Anatomy of a Research Paper and Getting Started

Why write a scientific paper?

To communicate results

To do so effectively a paper must1) reach and2) be understood by

your intended audience

Clear Writing

• more likely to be accepted by the editor• more likely to be read once its published• and less likely to be misunderstood by those

who do read it.

The importance of clear writing cannot be overstated. A well-written paper is:

Clear writing is writing that is incapable of being misunderstood

Quintilian, 1st Century A.D.

Clear Writing

• Depends on : – Word Choice (assiduously eschew obfuscation!)– Sentence Structure (use active voice)

• “there is no evidence that …” vs. “few studies have shown …”• “current smoking was defined as” vs. “we defined current …”• Use of the first person (we) is permissable

– Paragraph Structure • one thought per paragraph, logically developed

– Organization– Supporting Information

Poorly Prepared Manuscript

• lead reviewers and editors to question the validity of your research

• cast your work in such a poor light that it is rejected

• negate the hard work you put into doing your study

Rogers AJR 2002

A poorly prepared manuscript can:

Formula for a Paper

• Title• Abstract• Introduction• Methods

• Results• Discussion• References• Tables and Figures

Almost all journals require that manuscripts follow the same basic format.

Anatomy of a PaperTelling the Story

Title: Accurate and grabs attention

Abstract: Synopsis of story; key words

Introduction: What is known, unknown, and the question

Methods: What did you do and how did you do it

Results: Tell what happened

Discussion: Give the answer to the question and explain how it fits

References: Key previous work that supports the question, methods or the explanation

The Challenge

• To tell a clearly understandable story while still presenting all the necessary details

• Forest vs. trees

The Story

4 main parts• The question• The method used to answer the question• The results found to answer the question• The answer

Most Important Element

The Question– The focus or objective of your paper– Clearly stated as a question or hypothesis– The rest of the paper should stay focused on

The Question and not digress to other topics

Relationship of Paper Sections to The Question

• Introduction: Lead-in to The Question• Methods: Study design and materials used

to answer The Question• Results: The results of your study that are used

to answer The Question• Discussion: The answer to The Question; how this

answer fits with previous work; what are the implications of the answer to The Question

Introduction

• Introduce The Question• Interest reader in reading the article

• What is known• What is unknown• What is The Question

Purpose

Structure

Methods

• Describe and justify methods used• Provide enough detail for the study to be replicated

• What you did and how you did it• Typically presented in the order things were done• Synopsis of you study protocol

Purpose

Structure

Results

• Present findings relevant to The Question• Provide an estimate of the magnitude of

effects as well as their statistical significance

• Most data belong in tables and figures • Use text to interpret/describe meaning of data• Present information in some logical progression• Stay focused on The Question

Purpose

Structure

Discussion

• Answer the question posed in the Introduction• Explain how results support the answer• Explain how the answer fits with existing knowledge

• Answer is a generalization based on Results• Minimize restatement of actual results• Finish with a strong summary/conclusion

Purpose

Structure

Getting Started

• Pick most important paper to you• Clarify the question to be addressed and select a

working title• Set aside 4+ hours uninterrupted time to start• Set a schedule for completion• Block out regular time to work on paper• Where appropriate, enlist help of co-authors• Only work on one paper at a time

Getting Started• Sections of the paper don’t have to be written in

sequence• I typically work on Methods and Results, then move

to Introduction and finally Discussion.• Work smart – recycle text where you can

– Methods shouldn’t vary much for multiple papers from the same study; draft a detailed Methods first time and save, adapting as needed for specific papers

– Use literature review from your grant proposal, or related papers, to form basis for first pass at Introduction

– To the extent possible, use same figures/tables in your papers as in your presentations

Getting Started

• Consider the use of paragraph outlines for first drafts of Introduction and Discussion– Helps to organize thoughts– Facilitates quick review by others of the

planned focus and direction of the paper– Can be used to identify specific paragraphs that

you might assign to co-authors• For collaborative papers, sort out authorship

issues right up front

Getting Started

• Get readers early and often to review/critique• Pick target journal early• Format for that journal from the start• Make sure that all submission rules are followed• Use a spelling checker before submitting• Eliminate all typos, etc. • Get help with English if you want to publish in an

English language journal (MECOR can help!)