Writing scientific paper (Easy When You Know How) By Dr. Ayat Al-Ghafari Wednesday

Objectives O By the end of this presentation, you will be able to: 1. Describe the main characteristics of the scientific writing 2. Identify the elements of the scientific paper 3. Discuss the function, structure, and writing style of each element of scientific paper 4. Respect the academic integrity, honesty, and ethics of scientific writing

Characteristics of scientific writing O Good scientific writing is:  Clear  Avoid any unnecessary details  Simple  Use direct language, avoid vague or complicated sentences

Characteristics of scientific writing  Neutral  Avoid making assumptions (e.g., Everyone knows that …..) and unproven statement (e.g., It can never be proved that ……)  Clarity  It present how and where data were collected and supports its conclusions with evidence

Characteristics of scientific writing  Structured logically  Ideas and processes are expressed in a logical order  The text is divided into sections with clear headings  Accurate  Avoid vague and ambiguous language such as about, approximately, almost

Characteristics of scientific writing  Avoid technical terms and jargon  Use them only when they are necessary for accuracy  Objective  Statements and ideas are supported by appropriate evidence that demonstrates how conclusions have been drawn  Acknowledging the work of others

What do scientists write? O Research papers O Reviews O Abstracts O Book chapters O Books O Grant applications O Theses (and assessment reports)

Writing a scientific paper O First question O Have I got sufficient data to support my conclusion? O Have a look at a typical journal in your field O What do the results sections look like?

The next step O When you have decided what you are trying to communicate set up a mock results section O Label several sheets of blank paper: O Table 1, 2 etc O Figure 1, 2 etc O Roughly sketch what data will go on what page O Shuffle the pages into a logical order O Does it seem complete O Yes? Write the paper! O No? What else do you need to do?

Choose your journal O Look carefully at a selection O Which is most appropriate? O Talk to your supervisor(s) O No point going for Nature unless everyone agrees it is worthwhile O Consider the impact factor O Not all journals are equal! O The impact factor is a measure of how often an average article in a journal is cited

Elements of scientific writing SCIENTIFIC PAPER 1. Title 2. Abstract/summary 3. Introduction 4. objectives 5. Methods 6. Results 7. Discussion 8. References What do you do first?

This is what I do O On a 1000 mile journey, the hardest thing is the first step. O Make the first step easy! O The methodology is often easiest to write as is simply descriptive. O Order this in the same way as you will present your results

The next step O I usually write the results text next O This is also descriptive as you simply describe your data (figures and tables) O “These data show that something is higher/faster/larger than something else (p<0.001)”. O A common error is to add discussion and interpretation to this section O This leaves nothing for the discussion section!

The home straight O I usually then write the introduction O Details why you did the study (not what you found) O Then the discussion interprets your results and places into context with the literature. O End with a nice ‘take home’ message in the final paragraph

Crossing the line O Figure legends should be ‘stand alone’ O The title should be clear and attract attention O You need to lure readers to your paper amongst all the others O Similarly, the abstract should be very clear with simple messages, clear results and snappy conclusions

References O Use Endnote (or similar) to output the references in the correct format O But, which references do you cite? O High impact factor journals O Avoid over citation of yourself O Write what you know and then reference the text or you will need to stop every few words to find a paper in the heap on your floor!

Elements of scientific paper 1- Title  Function:  It should start with a title that describes the contents of the paper  Format:  The title should be centered at the top of the paper  Informative and specific  Concise  Understandable  Has important words first  Has no abbreviations

Elements of scientific paper 2- Abstract/summary  Function:  It summarizes the major aspects of the entire paper  Format:  It is a one paragraph summary of the work, including the question investigated, the methods used, the principal results and conclusions  Use the active voice when possible  Write the abstract with a concise sentences  Use past tense because the data are unpublished yet

