HOW TO WRITE A SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION

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HOW TO WRITE A SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION

• Karl-Heinz Schwalbe

You just sit down and start writing?
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WHY DO SCIENTISTS WRITE?

• Scientific research is not complete until the
  results have been published.
• Writing an accurate, understandable paper is
  therefore as important as the research itself.
• To make a permanent, publicly accessible record
  of your findings
• To convince your funding body to sink even more
  money into your research
• Ego Your work is your epitaph
• Your supervisor forces you
• No PhD without publication (the thesis is one)

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STRUCTURE OF A PAPER

• Scientific writing has to be simple, clear, and
  to the point. No jargon or flowery literary
  embellishments, no exaggeration. It may follow
  the structure
• Title Why should somebody read the paper?
• Introduction What did you do? Why did you do it?
• Materials/Methods How did you do it?
• Results What did you find?
• Discussion What does it all mean?
• Conclusions What did we learn?

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TITLE

• The title should be descriptive of the paper.
• Avoid complete phrases
• Avoid acronyms, in particular those invented by
  the author
• Avoid mathematical symbols
• Avoid the term novel. Your work is supposed to
  be novel anyway.

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ABSTRACT

• Typically, the abstract should be no more than
  250 words.
• The abstract should be a single paragraph.
• The abstract should be written in the past tense
  (you have already done the experiments!)
• The abstract should not cite references.
• The abstract should not use acronyms nor symbols.

• What the abstract should say.
• State the principal objectives and scope of the
  investigation.
• Briefly describe the methods employed.
• Summarise the main results.
• State the principal conclusions.

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KEYWORDS

• The keywords should cover the content of the
  paper.
• They provide the profile of your paper for data
  banks.
• Many journals provide a selection of keywords
  from which you are supposed to choose.

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INTRODUCTION

• This section provides the justification of the
  work done.
• Give brief overview on state of the art of your
  area.
• Cite the relevant literature.
• The final section should describe the gap in
  knowledge you have filled and how you have done
  it.

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MATERIALS / METHODS

• Write in the past tense.
• Include enough detail so that a competent worker
  can repeat the experiments or simulations.
• Details include materials, test pieces,
  methods employed, parameters varied..
• This contributes to good scientific practice!
  (And also The reviewers have to be able to
  understand what you have done!)
• Do not include results in this section.

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MATERIALS / METHODS, cont.

• Nowadays, it is much appreciated when
  experimental and theoretical (analytical or
  numerical) work is combined
• Theoretical work without validation by
  experiments is often of not much value.
• And also it is valuable to have experimental work
  backed up by theoretical models.

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RESULTS

• The best way to present results is showing them
  as clear diagrams, with explanations in the text.
• Be selective you do not have to include every
  detail you have obtained.
• It is not advisable to present results in figures
  and tables.
• Reserve extensive interpretation of the results
  for the Discussion section. However, a brief (one
  or two sentences) discussion of an experimental
  result often serves as a nice transition to the
  next simulation, or experiment, and so gives the
  paper a flow.

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RESULTS, cont.
RESULTS, cont.

• In papers on analytical work, please do not write
  endless formulas. If you have very long
  derivations it may make sense to shift some of
  the derivations into an appendix. Otherwise the
  reader may get lost.
• If you use numerous formulas and hence a large
  number of mathematical symbols, PLEASE PROVIDE A
  LIST OF SYMBOLS!!! Otherwise a reader and the
  reviewer(!) - may give up.
• I use to return such papers without a list of
  symbols.

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RESULTS,
DISCUSSION

• Requires much skill, provides order and
  interpretation of the results.
• A mere reporting of experimental results without
  attempting to search for underlying mechanisms is
  of little value and will usually not accepted for
  publication.
• Put your results into perspective by comparing
  them with the state of the art described in the
  Introduction.
• Your results will thus contribute to the overall
  knowledge of your area.
• Whenever possible, schematic representations of
  the model(s) developed are a very versatile tool
  for conveying your message to the reader.

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DISCUSSION
DISCUSSION, cont.

• A compilation of numerous diagrams and colour
  pictures does not make a scientific paper.
• Ordering the data and systematic presentation
  and interpretation of the results is an
  intellectual effort that has to be performed by
  the author and not by the reader.

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DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS

• Start with a few phrases to summarise the work
  done.
• List the main conclusions (lessons learned).
• Perspectives for further work may be given.
• This section is frequently misunderstood to be a
  repetition of the Abstract.

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CONCLUSIONS
FINAL REMARKS

• Put yourself into the position of the reader so
  that you can explain what you have done.
• Do not forget Acknowledgements.
• Internal quality control is very important.
• We have given you some guidance on how to
  organise your manuscript, but
• THE SCIENCE IS YOUR JOB!

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