From Data to Manuscript: Writing Scientific Papers That Shine

Abstract

You’ve completed a series of experiments and have collected enough data towrite up your findings in a scientific article which you will submit to a peer-reviewed journal in your field. At this point in your career you have already read dozens of sci- entific papers and are familiar with the format. Following this format and tailoring it to your own work is easy if you keep the following points in mind as you write. A scientific article is a written document of your work in the lab or in the field. Keep in mind that its purpose is to dissem- inate your research to the scientific community and to provide researchers in your field with specific kinds of information: • Which questions did you ask? • Which experiments did you perform to answer these ques- tions? • Which kinds of data did you collect and how did you collect them? • Which conclusions did you draw from your data and what suggestions have you made for further research? But before we get into the particulars, a few general points should be kept in mind while you arewriting. Research demands accuracy and precision. Scientific writing should reflect this in the form of clarity.Unfortunately, if you glance at almost any sci- entific journal you will discover that clarity and concise writing is very often lacking. Many of the complaints by non-scientists of obscurity and elitism within the scientific community partly stem from the fact that many scientists are incapable of express- ing their hypotheses and conclusions clearly and simply. Don’t allow yourself to fall into this trap. Part of being a good sci- entist is not just designing good experiments, but being able to present yourwork and to write it up in clear and simple language. Obscure language will not make you sound more intelligent, it will only confuse others. As a result your work will have much less impact on your intended audience. A well-written scientific article will answer all of the above questions. The standard format found in nearly all peer-reviewed papers will help you organize your material into a logical order. Take a look at any paper from a respected journal in your field and you will see that it is organized into the following components: components: • Abstract • Introduction • Materials and Methods • Results • Discussion • Conclusion