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Intensive Course in Research Writing

Barbara Gastel, MD, MPH, from Texas A&M University provides an intensive course in research writing, covering topics such as draft abstracts, titles and authors, results sections, and tables and figures.

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Intensive Course in Research Writing

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  1. Intensive Course in Research Writing Barbara Gastel, MD, MPH Texas A&M University Summer 2011

  2. Intensive Course in Research Writing:Session 3 (29 June 2011)

  3. Today • Follow-up: workshop on draft abstracts • Discussion: titles and authors • Discussion: results sections • Discussion: tables and figures • Workshop: drafts of methods sections

  4. Drafts of Abstracts • What types of revisions did your classmates suggest? • What other comments or questions do you have about revising your abstract? • Does the paper you’ve chosen as a model have an abstract? If so, what is it like? Does looking at give you any ideas for revising your abstract?

  5. A Few Teaching Points(based on initial review of abstracts received) • In general, use an unjustified (“ragged”) right margin. (It tends to make text more readable.) • Use mainly past tense to report methods and results. • If acronyms are used, remember to define them. • Beware of misusing semicolons. • Use i.e. and e.g. carefully (or, perhaps better, avoid them). • Normally, don’t begin a sentence with a numeral.

  6. Title • The fewest possible words that adequately indicate the contents of the paper • Important in literature searching • Shouldn’t include extra words, such as “a study of” or “Observations on” • Should be specific enough • Generally should not include abbreviations • (Running title: short version of title—appears at tops of pages)

  7. Five Ws and an H • Who • What • When • Where • Why • How

  8. Mini-Exercise: Looking at a Title • What’s the title of the paper you’re using as a model? • Is it a good title? Why or why not? • Does looking at this title give you any ideas about what title to give your paper?

  9. Authors • Those with important intellectual contributions to the work • Often listed largely from greatest contributions to least • Head of research group often is listed last • In some fields, listed alphabetically • Best to list one’s name the same way on every paper

  10. Results • The core of the paper • Often includes tables, figures, or both • Should summarize findings rather than providing data in great detail • Should present results but not comment on them (unless the paper has a combined Results and Discussion section)

  11. The Results Section:Some Writing Advice • Present the results in past tense—for example: • A total of 417 of the customers replied. • _____ increased, but _____ decreased. • The average temperature was _____. • Three of the dogs died. • This difference was not statistically significant.

  12. Results Sections of Paperswith Tables or Figures • How much should the information in the text overlap that in the tables and figures? • Not extensive overlap • In general, text should present only the main points from the tables and figures • Perhaps also include a few of the most important data • Remember to mention each table or figure. Do so as soon as readers might want to see it.

  13. Mentioning Tables and Figures:Some Writing Advice • In citing tables and figures, emphasize the finding, not the table or figure. • Not so good: Table 3 shows that researchers who took the course published twice as many papers per year. • Better: Researchers who took the course published twice as many papers per year (Table 3).

  14. Mini-Exercise: Looking at a Results Section • Please look at the Results section of the paper you are using as a model. • How many paragraphs is it? • What verb tense is it written in? • How many tables, if any, does it include? • How many figures, if any, does it include? • What else do you notice about it?

  15. Discussion Questions • What’s some advice from the textbook to remember about tables? • What other advice do you have regarding tables?

  16. Tables: A Few Suggestions • Use tables only if text will not suffice. • Design tables to be understandable without the text. • If a paper includes a series of tables, use the same format for each. • Be sure to follow the instructions to authors.

  17. An Example ofImproving a Table

  18. Discussion Questions • What’s some advice from the textbook to remember about figures? • What other advice do you have regarding figures?

  19. Figures: A Few Suggestions • Use figures (graphs, diagrams, maps, photographs, etc) only if they will help convey your information. • Avoid including too much information in one figure. • Make sure any lettering will be large enough once published. • Follow the journal’s instructions.

  20. Sources of Further Information • “Almost Everything You Wanted to Know About Making Tables and Figures,” Department of Biology, Bates College, (http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWtablefigs.html) • Writing and Publishing Scientific Papers, Part 2 (from China Medical Board course), accessible at http://www.authoraid.info/resource-library?type=all&subject=preparing_tables_and_figures&lang=all

  21. Mini-Exercise:Tables and Figures • Look at a set of instructions to authors that you obtained. • What, if anything, does it say about tables and figures? • Look at any tables and figures in the paper you are using as a model. • What are some things you notice? • What, if anything, did you see that could apply to your paper?

  22. Comments:Methods Sections Looked At • What are some things you noticed about the Methods section of the paper you are using as a model? • What questions do you have?

  23. Workshop:Drafts of Methods Sections • Read your group members’ Methods sections fairly quickly, to get the general meaning. • Read each Methods section more carefully, and write comments on it. • Discuss each Methods section, noting strengths and then providing suggestions. • Give the commented-on Methods sections to the authors.

  24. Discussion: Workshop on Methods • What are some comments you received? • What are some revisions that you’re thinking of making?

  25. Homework • For tomorrow (Thursday): • Read the chapters listed. • Revise the draft of your Methods section. • Bring in some figures, tables, or both from papers reporting research similar to yours. (One copy of each is enough.) • Note: Your homework for Friday will include drafting the Results section of your paper. Feel free to start on it.

  26. Wishing you a good afternoon!

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