Effective Scientific Writing Brian Quinn, PhD brian.quinn@gmit.ie
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
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
WHY: Objectives f scientific writing WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO WRITE SCIENCE???
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
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??
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
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
WHAT: Paper structure Abstract Intrductin Materials & Methds Results Discussin Cnclusin Acknwledgements Where t start References **Frmat paper accrding t Jurnal s specific guidelines**
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??
Intrductin M & M Results Discussin
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
Review prcess
Review prcess Submit paper t jurnal. Often asked t suggest referees
Review prcess Submit paper t jurnal. Often asked t suggest referees Paper sent t 3 referees wh have fixed time t respnd
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
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
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
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
Review prcess Keep the reviewer n yur side
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
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
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
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
Publicatin: Key pints
Publicatin: Key pints Practice makes perfect
Publicatin: Key pints Practice makes perfect If yu dn t knw, ask. C-authrs, supervisrs, fellw students
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
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
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
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
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
There is n mystery??? Unfrtunately
Questins r Cmments??? Brian Quinn, PhD brian.quinn@gmit.ie