Scientific Writing

Scientific Writing Dana J. Lawrence, DC

Why do scientists write? • To win fame • To get promotions • To extend knowledge • But… • The primary reason is that communication is essential if science is to progress

Three Sets of Preliminary Questions • First, are you studies designed to answer the question you are asking? • Second, do your experiments meet accepted ethical standards? • Third, have you arranged to record the details of your work as it proceeds?

Main Steps for Preparing Research for Publication • Assess Work • Choose journal (get Instructions and read them) • Write working title and main headings • Construct outline • Get necessary permissions • Choose and design tables and figures

Main Steps for Preparing Research for Publication (Cont.) • Write first draft and present preliminary paper • Bury draft for a short while • Prepare reference list • Revise structure • Revise style • Have colleagues review and revise again • Prepare final version of paper

Deciding Whether and When to Write • Is your work really worth writing about? • A paper worth publishing records: “significant experimental, theoretical or observational extensions of knowledge, or advances in the application of known principles.” (O’Connor and Woodford 1975)

Deciding Whether and When to Write (Cont.) • Ask if your tentative conclusions are clearly related to the question you set out to answer.

What Kind of Paper • Long paper with detailed discussion? • Short communication for rapid publication? • Do not slice paper into several smaller papers (“salami” publication) • Multiple papers from one research study arises from large-scale studies taking many years or which fall into discrete parts

Who are the ReadersWhat is the Journal • It is important to keep who the reader is in mind • Knowing the audience will help you choose the correct journal

Question 1 • Which journals do the people you hope to reach prefer to read?

Question 2 • Which journals print papers of the kind and length you propose to write?

Question 3 • Which are the well established journals in your field?

Question 4 • Which journals are of high scientific quality but have moderately low rejection rates (say 30% of submissions or less)?

Question 5 • Which journals are covered by the main abstracting and title-listing services, or indexing agencies?

Question 6 • Which journals have editors who are highly regarded in their fields of science and provide prompt, fair and helpful reviewing?

Question 7 • Which journals are published often enough to give your paper a chance of appearing within 6weeks to 9 months of acceptance (depending on whether the journal is a rapid results journals or one with a slower publication schedule)?

Question 8 • Which journals require authors to be members of the society which owns or sponsors the journal?

Question 9 • Which journals have page charges or submission charges?

Question 10 • Which journals print high quality photographs (ie, electron micrographs) and which accept color photographs, if these are essential to your work?

Question 11 • Which journals provide offprints or reprints, which provide them free of charge, how many do they provide, and what do extra copies cost (if offprints/reprints are important to you)?

Question 12 • Which journals use a standard reference system that you can cope with easily?

A Few Words on Instructions to Authors • Read them! • They are designed to promote swift and accurate publication and to save money.

Summary of Session 1 • Answer preliminary questions about the direction, content and organization of your work • Assess whether it is ripe for submission • Decide whether to write a short or longer paper • Decide who your readers are • Get the Instructions and read them

Scientific Writing