Guidelines for Writing a Scientific Paper.ppt

8/14/2019 Guidelines for Writing a Scientific Paper.ppt

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Writing an effective scientific paper is noteasy.

A good r!e of t"#$ is to %rite as if yorpaper %i!! $e read $y a person %"o kno%s

a$ot t"e fie!d in genera! $t does nota!ready kno% %"at yo did.

&efore yo %rite a scientific paper read so#escientific papers t"at "ave $een %ritten in t"e

for#at of t"e paper yo p!an to se. In addition to t"e science' pay attention to t"e

%riting sty!e and for#at.


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T"e Anato#y of T"esis

or Researc" Paper

Tit!e

A$stract

Introdction (ateria!s and (et"ods

Res!ts

)iscssion *S##ary+

References


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Abstract

An a$stract is a sccinct *one paragrap"+s##ary of t"e entire paper.

T"e a$stract s"o!d $rief!y descri$e t"e,estion posedin t"e paper' t"e #et"odssed to ans%er t"is ,estion t"e res!tso$tained' and t"e conc!sions.

It s"o!d $e possi$!e to deter#ine t"e #a-orpoints of a paper $y reading t"e a$stract.

A!t"og" it is !ocated at t"e $eginning of t"epaper' it is easiest to %rite t"e a$stract aftert"e paper is co#p!eted.


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Introduction

T"e Introdction s"o!d

*i+ descri$e t"e ,estion tested$y t"eeperi#ents descri$ed in t"e paper'

*ii+ ep!ain %"y t"is is an interesting ori#portant ,estion'

*iii+ descri$e t"e approac" sed in

sfficient detai! t"at a reader %"o is notfa#i!iar %it" t"e tec"ni,e %i!! nderstand%"at %as done and %"y' and


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Materials and Methods

sccinct!y descri$e %"at %as acta!!y done.

It s"o!d inc!de description of t"etec"ni,es sed so so#eone co!d figre

ot %"at eperi#ents %ere acta!!y done. T"e detai!s of a p$!is"ed protoco!do not

need to $e reprodced in t"e tet $t an

appropriate reference s"o!d $e cited/e.g.' si#p!y indicate 0%ere done asdescri$ed $y 1g"es et a!. *2+3.


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Results

&egin eac" paragrap"%it" an opening sentence t"atte!!s t"e reader %"at ,estion is $eing tested in t"eeperi#ents descri$ed in t"at paragrap".

Write t"e opening sentence in $o!d font for e#p"asis.*So#eti#es a co#p!ete sentenceis sed andso#eti#es a s"ort p"rase is sed/ eit"er sty!e is 45$t t"e sty!e s"o!d $e sed consistent!y t"rog"ott"e #anscript.+

Any res!ts t"at inc!de #!tip!e data points t"at arecritica! for t"e reader to eva!ate t"e eperi#ents"o!d $e s"o%n in ta$!es or figres.

1o%ever' t"e res!ts s"o!d $e s##ari6ed inacco#panying tet.


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Tables and Figures

S"o!d $e pt into a conteta! fra#e%ork in t"e corresponding tet.

It s"o!d $e possi$!e to figre ot t"e #eaningof a Ta$!e or Figre

%it"ot referring to t"e tet.

Ta$!es and figres s"o!d typica!!y s##ari6e res!ts' not present

!arge a#onts of ra% data. W"en possi$!e' t"e res!ts s"o!d provide so#e %ay of eva!ating

t"e reprodci$i!ity or statistica! significanceof any n#$ers

presented.

Ta$!es and Figres s"o!d $e se,entia!!y n#$ered.

Ta$!es and figres #ay $e printed on separate pagest"at fo!!o% t"e

Reference section.


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Citations

T"ere are a variety of %ays of citing

references in t"e tet / t"e sty!e sed

depends pon t"e po!icy of t"e -orna!

*1arvard or ;ancover sty!e+.

In tet citations s"o!d refer to reference

!ist.


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Reference lists

>-$.as#.org>#isc>ifora.s"t#!+ or

ea#p!es fro# p$!is"ed #anscripts.


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Genetic nomenclature

?se correct genetic no#enc!atre for $ot"

genotype and p"enotype. To revie% t"e

r!es for $acteria! geneticno#enc!atre'

see t"e (icro$ia! Geneticstopics !ink.


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Format

Flow.f!o%s s#oot"!y' fro# $ackgrond to rationa!e to

conc!sion.don8t force t"e reader to figre ot yor !ogic

ep!icit!y state t"e !ogic $e"ind any transitionsfro#one idea to anot"er.