Elements of scientific paper 2- Abstract/summary  Contents:  Brief background/context  Aims of the study  The information the research will provide  Begin writing the abstract/summary after you have finished writing your paper  Write short and simple sentences (≤ 25 words in the sentence are enough)  Don’t use long word where a short one will do (e.g., facilitate ---- help, endeavor ---- try)

Elements of scientific paper 3- Introduction  Function:  Is a brief section designed to inform the reader of the relevance of your work and includes a relevant background  Use present tense or present perfect tense  Provides a clear statement of the rationale for your approach to the problem studied  Outlines your main objectives  It usually uses a funnel style, starting broadly and then narrowing

Elements of scientific paper 4- Objectives  Function:  To describe the main reasons behind doing this research  Format:  Several ways can be used to signal the research questions such as: 1. “to determine whether …….” 2. “ the purpose of this study was to ……” 3. “ this study studies the hypothesis that …….” 4. “ This study was undertaken to ………….”

Elements of scientific paper 4- Objectives  SMART Objectives:  Specific  Measurable  Achievable  Realistic  Time-bound

Elements of scientific paper 5- Methods  Function:  Explain clearly how you carried out your study  It describes the process you undertook to complete the research  Format:  Use a past tense to describe what you have already done  Simple (don’t mention any unnecessary details)  Clear

Elements of scientific paper 6- Results  Function:  To objectively present the your key results, with no interpretation, in an orderly and logical sequence using both text and illustrative materials (tables and figures)  Use past tense to detail the results you obtained  Use present tense to refer to graphs, tables, and figures

Elements of scientific paper 6- Results  The style of the table

Elements of scientific paper 6- Results  When to use a table??

Elements of scientific paper 6- Results  Guidelines for a good table:  The title should clearly describes what the table is about  The column heads are descriptive and clearly indicate the nature of the data presented  The data is divided into categories for clarity  It is self-contained  Sufficient spacing is present between columns and rows (FOR ALL TABLES)  The layout is clean and the font is legible

Elements of scientific paper 6- Results  The style of the figure

Elements of scientific paper 6- Results  When to use a line graph ??

Elements of scientific paper 6- Results  When to use a Bar chart??

Elements of scientific paper 6- Results  When to use a Pie chart??

Elements of scientific paper 6- Results  When to use a drawing/ photograph ??

Elements of scientific paper 6- Results  Guidelines for a good figure:  Ensure image clarity  A figure legend at the bottom ALWAYS draws the reader’s attention to the graph’s key points  Label all important points  Choose an informative title that tells immediately the reader  The axes are labeled clearly  A note at the bottom acknowledge the source

Elements of scientific paper 7- Discussion  Function:  It offers your interpretations and conclusions about your findings  How do your results relate to the goals of the study  How do they relate to the results that might have been expected from background information  Demonstrate your ability to synthesize, analyze, evaluate, interpret, and reason effectively

Elements of scientific paper 7- Discussion  Function:  Use present tense to explain significance of results  Use past tense to summarize findings, with present tense to interpret the results  Interpret your results and explain key limitations  Discuss agreement or contrast with previously published work  Offer general conclusions  Recommend areas for future study

Elements of scientific paper 7- Discussion  For a successful discussion (make a STORY) BeginningMiddleEnd

Elements of scientific paper 8- Referencing  Function:  To support your opinion  To add credibility to the information you present  To enable the reader to trace the source you used  To avoid possible accusations of plagiarism  You should include a reference for all the sources of information that you use when writing

A knotty problem O Who will be included as authors (and in what order) O This can cause some dispute! O Some journals have a clear policy O Some supervisors or research groups also have a policy (ask) O All authors carry full responsibility for the content

The mechanics of publication O Submission O You may need to learn how to use an on-line system like ‘Manuscript Central’ O The decision O Rejection. Learn from the referees comments and try again O Revision. This is common. Answer the referees questions carefully (maybe generate some more data) and you’ll be OK O Immediate acceptance. This is rare!