Get active

Workshop

tomorrow

December 12 2012

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