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Obviously, the criteria applied for a review are relevant for writing an article as well

Understanding the viewpoint of a referee can be extremely helpful in designing and writing your own research reports / articles

In general, everything from now on relates to two important issues on the path to successful publication:

1. Learning to think about your own research

2. Learning about “rules” and “experiences” on effective communication of research

Paper writing process

Planning of paper

Outlining

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We will not cover here the general process of finding a relevant topic and approach for your overall research, but we start from the point where you have an overview on the relevant literature, you performed your analysis, and your are ready to report on it

Some general comments on the “time before” shall be given/repeated nevertheless:

Don’t go deep into your own analysis before you do not have a basic overview on what others have done in the area

Very early try to identify the key research question you are interested to answer can be revised later, but it is necessary to guide your literature search and first steps

Authentic curiosity is what gets you through and makes your research interesting to others as well. If you really want to find the best possible answer to your question, you have the most important ingredient for successful research (and publication)

Sometimes (often?) we are confronted with research questions posed by others (projects financing our research…) and identification might be difficult try to make it your own as much as possible

Initial Planning

Planning of paper

Outlining

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The key message

Planning of paper

Outlining

Write down key message of paper in one sentence

Or explain to a colleague in less than one minute

Do not proceed to outlining or writing the paper before you have not got this exercise right

It will help guide everything that follows and allows to focus, be clear, and to be confident

If it doesn’t work, write two sentences. If it still doesn’t work, think about the reason

Is the key message not clear to yourself? Are you not confident about the contribution/result of your research? Is it possibly useful to split the intended paper into two?

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Discarding zero trade flow observations between countries will bias estimates of regulatory impacts on agricultural commodity trade

The impact of national biofuel mandates on climate gas emissions crucially depends on implemented trade policies for substitute products from foreign origins

German consumers’ willingness to pay for vitamin additives to milk depends on health information provided at purchase time

The efficient contract design between actors in the food supply chain depends on the level of product differentiation

…

Examples of key messages

Planning of paper

Outlining

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Once you have identified the key message (contribution) you should make an initial selection of a journal for the submission

Question: Who might be interested in your key message? (region or country specific, international scientific audience…)

Based on your literature knowledge, preselect journals that publish similar types of research reports read “scope of the journal” on the journal website to check fit

Other criteria that might apply: How much time do you have to complete the publication process?

(depends on journal targeted) How important is it to publish in the most reputable journal fitting my

research? How much risk of rejection are you willing to take?

Journal selection

Planning of paper

Outlining

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Producing an outline

Producing an outline means to identify main sections and core content of each section

Avoid excursions in “also interesting” directions

However, don’t constrain yourself too much in the first go: let your initial thoughts flow can still be re-organised and adjusted

Always think about the reader: You have to take him/her through a logical structure and later through a logical flow of arguments

Take your time for this! It will make the writing easier

Planning of paper

Outlining

Always remember your key message: everything written should be related in some fashion to this

The reader always needs to know where he/she is and why you are writing what you write

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Outlining an empirical paper

The following standard sections could serve as a starting point: Planning of paper

Outlining

Introduction

Literature review

Theory

Data and methodology

Results

Conclusions

Abstract

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Outline: Introduction

Planning of paper

Outlining

An explanation of the situation around which the research is carried out (problem background)

The problem that is perceived

The questions that have arisen as a result of the problem objective and contribution (relative to the literature)

The steps taken to answer the questions

The structure of the remaining sections

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Outline: Literature review

what strand of literature a contribution is made to (details of your statement on this in the introduction)

Should NOT contain everything you have read about the subject

Restrict largely to most recent publications that already build on former literature and that you build upon (that you use as a starting point)

Very few core or classic articles are ok to hook the knowledgeable reader or to point to background

Your key message can lead you in choosing articles with similar or contrasting messages

Planning of paper

Outlining

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Outline: Theory

Start from the literature review (do not provide another one)

Identify clearly the behavioral model objective function / rules Relevant constraints to considered actors

relevant determinants for behavior Time horizon/scope/explanatory limits

End with Formal model to be estimated or simulated with

(quantitative studies) Quantitative or qualitative hypotheses to be tested

and that are closely related to objective

Planning of paper

Outlining

Now the focus is on what YOU did and why

Do not include derivations coming from textbooks or other articles

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Outline: Data and methodology

Data Population: time and cross sectional units, variables with precise

definition, sources of secondary data Sampling (if primary data): sample selection, survey design,

sample size, coding of responses (variable definition)

Methodology Statistical/estimation methodology, parameterization of

simulation model, optimization techniques Motivation of methodological choice (“standard” as motivated in

other related state-of-the-art publications; or arguing to be the best of several choices; or why better than previous choices)

If theory and model description together is rather short (for example because contribution lies somewhere else or structure not so complex) then these sections can be combined later

Planning of paper

Outlining

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Outline: Results

Decide what core information is necessary to support your key results

Choose means (tables, figures, text) and order to most efficiently and clearly convey main results

Make clear reference in presentation to the theoretical and methodological sections for readers to see the direct connection (do not introduce new variables / parameters / determinants…here)

Do not include intermediate/non-valid results in length unless a detailed understanding of those is necessary to understand the final result/specification (should have also been explained in methodology section)

Planning of paper

Outlining

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Outline: Conclusions

Repeat very briefly your objective and what you have done (2-3 sentences)

List major and minor findings (prioritize already but take time to be rather complete can be restricted or summarized in writing phase)

List main limitations of your approach which might hint at possible further research (here your theoretical understanding and the problem background is relevant again: simplifications are typically introduced somewhere along the way…)

However, don’t overdo this such that you completely devalue the contribution….

Planning of paper

Outlining

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After outline: time for first abstract

The abstract of an article (not the “extended abstract” sometimes submitted to conferences) should be short (usually not more than 100 words) and contain the following:

Problem background Objective/contribution Theory/Method/Data to achieve objective Summary of main findings (key message!)

This implies about two sentences per item on average Apply some relative weighting according to area of

main contribution (theory, methodology, results…) Avoid (long and) cluttered sentences (not only here) Give it to a colleague and ask if it makes sense

Planning of paper

Outlining