amsa - iua: how to write a scientific paper, by dr. amal abdou

8/13/2019 AMSA - IUA: How to Write a Scientific Paper, by Dr. Amal Abdou

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How to write a scientific

paper/report

Amel Abdu Abdalla

MBBS, FCM, MA


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But in science the credit goes to theman (or woman) who convinces theworld, not to the man (or woman) to

whom the idea first occurs

Sir Francis Darwin


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Before Starting to Write the

PaperDecide on the topic

Write ideas when ever they come to you

Who are your auidance?


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Essential Parts of a Scientific

paperTitle: Describe concisely the core contents of the paperAbstract: Summarize the major elements of the paperIntroduction: provide context and rationale for the studyMaterials: Describe the experimental design so it isreproducibleMethods: Describe the experimental proceduresResults: Summarize the findings without interpretationDiscussion: Interpret the findings of the studySummary: Summarize the findingsAcknowledgement: Give credit to those who helped youReferences: List all scientific papers, books and websitesthat you cited


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The TitleA good title is defined as the fewest possiblewords that adequately describethecontents of the paper.

The title is extremely important and must bechosen with great care as it will be read bythousands, whereas few will read the entirepaper

Indexing and abstracting of the paperdepends on the accuracy of the title. Animproperly titled paper will get lost and willnever be read.


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Title (cont.)Titles should neither be too short nor too long as tobe meaningless

Waste words (studies on, investigations on, a, an,the etc) should not be used.

Syntax (word order) must be very carefullyconsidered

It should contain the keywords that reflect thecontents of the paper.

It should be meaningful and not generalIt should be concise, specific and informative

It should capture the fundamental nature of theexperiments and findings


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Examples1. Action of Antibiotics on Bacteria

Action: should be definedAntibiotics: should be listed

Bacteria: should be listed2. Mechanism of Suppression of Non-

transmissible Pneumonia in Mice Induced byNewcastle Disease Virus

3. Evaluation of the methylation status of thepromoter of prostate apoptosis par-4 geneand its protein expression in Egyptian cancerpatients

4. Effect of sunlight on leaf morphology


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How to Prepare the TitleMake a list of the most important keywords

Think of a title that contains these words

The title could state the conclusion of the paper

The title NEVER contains abbreviations,chemical formulas, proprietary names or jargon

Think, rethink of the title before submitting thepaper

Be very careful of the grammatical errors dueto faulty word order

Avoid the use of the word using


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The AbstractAn abstract can be defined as a summary of theinformation in a documentIt is of fundamental importance that the abstract bewritten clearly and simply, as it is the first andsometimes the only part of the manuscript read.

It should provide a brief summary of each of themain sections (IMRAD) of the paper:

1. State the principal objective and scope of theinvestigation

2. Describe the methods used

3. Summarize the results, and4. State the principal conclusions

It is easier to write the abstract after completion ofthe paper


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Criteria of the AbstractIt should not exceed 250 wordsIt should be written in one paragraph.It should be written in the past tense as it refers towork done.

Long words should be followed by its abbreviationwhich would be used through out the abstract andpaper.It should not cite any references (except in rarecases)

It should never give any information or conclusionthat is not stated in the paperMust be accurate with respect to figures quoted inthe main text.


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The IntroductionThe introduction should answer thefollowing questions:

1. What was I studying?2. Why was this an important question?3. What did I know about this topic before I

did this study?

4. What model was I testing? and5. What approach did I take in this study?


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Suggested rules for a good

introductionIt should present the nature and scope of theproblem investigated

Review the pertinent literatureState the method of investigation

State the principal results of the investigation

State the principal conclusion(s) suggested bythe results


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General rulesUse the present tense when referring to workthat has already been published, but past tensewhen referring to your own study.

Use the active voice as much as possibleAvoid lengthy or unfocused reviews of previousresearch.

Cite peer-reviewed scientific literature or

scholarly reviews. Avoid general reference workssuch as textbooks.

Define any specialized terms or abbreviations


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How to write the Materials

and Methods sectionProvide full details so that the experiments arereproducible

If the peer reviewer has doubts that theexperiments could be repeated, the manuscriptwill be rejected.

Organize the methods under subheadings, withrelated methods described

Describe the experimental design in detail

Do not mix some of the Results in this section

Write in the past tense


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MaterialsMust identify accurately experimental animals,plants, and microorganisms used by genus, speciesand strain

The source of subjects studied, number of

individuals in each group used, their sex, age, andweight must be clearly stated

If human subjects are used, the criteria forselection should be described, and consent

For chemicals used, include exact technicalspecifications and source or method of preparation.

Avoid the use of trade names of chemicals, genericor chemical names are preferred.


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MethodsThis part of the manuscript must be clear, preciseand concise so that it can be reproducible

How did you study the problem?

