1. Writing an original research paper Part one: Important considerations
Amin Bredan, PhD, Editor
Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology
Ghent University
and
Department for Molecular Biomedical Research
Flanders Institute of Biotechnology
Belgium

2. The original research article
It is not just a presentation of work carried out
It reports research reaching conclusions supported by evidence
It is a well-documented argument for a particular finding or observation
The argument is supported by the results (and the literature)
The literature should be used only to:
support argument or counter-argument
facilitate understanding

3. Structure of a research article two styles
Divided into sections depending on topic
Less common
Used in journals Science, Nature etc.
Structured
Most common
IMRAD (Intro, M&M, Results, Discussion)
Some variations on IMRAD exist

4. Not IMRAD

5. IMRAD structure Title Authors and their affiliation Summary / Abstract
Introduction
Material and methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Acknowlegement
References

6. IMRAD structure Title Authors and their affiliation Summary / Abstract
Introduction
Material and methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Acknowledgement
References
Conclusion frequently at end of discussion

7. IMRAD structure Title Authors and their affiliation Summary / Abstract
Introduction
Material and methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Acknowledgement
References
Results and discussion may be combined

8. IMRAD structure Title Authors and their affiliation Summary / Abstract
Introduction
Material and methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Acknowledgment
References
Some journals place methods
after results and discussion

9. Authorship To qualify as an author one must meet three conditions
1. substantial contributions to one of the following:
- conception and design
- acquisition of data
- analysis and interpretation
2. drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content
3. final approval of the version to be published
Just being the boss does not qualify one to be an author

10. Title The most important single sentence
Accurately represents the contents
Determines whether a reader goes on to read abstract

11. Abstract / Summary a minipaper lacking discussion and references
Provides brief background
States aims
Indicates methodology
States important results
States main conclusion

12. What should not be in the abstract
Literature references
Reference to figures or tables
Uncommon abbreviations
Discussion of results
Information not in main text

13. The introduction Provide background The problem and its significance
Rationale for the research
State aims
Brief but specific

14. Strategy for writing introduction
Make a plan: start, development, rounding up
Summarize what is known
Point to gaps in knowledge
Discuss hypotheses and mechanisms
Go from general to specific issues
Logical development towards your topic
Avoid repetition and plagiarism

15. Refining the introduction
Does it cover the area?
Does it include irrelevant issues?
Is it putting much emphasis where it is not needed?
Is it placing little emphasis on important issues?
Does it clearly show the gap in knowledge that your results help to fill?
Are the aims clearly stated?

16. Materials and methods Enough details to repeat experiments
No explanations of the obvious
Methods obtained from the literature: give the reference and provide a brief summary of the procedure

17. Refining material and methods
Are all sources of material mentioned?
Are all details of experimental conditions specified?
Are experimental procedures explained clearly?
Are the statistical methods given?
Is ethical approval, where relevant, mentioned?
Is there any unnecessary redundancy?
Can this section be shortened without losing essential information?

18. Results Are the results properly introduced to orient the reader?
Can the figures and tables be understood on their own?
Does the text accurately reflect what is in figures and tables?
Does the text properly highlight the most important data in the figures and tables?
Is the text clear and brief?

19. Refining discussion Are the results briefly summarized?
Is there sufficient interpretation of the results and how they fit in with current knowledge?
If a mechanism is involved, is it discussed?
Is there explanation of the significance of the findings?
Is there discussion of studies reporting results that conflict with yours?
Is the literature relevant and up to date?

20. Conclusion Do the results justify the conclusion?
Is the conclusion deficient in providing only a summary of the results?
Is the conclusion defective in being over-generalized?
Is the indication of potentially fruitful future research specific enough?

21. Choice of references Quality is important rather than quantity
Relevant
Up-to-date
Use reviews only for general issues
Working just from abstracts leads to errors: read the papers

22. Check reference list Accurate in content
Formatted according to journal style
Full stops, commas, semicolons, spaces, and abbreviations of journal names and/or author list are all important
This is the full responsibility of authors
Endnote or Reference Manager has become essential

23. Plagiarism
Copying text from another source is considered plagiarism even when the reference is cited
Journals use software to detect plagiarism
Do not copy-paste even single sentences
Use your own words