Why write up your work?
- part of training process of any researcher
- good academic practice
- communication between you and the
- Guide
- industrial sponsor (Research Report)
- other researchers (Abstract, Poster, Publication etc.)
- get feedback on your work
- make your claims
- become known to other researchers
- peer-reviewed work is an asset for your
- PhD.D. Thesis
- CV
The Importance of writing
- clarifies your thoughts
- helps you to identify the “loose ends”
- helps you to identify your next steps
- gets you organised
- Have all details on materials and methods been obtained?
- Are the results conclusive?
- How far have you gone with your literature review?
- helps you to learn and to practice scientific language
- helps you to learn the citation of references
- helps you to put your own work into context with what others do or have done
Scientific style of writing
- make a plan!
- use terminology related to your subject
- avoid jargon
- do not use endless numbers of abbreviations
- explain abbreviations, if used
- explain special terminology adapted from adjacent areas
- avoid long and complicated sentences
- ensure correct spelling and grammar
Critical style of writing?
- be fair to others!
- put your own work into context
- highlight the strengths and the shortcomings of your work in a constructive manner
- justify your claims
- provide evidence for claims
- if you criticize work, this must be evidence-based
- references to literature
- avoid review articles and second-hand sources as your main references
- always identify the true first originator of a method, a finding, a statement etc.
- never rely on citations by others
Style of references
- different styles are around
- most frequently used: Harvard system of citation
- Referencing systems: Harvard and Numerical
- you must follow the rules outlined in the “Instructions to Authors”
- different journals use different rules
- all references in the reference list must have been cited in the text and vice versa
- do not copy (text, figures, thoughts)
Experimental Work
- section forms the backbone of any writing
- must enable an experimenter to get similar results
- exact sources of materials must be stated (manufacturer’s details, batch numbers)
- state any pre processing required to perform before experimentation
- any process, even if considered less important, must be described in sufficient detail
- GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE(that to be standardized)
Writing a publication
Typical outline of a paper in a journal:
- Title
- Affiliations/contact details of the author(s)
- Abstract (state briefly what you set out to do, how you have done it, what you have found and what conclusions you can draw from this)
- Introduction (at the end state aims and objectives of the work)
- Materials and Methods
- Results and Discussion (normally not split to enhance readability and to reduce repetition)
- Conclusions (Future work planned is not part of a publication!)
- Acknowledgements
- References
Choice of journal
- Journals have different aims and objectives, even if they are in the same subject group
- identify the journal(s) with aims and objectives matching your work
- What is the audience you wish to reach like?
- What is the reputation of the journal?
- Citation index
- Impact factor
- Journal position in its subject group
- Author of correspondence
Responding to reviewers
- Carefully prepare your responses
- Each comment should be addressed
- Each change should be stated
- Be enthusiastic
- Reviewer may be wrong
- Be tactful –thank the reviewers
- Do not respond to reviewers while upset
- Get help from Guide
And finally…
- it can be done, but writing for academic purposes requires concentration, effort and attention to detail
- You can do it!