What did you use? (materials)

How did you proceed? (methods/procedures)

Provide enough detail for study replication

Order proceduresby typeor chronology

Use pasttense

Quantifywhen possible

Do not mix results with procedures


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How to write the ResultsResults section is written in the past tenseIt is the core or heart of the paperIt needs to be clearly and simply stated since itconstitutes the new knowledge contributed to the

worldThe purpose of this section is to summarize andillustrate the findings in an orderly and logicalsequence, without interpretationThe text should guide the reader through thefindings, stressing the major pointsDo not describe methods that have already beendescribed in the M&M section or that have beeninadvertently omitted


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Methods of presenting the

data1. Directly in the text

2. In a table

3. In a figure

All figures and tables mustbe accompaniedby a textual presentation of the key findings

Never have a table or figure that is notmentioned in the text


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Tables and figuresTables are appropriate for large or complicateddata sets that would be difficult to explain clearlyin text.

Figures are appropriate for data sets that exhibittrends, patterns, or relationships that are bestconveyed visually.

Any table or figure must be sufficiently describedby its title and caption or legend, to be

understandable without reading the main text ofthe results section.

Do not include both a table and a figure showingthe same information


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How to write the

DiscussionIt is the hardest section to write

Its primary purpose is to show therelationships among observed facts

It should end with a short summary orconclusion regarding the significance of thework


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DiscussionWhat do your observationsmean?What conclusions can you draw?

How do your results fit into a broadercontext?

Summarize the mostimportant findings

Move from specificdiscussion to general

Do not ignore or bury the majorissue

Make explanations complete

Do not over-generalizeDo not ignore deviations in your data

Avoid speculationthat cannot be tested inforeseeable future


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Components of the

discussionTry to present the principles, relationships, andgeneralizations shown by the Results

Point out any exceptions or any lack of correlation

and define unsettled points

Show how your results and interpretations agreeor contrast with previously published work

Discuss the theoretical implications of your work,and any possible practical applications.

State your conclusions as clearly as possible

Summarize your evidence for each conclusion


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The AcknowledgmentsYou should acknowledge:1. Any significant technical help that you have

received from any individual in your lab orelsewhere

2. The source of special equipment, cultures, orany other material

3. Any outside financial assistance, such asgrants, contracts or fellowships

Do not use the word wish, simply write Ithank .. and not I wish to thankShow the proposed wording of theAcknowledgement to the person whose helpyou are acknowledging


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ReferencesWhat is referencing?

Referencing is a standardized way of acknowledgingthe sources of information and ideas that you haveused in your document.

A list of ALL the references used in the text must bewritten.

Reference format varies widely:

Harvard format (the name and year system) is themost widely usedAlphabet-Number system is a modification of nameand year systemCitation order system


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Systematic Approach to

WritingIssues to be considered:

Aim

Audience

Clarity of Writing

Supporting Material Language and Style

Consistency of Format


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Aim

The main purpose of a scientific report is tocommunicate

A typical structure and style have evolved toconvey essential information and ideas asconcisely and effectively as possible

Precise formats vary by discipline and

scientific journal, but always treat them asflexible guidelines that enable clearcommunication


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AudienceAssume that your intended reader has abackground similarto yours beforeyou

started the projectThe reader has general understanding of thetopic but no specific knowledge of the details

The reader should be able to reproduce

whatever you did by followingyour report


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Clarity of WritingGood scientific reports sharemany of thequalities found in otherkinds of writing

To write is to think; a paper that lays out ideas

in a logicalorder will facilitatesame kind ofthinking

Make each sentence followfrom the previousone, buildingan argument piece by piece

Group relatedsentences into paragraphs, andgroup paragraphsinto sections

Create a flowfrom beginning to end


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Supporting MaterialsUse figures, tables, data, equations, etc. tohelp tell the story as it unfolds

Refer to them directlyin the text, andintegratethe points they make into yourwriting

Number figures and tables sequentiallyas

they are introduced(e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2, etc., withanother sequence for Table 1, Table 2,etc.)


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Language and StyleThe report should be grammaticallysound, withcorrectspelling, and generally free of errors

Avoidjargon, slang, or colloquialterms

Define acronymsand any abbreviations notused as standard measurement units

Most of the report describes what you did, andthus it should be in the pasttense, but use

presentor futuretense as appropriate.

Employ the activerather than passive voice toavoid boringwriting and contortedphrases


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Consistency of TermsWithin the report, the exactformat of particularitems is less important than consistencyofapplication.

i.e., if you indent paragraphs, indent them alluse a consistent style of headings throughout

write "%" or "percent, do not mix them, etc.

Establish a templateand stick to it.

Consult realjournal papers for examples.


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Ethics, Rights and PermissionsBeware of originality and copyrights of others.

Do not copy anything without giving the credit to theowner by referencing it.

In some cases permissions are neededRepetitive publication of the same data is consideredplagiarism


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Questions


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amsa - iua: how to write a scientific paper, by dr. amal abdou

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