2. Building a Manuscript

3. Why Publish?
**Disseminate New knowledge** Get feedback on work Advancement (academia) Bragging rights?

4. Purpose of a Publication
Inform other scientists
Document the approach
Explain motivation
How experiment executed
Meaning of results

5. Scientific Writing Writing should be clear and concise NO BS!!
Quality of writing still important
“At present it is widely accepted that TTX possibly is an exogenous source via food chain or symbiosis in case of marine animals, whereas in amphibians it be having an endogenous origin.”

6. What are the pieces?

7. Hartley 2007

8. Abstract Second most important part Shortened version of paper
Should contain all information for reader to determine:
Objectives
How
Results
Significance
Short and sweet

9. Introduction Sets up your paper and put in context Discuss: Structure:
Results and conclusions of previous literature
Holes in current knowledge
Structure:
How to write:

10. Methods Provides all the methodological details
Should be sufficient to duplicate your work
Assume other scientists have same basic skills
Example:
Final paragraph should be stats
Split methods into sections:

11. The Stats Analysis Section (in the methods)
Structure is critical
Start with what test was done
Then say what the test does
What variables?
Then say who it was tested on
Finally say your treatments or what the experiment was testing

12. Results Present the results of your experiments DO NOT INTERPERET
Common mistakes:
When describing results, should include
Test statistic (t, F, χ2)
DF or N
Statistical probability level (p-value)
Measure of central tendency and dispersion or table/figure number
Generally should not present raw data

13. How to set up the text (in the results)
Start with the test
What was found
Significant difference
Non-significant difference
Positive relationship
Negative relationship
No relationship
Etc.
List the response variable
In who?
Then say what experiment tested
(then insert your stats – follow the template)
Robotic – follow it by describing the figure

14. Discussion Interpret your results
Why are they different from other studies
Suggest:
Do not make statements that are too broad
If necessary, note problems and explain anomalies
Summarize in final paragraph

15. Acknowledgements
Thank people
Site funding
Completely free

16. Literature Cited Last section of the paper
Alphabetical list of all articles cited in the text
In text:
Number authors
Within text
In lit cited:
Endnote

17. Tables and figures Accuracy = table To make a statement = figure
Each should stand alone
Examples:

18. Tables

19. Figures
Figure 1. Mean (± SE) ttx concentration (ng/mg) in newt larvae from four developmental stages. 0 W = larvae that had recently hatched, 4 W = four week old larvae, 15 W = fifteen week old larvae, 28 W = larvae that had recently completed metamorphosis. Different letters indicate significant differences between treatments (P < 0.015).

20. After the pieces are together?

21. After the pieces are together?
Formatting
Submission
Review
Revisions
Acceptance/start over
Publication

22. If all else fails….

23. Today’s Lab Begin by building an ethogram of your observations
Include functional and descriptive definitions
Present the ethogram as a table in your manuscript
If you have info on different species, split into different sections
Write the methods section
The methods section and ethogram are due 27 Jan