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Writing For Publication Workshop

Writing For Publication Workshop. STEM Discipline. Research Paper Structure. The Two Most Important Sources. #1 – Your Discipline STEM is very diverse Some fields require very traditional layouts Others favour more modern approaches Ask colleagues and read textbooks

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Writing For Publication Workshop

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  1. Writing For Publication Workshop • STEM Discipline

  2. Research Paper Structure

  3. The Two Most Important Sources • #1 – Your Discipline • STEM is very diverse • Some fields require very traditional layouts • Others favour more modern approaches • Ask colleagues and read textbooks • #2 – Publisher Guidelines • You must follow the “Instructions To Authors” above all else to have a chance to be accepted

  4. Example Instruction To Authors Journal - Applied Artificial Intelligence http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/authors/uaaiauth.asp

  5. Paper Templates • Learn to use MS Word • This is very important and understated • Ensure that you can use Styles to lay out information • If the publisher provides a template, use that… • It’s designed to save time and reduce rejections

  6. Paper Formula

  7. The Structure • All papers follow a standard structure. • Generally, this is something like: • Paper Title • Authors • Abstract • Main Paper Body • Acknowledgements • References • The Paper Body varies a lot by field, but the other elements are constant

  8. Authors • No hard and fast rule for the order of authors. • Agree this in advance • Often, the first author is the author who contributed the most to the paper • This could be in terms of direct research work or obtaining research funding • The first author is also the person who will get contacted through external requests • The second author is generally the most important author (the one whose name value will get the paper accepted) • Subsequent authors can be listed in the order of their importance or alphabetically

  9. Paper Title • The first element that people see when considering whether to cite this paper • Include the important keywords in your field • Avoid abbreviations in the title • Titles in two parts work well (around 10 words) • Formal titles generally work better than informal ones • More scope is possible for conference titles (where being memorable can be key)

  10. Abstract • This is an overview, or miniature version of the paper • Generally, the abstract is the part of the paper online searchers can see gratis, so clarity and keyword positioning is vital • Multiple short paragraphs, generally around 250 words • Need to make an impression • Include all sections of the paper, particularly a purpose, numeric highlights and an overview of the conclusion • Use a writing style similar to the Main Paper Body • This may also include a keyword section

  11. Main Paper Body • This varies by discipline and according to the type of paper • It describes everything that has been done and the implications of this • One main scientific structure is given later as an example: • The IMRAD Formula • Others structures are also given in brief • These general ideas can be applied in other fields to give the paper a logical format • A clear structure for the paper is important

  12. Acknowledgements This is where you acknowledge the funding that led to any research You can also acknowledge substantial help from outside your department

  13. References • There are many referencing formats – and this is where it’s important to follow the guidelines from the publisher • Computer packages, such as EndNote can be used • Or the References menu option in the Microsoft Word ribbon • Be very exact when referencing • Don’t just include a name at the end of a sentence – make it clear exactly what contribution you consider that paper to have had to your work • Cite Strategically • Cite your own publications • Cite publications in your university/the publication you’re aiming for/people who you want to network with

  14. The IMRAD Formula

  15. The IMRAD Formula • A simple (and common) approach used for Scientific papers. • Introduction • Materials and Methods • Results • and • Discussion

  16. Introduction • This section supplies the background to the paper • Explain the problem and why it is important • Introduce any acronyms • Present the problem within the context of academic literature • What problem is this paper aiming to address? • State the method that is being applied • Briefly include the reasons for this • Some authors like to include main results here • This motivates the reader to persevere

  17. Materials and Methods • Carefully write and defend the design of the experiment • Be exact (like a cookbook) • Equipment • Measurements • If reading previous studies, may reference detailed instructions given in those studies • Can use designated subheadings, depending on the field • Avoid including results

  18. Results Present the data in a clear form May use short numeric statements in the text Longer results may be presented as graphs or tables Present results that are both statistically significant and statistically insignificant Depending on the approach, this section may use the same subheadings as the material and methods section

  19. Discussion • Discuss the findings from the results, but do not repeat the results from the previous section • Include the evidence to support the results • Compare the results with the findings from previous studies • Point out anything new • Present the implications for the work • What future studies can be done? • Sometimes this may be a separate Conclusions section

  20. Other Main Body Structures

  21. More Structure Ideas • Two other research paper structures are briefly presented: • Quantitative Research Formula • Literature Review formula • Again, notice the overlap in styles between these and the IMRAD Formula • However, these offer much more flexibility for personalisation than IMRAD does.

  22. Quantitative Research Formula • A common structure for this would be: • Introduction • Background • Purpose Of Study • Methods • Results • Discussion • Recommendations

  23. Literature Review Formula • This surveys, discusses and organises the academic literature and can be structured as: • Purpose • Methodology • Thematic Comparison (usually subtitled by each theme) • Recommendations

  24. Most Importantly! • Follow the “Instructions To Authors” • Look at other papers submitted to that publication for ideas about how they are presented • Headings • Approach • Writing style • Number of words per section

  25. Getting The Most From Publications

  26. The Original Contribution • The whole purpose of a research paper is to make it clear what your original contribution to the field was • Make this clear in all possible places • The original proposal for the paper • The abstract • The introduction • With reference to the failings of other literature • The conclusion

  27. Claiming Terminology One tip for getting maximum publicity for what you’ve achieved… Invent (or claim) a term to describe the process or method that you’ve devised Use this term throughout the paper and in future work This makes your contributions immediately visible, and it makes it possible for you to see how other researchers are referring to your work

  28. Any Questions?

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