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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.
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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