Effective Scientific Writing. Brian Quinn, PhD

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1 Effective Scientific Writing Brian Quinn, PhD

2 My Backgrund EPA funded envirnmental txiclgist & PI Published 17 papers (inc. invited review) & 2 bk chapters N expert in writing Review papers fr several jurnals Aquatic Txiclgy; Cmparative Bichemistry & Physilgy; Chemsphere; Ectxiclgy & Envirnmental Safety; Mlecular Bilgy Reprts; Marine Pllutin Bulletin; Txiclgy In Vitr; Envirnmental Pllutin; Mutatin Research; Water Research Reviewing helps t identity cmmn mistakes

3 Structure f talk WHY? Objectives f scientific writing? WHO? Target audience? WHERE? Jurnal chice & impact factr? WHAT? Hw t structure a paper, where t start? The lgical prgressin thrugh the paper Identify mistakes Explain review prcess fr peer reviewed paper

4 WHY: Objectives f scientific writing WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO WRITE SCIENCE???

5 WHO: Target Audience Write papers t cmmunicate yur results & ideas, but t wh? Scientific peer reviewed jurnal Ppular science magazine Newspapers (Funding agencies lve gd PR!!!) Imprtant t pitch yur results/argument at apprpriate level

6 WHERE: Jurnal Chice Obviusly ne relevant t yur field f research!!!! Check has previusly published similar wrk Different jurnals take different types f paper E.g. larger jurnal: High impact, mre results, larger paper Are yur results gd/nvel enugh? Better t have several smaller papers than ne really big ne??

7 Jurnal Impact Factr Quantitative tl fr evaluating jurnals Frequency with which the "average article" in a jurnal has been cited in a given perid f time. Ggle it! Aquatic Txiclgy V Nature

8 Reviewer cmments: The paper presents a methd t btain primary cell cultures frm gill, mantle and digestive gland frm the freshwater Zebra mussel. It is, t my knwledge, ne f the first papers describing develpment f primary cell cultures frm a freshwater Mllusc. Unfrtunately I dn't think the manuscript, as currently presented, is very well placed in AQTOX. The paper is a methd paper describing basic cell/tissue culture methdlgy and a mre apprpriate venue wuld be a cell culture jurnal like Cell Tissue Research r similar

9 WHAT: Paper structure Abstract Intrductin Materials & Methds Results Discussin Cnclusin Acknwledgements Where t start References **Frmat paper accrding t Jurnal s specific guidelines**

10 Abstract Mini-paper Pssibly mst difficult part f paper writing Therefre leave it till last Cncise and t the pint (less is mre ) Clear structure Will this make the reader want t read yur paper??

11 Intrductin M & M Results Discussin

12 Intrductin Backgrund infrmatin Setting the scene Tendency t waffle Keep cncise and t the pint Yu are nt giving a review giving an verview Shrt, cncise with relevant infrmatin Try t string sentences tgether, nt just series f qutes referenced frm ther papers

13 Intrductin Backgrund infrmatin Setting the scene Tendency t waffle Keep cncise and t the pint Yu are nt giving a review giving an verview Shrt, cncise with relevant infrmatin Try t string sentences tgether, nt just series f qutes referenced frm ther papers Gd backgrund int area, explanatin as t what research dne previusly, utlining knwledge gaps in area.

14 Materials & Methds Imprtant sectin Here yu are prving t the reviewer / audience that the wrk undertaken & results btained are sund Balancing act: Need t put in enugh infrmatin t validate the results, but nt enugh rm t include all details Sample size Statistics, justify use f statistical methds

15 Results Generally shrt sectin D nt describe results, nly present them. Described later in discussin Fllw guidelines fr graphs & tables Dn t shw same results in graph & table T many wrds used t describe results

16 Discussin Put results int cntext Cmpare yur results t thse fund by thers What cntributin are yur results making t the field f research Shw yu have read arund and understand the subject area Make recmmendatins Gd discussin. Adequately cvers all the pints raised in the results sectin and places them in cntext f ther research undertaken.

17 Cnclusin Summarizing the key pints f the paper Nt all jurnals include a cnclusin, check Wuld reading the cnclusin encurage yu t read the entire paper? Cnclusins supprted by the wrk and are relevant

18 Lgical prgressin Keep similar flw thrughut paper Gd layut f paper, easy t fllw and understand. The paper is well written, easy t read and has gd lgical flw This paper cntains valuable results, but is badly structured and difficult t read. Gd backgrund t area, has all necessary infrmatin but is nt easy t read. Als several basic grammatical errrs. The English needs t be checked and the qutes are referenced incrrectly with the inclusin f initials and listed alphabetically instead f chrnlgically. Basic mistake.

