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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

Writing a Scientific Paper

A. von KeudellRuhr-University Bochum

1. Why publish ?

2. Elements of a Scientific Paper

3. Presenting Data and Results

4. Convincing the reviewer and the reader

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

1. Aims

1.1. Why publish ?

Mark your scientific claim

Support your scientific career

Methods are well documented

Scientific Message is challenged by the community

Re-evaluate your own science project

Somebody should read and cite the paper

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

How to measure scientific impact ? The h-index

G.Ertl, Nobel prize chemistry 2007

papers since 1996

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

non-optimized publication strategy

papers since 1996

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

definitely non-optimized publication strategy

papers since 1996

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

1.2. What should be published ?

Scientific Message !

One message per paperletter ~ 3 figures, paper < 10 figures

no data collection without any discussion

no experiments that are already published by others

A paper that somebody likes to read and cite

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

1.3. Where to publish ?

Journal with high impact factor !

One paper ~ 3 months of work

Journal with the scope on your own scientific community

never in proceedings (only very few exemptions)

rarely in conference journals

not in journals with doubtful subscription policies

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

Impact Factor all journals (>6000)

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

Impact Factor Physics Journals (~ 350)

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

Impact Factor Physics Journals (~ 350)

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

The craft of writing a scientific paper Challenges, Goals and Concepts

Finishing a manuscript takes usually 1..3 months full time !

A paper is worth 50.000100.000 of tax payers money. Be respectful !

The art of writing is re-writing

Choose the right time to write after a successful talk or experiment

Write the first draft as quickly as possible dont think, just write

Scientific Writing is a collaborative effort seek frequent feedbackby coauthors and outside persons

Start the writing with the master figures telling the message of the paper

Write already while experimenting

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

Advertise your paper Title and Abstract

8 words

Short and specific (no correlation)

No abbreviations

Define final title after the paper is finished

Avoid superfluous words (Investigation, Study, New, Novel...)

The methods should be exactly mentioned in the title

You may use hanging titles

The title should attract

the reader to read/citeyour paper

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

Abstract:

completeness precision objectivity clarity brevity

1-2 sentences for

Background/Objective/Methods/Most important results/Conclusion

Informative (no mystery story)

The voltage as a function of temp. was measured

vs.

The voltage decreased with increasing temperature reaching a saturationvalue of 30 mV above 500 K

No references in the abstract

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

Background

Methods

Main results

Conclusion

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

What characterization ?

Density of what ?

particular wavelength ?

Which gas ?

No SI unit

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

Example, hanging titles

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

What spectroscopy

What plasma

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

Authorship ????

Who is an author

Person with a scientific contribution to the paper

Sequence according to the individual contribution

Each author is responsible for the content

Who is notan author

Person who educated in methods

Person who wrote the proposal

Necessarily the boss of the institute

according to DFG regulations

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Ruh r- Un ivers i t y Bochum , CoE P lasm a Sc ience and Techno logy

Sc ie n t i f i c Wr i t i n g Le ctu r e 1 : W h y p u b l i sh ? Ach im von Keude l l

Homework

Try to formulate a title and abstract for your own research project

send it to me via email (Achim.vonKeudell@rub.de) until 18:00