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Format (contd)Abbreviations. ?se standard a$$reviations*"r' #in' sec' etc+ instead of

%riting co#p!ete %ords. So#e co##on a$$reviationst"at do not re,ire

definitionare s"o%n on t"e attac"ed ta$!e.

)efine a!! ot"er a$$reviations t"e first ti#et"ey aresed' t"en s$se,ent!y se t"e a$$reviation @e.g. A#pici!!in resistant *A#pR+. As a genera! r!e' do not se an a$$reviationn!ess a

ter# is sed at !east t"ree ti#es in t"e #anscript.

Wit" t%o eceptions *t"e degree sy#$o! and percentsy#$o!+' a space s"o!d $e !eft$et%een n#$ers andt"e acco#panying nit. In genera!'

a$$reviations s"o!d not $e %ritten in t"e p!ra!for#*e.g. B #! or #!' not #!s+.


16/20

Format (contd)

Past, present, and future tense. Res!ts descri$ed in yor papers"o!d $e

descri$ed in past tense*yo8ve done t"eseeperi#ents' $t yor res!ts are not yet

accepted 0facts3+. Res!ts fro# p$!is"ed paperss"o!d $e

descri$ed in t"e present tense*$ased pon t"eass#ption t"at p$!is"ed res!ts are 0facts3+.

4n!y eperi#ents t"at yo p!anto do in t"eftre s"o!d $e descri$ed in t"e ftre tense.


17/20

Format (contd)

Third vs first person.

first persons"o!d $e sed sparing!y / *reserve t"e

se of first person for t"ings t"at yo %ant to e#p"asi6e+

(ost tet s"o!d $e %ritten in t"e t"ird person to avoidsonding !ike an ato$iograp"ica! accont penned $y a

narcissistic at"or.

It is $etter to say 0It is possi$!e to ..3 t"an to say 04ne

co!d ...3.


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Format (contd)Empty phrases.

Avoid sing p"rases t"at do not contri$te to nderstanding. 0In order to ...3*s"orten to si#p!y 0To ...3+.

In s"ort' don8t se #ore %ords t"an yo need to #ake yor point.

Specify.

It is co##on to se a pronon sc" as 0it3 or 0t"ey3 to refer to a concept fro#

t"e previos sentence. #ean.

Parentheses.

Avoid do$!e parent"esesFor ea#p!e' 0T"ree gene prodcts cata!y6e

reactions in t"e pat"%ay for pro!ine $iosynt"esis *Figre B+ *D+3 co!d $e

re%orded to say 0Figre B s"o%s t"e t"ree reactions of t"e pat"%ay for

pro!ine $iosynt"esis *D+.3


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roofreading

A!%ays spe!!c"eckyor paper and

caref!!y proofread yor paper $efore

s$#ission.

In addition to c"ecking for errors and

typos' read yor paper to yorse!f as if

yo %ere reading it ot !od to ensre t"at

t"e %ording and sentence constrction isnot c!#sy.


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!"M# $!#F$% R#!"$RC#!

B. Instrctions to At"ors' . &acterio!.@"ttp=>>-$.as#.org>#isc>ifora.s"t#!

. Word sage in scientific %riting@"ttp=>>%%%.ag.iastate.ed>aginfo>c"eck!ist."t#!

D. )ang!ing #odifiers@"ttp=>>o%!.eng!is".prde.ed>"andots>gra##ar>gdang#od."t#!

2. A!!ey' (. BHH. T"e craft of scientific %riting' Drd edition. Prentice 1a!!' N.

@and acco#panying%e$ site= "ttp=>>fi!e$o.vt.ed>eng>#ec">%riting>

B. )ay' R. BHHJ. 1o% to %rite and p$!is" a scientific paper' t" edition.4ryn Press.

. )ay' R. BHH. Scientific Eng!is"= A gide for scientists and ot"erprofessiona!s' nd edition.4ryn Press.

D. Go$en' G.' and . S%an. BHHK. T"e science of scientific %riting. A#.Scientist LJ= KMJ. @Avai!a$!e on!ine at"ttp=>>%%%.researc".att.co#>andreas>sci."t#!

2. (c(i!!an' ;. BHJJ. Writing papers in t"e $io!ogica! sciences. &edford&ooks' N7.

. Strnk' W.' and E. &. W"ite. BHLH. T"e e!e#ents of sty!e' Drd edition.(ac(i!!ian P$!is"ing Co.

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Guidelines for Writing a Scientific Paper.ppt