19 Review prcess

20 Review prcess Submit paper t jurnal. Often asked t suggest referees

21 Review prcess Submit paper t jurnal. Often asked t suggest referees Paper sent t 3 referees wh have fixed time t respnd

22 Review prcess Submit paper t jurnal. Often asked t suggest referees Paper sent t 3 referees wh have fixed time t respnd Review paper based n certain questins: Suitable fr jurnal The subject addressed in this article is wrthy f investigatin The infrmatin presented is new The cnclusins supprted by the data Is there a financial r ther cnflict f interest between yur wrk and that f the authrs? Please give a frank accunt f the strengths and weaknesses f the article

23 Review prcess Submit paper t jurnal. Often asked t suggest referees Paper sent t 3 referees wh have fixed time t respnd Review paper based n certain questins: Suitable fr jurnal The subject addressed in this article is wrthy f investigatin The infrmatin presented is new The cnclusins supprted by the data Is there a financial r ther cnflict f interest between yur wrk and that f the authrs? Please give a frank accunt f the strengths and weaknesses f the article Reviewer submits cmments t authrs and private cmments t editr

24 Review prcess Submit paper t jurnal. Often asked t suggest referees Paper sent t 3 referees wh have fixed time t respnd Review paper based n certain questins: Suitable fr jurnal The subject addressed in this article is wrthy f investigatin The infrmatin presented is new The cnclusins supprted by the data Is there a financial r ther cnflict f interest between yur wrk and that f the authrs? Please give a frank accunt f the strengths and weaknesses f the article Reviewer submits cmments t authrs and private cmments t editr Submit recmmendatin

25 Review prcess Submit paper t jurnal. Often asked t suggest referees Paper sent t 3 referees wh have fixed time t respnd Review paper based n certain questins: Suitable fr jurnal The subject addressed in this article is wrthy f investigatin The infrmatin presented is new The cnclusins supprted by the data Is there a financial r ther cnflict f interest between yur wrk and that f the authrs? Please give a frank accunt f the strengths and weaknesses f the article Reviewer submits cmments t authrs and private cmments t editr Submit recmmendatin If necessary authr given fixed time t respnd t reviewer queries

26 Review prcess Keep the reviewer n yur side

27 Spelling & Grammar Can create a very bad impressin. Reviewer will lk fr ther hles Fr example, Minamata disease (MD) is a mass neurtxicity disasters in Minamata and Niigata, Japan, in the 1950s and in the 1960s respectively, which develped amng the inhabitants lngly cnsuming large quantities f fish and shellfish plluted with methylmercury frm lcal industrial discharge

28 Spelling & Grammar Can create a very bad impressin. Reviewer will lk fr ther hles Fr example, Minamata disease (MD) is a mass neurtxicity disasters in Minamata and Niigata, Japan, in the 1950s and in the 1960s respectively, which develped amng the inhabitants lngly cnsuming large quantities f fish and shellfish plluted with methylmercury frm lcal industrial discharge T develp the hegf fusin prtein with high yields and high permeability are imprtant in slutin f the issue

29 Paper length & illustratins Clsely fllw guide fr authrs given by jurnal. Keep illustratins clear and easy t read D nt replicate results in graph & table (cmmn mistake) Phts, scale bar Captins, stand alne. Describe results adequately Gd quality illustratins

30 General mistakes Tenses. Dn t mix future and past Reference material crrectly, cmmn mistake References cited in the text shuld be (generally) rdered chrnlgically, nt alphabetically Describe acrnyms Figure captins Units: mg/l r mg l -1? Refer t authrs guide Spelling, particularly species names

31 Publicatin: Key pints

32 Publicatin: Key pints Practice makes perfect

33 Publicatin: Key pints Practice makes perfect If yu dn t knw, ask. C-authrs, supervisrs, fellw students

34 Publicatin: Key pints Practice makes perfect If yu dn t knw, ask. C-authrs, supervisrs, fellw students Try t keep sentences shrt and cncise. When yu write a sentence, lk at it t see if it can be re-written in fewer wrds

35 Publicatin: Key pints Practice makes perfect If yu dn t knw, ask. C-authrs, supervisrs, fellw students Try t keep sentences shrt and cncise. When yu write a sentence, lk at it t see if it can be re-written in fewer wrds Mst jurnals want shrter, mre cncise papers

36 Publicatin: Key pints Practice makes perfect If yu dn t knw, ask. C-authrs, supervisrs, fellw students Try t keep sentences shrt and cncise. When yu write a sentence, lk at it t see if it can be re-written in fewer wrds Mst jurnals want shrter, mre cncise papers 2 paper types, lnger full f lts f data in high impact jurnal, r shrter less data, lwer impact jurnals

37 Publicatin: Key pints Practice makes perfect If yu dn t knw, ask. C-authrs, supervisrs, fellw students Try t keep sentences shrt and cncise. When yu write a sentence, lk at it t see if it can be re-written in fewer wrds Mst jurnals want shrter, mre cncise papers 2 paper types, lnger full f lts f data in high impact jurnal, r shrter less data, lwer impact jurnals Fllw guide fr authrs. Attentin t detail

38 Publicatin: Key pints Practice makes perfect If yu dn t knw, ask. C-authrs, supervisrs, fellw students Try t keep sentences shrt and cncise. When yu write a sentence, lk at it t see if it can be re-written in fewer wrds Mst jurnals want shrter, mre cncise papers 2 paper types, lnger full f lts f data in high impact jurnal, r shrter less data, lwer impact jurnals Fllw guide fr authrs. Attentin t detail Questin and dissect what yu read. Review papers yurselves

39 There is n mystery??? Unfrtunately

40 Questins r Cmments??? Brian Quinn, PhD brian.quinn@gmit.ie

WRITING THE REPORT. Organizing the report. Title Page. Table of Contents

WRITING THE REPORT. Organizing the report. Title Page. Table of Contents WRITING THE REPORT Organizing the reprt Mst reprts shuld be rganized in the fllwing manner. Smetime there is a valid reasn t include extra chapters in within the bdy f the reprt. 1. Title page 2. Executive