Ideas about Journal-Style Scientific Writing

Ideas about Journal-Style Scientific Writing Writing a good scientific paper is a real challenge for the majority of writers. Indeed, there are lots of requirements and hidden problems associated with scientific writing. Sometime the content is good but a paper does not meet precise style requirements, or vice versa, it is writer as per certain formal requirements, however, presents little helpful information and research facts. Journal style writing is even more complex. In fact, failures in journal writing tasks are quite common, thus, it is important to consider several points, namely: Getting started Some people claim journal writing should start with making of an outline. However, many authors prove it is possible to make an outline in the end. Indeed, it is possible to write an “after-the-fact” outline. At the same time, this is an option for experienced writers with excellent research and writing skills. Do start with an outline of paper abstracts and sections if you are not seasoned in scientific writing. In case you refuse to write an outline from the very beginning, do create a list of major points and topics covered in the paper. Audience Journal writing is not about submitting a simple essay that only your friends will hopefully read. The article or research needs to have its audience. It is important to know your audience. Is the paper written for fellow authors, professors or maybe general audience? The content of your paper will depend on the audience. A paper for a narrow and strictly technical audience will contain precise tech info, figures, researches etc. Of course, you should not use any complex terms and definitions, if the journal article is written for a general audience. You will be just misunderstood. Style Do not forget this is scientific writing. Thus, it is imperative to avoid any colloquial expressions, such abbreviations as “don’t” or “can’t” etc. In fact, there is a list of requirements for scientific writing which you have to make yourself familiar with. Often, such requirements can vary depending on the discipline, however, the majority of rules and norms are pretty much the same. Research methods Writing a research in a scientific journal can be a daunting task. This is not like writing a 3-page personal essay. Everything written in an article should be based on a research. Even personal findings and opinions should be supported with scientific data. There are many types of scientific research, so you may choose any of them. Moreover, it is possible to combine various research methods, however, avoid blending them. You may include preliminary research results in the research methods section to motivate readers. Tables and Graphs Any scientific research becomes more understood and comprehensive if it is illustrated with graphs and tables. Sure, some scientific fields require more graphic info, while others may need a few tables. Anyway, it is great to have an appendix with graphs and tables that illustrate findings of the research. Numbers and stats Use of statistics is necessary in lots of researches, especially when it comes to industry, sociology, biology etc. Many researches are based on stats figures which are used in formulas or serve as a foundation of various hypotheses. However, be reasonable, since too many figures will hardly make a research readable and understood for your audience. Used materials and plagiarism Of course, it is impossible to write a scientific article without using someone else’s ideas (unless you are the new Einstein). Therefore, it is important to correctly cite all parts of texts and ideas belonging to other people. Luckily, it is not difficult to find style guides on the net. Bear in mind that plagiarism is intolerable in journal writing. In fact, plagiarism is intolerable everywhere. However, submitting a copied paper to your high school teacher and offering a plagiarized article to a scientific journal are wholly different things. If you get caught, forget about your scientific or academic career! So, make sure you use plagiarism detection tools and properly cite all sources of information. No grammar mistakes Well, this reminder may sound silly to you, but it is better to revise your paper before submitting it to the journal. Editors of scientific journals are very scrupulous and pedantic about mistakes. Thus, to keep a high profile reputation make sure the article contains no mistakes. The best option is to have someone else revise your paper. As known, when a person has been working on an article for a long time, he/she may not notice silly mistakes that are evident to other folks. It is better to take time and revise the paper 2-3 times, than to feel embarrassed afterwards. Know your goals Every publication has certain goals. Publishing for the sake of publishing is not a good idea. The research should impress readers or lay foundation for further, more detailed researches that will stun the scientific community.