Since it is a technical paper, you will need to use some technical language, but avoid jargon for the sake of jargon and use acronyms only when absolutely necessary. [1] X Research source Define all acronyms the first time you use the full word or phrase, then use the acronym throughout the rest of the paper.
Any restrictions on table/figure sizes or table/figure legends will also be included in the style guide.
Some journals move the materials and methods to the end of the paper and/or combine the results with the discussion section. Check the style guide for the specific journal you are submitting to. Although this is the order the paper will be published in, it is not necessarily the best order to write each section. Follow the steps in the “Writing the Sections” for the best way to compose the paper. [4] X Research source
Materials used for each method should be included, with references to the company and catalog number for purchase. You should include a description of all statistical methods used in the paper. You should also include explanations of any ethical approvals needed for the completion of the studies.
You don’t need to include every experiment you performed or result you observed, just the information needed to convince the audience of your findings. [8] X Trustworthy Source Nature Respected Multidisciplinary Scientific Journal Go to source This is not the section to speculate or draw conclusions. That comes later in the discussion.
Avoid making wild claims that can’t be supported by the data. [10] X Research source Don’t ignore other papers that contradict your findings; discuss them and convince the reader why your data is correct despite the other information out there. Some journals combine the results and discussion into 1 larger section. Check with the journal before you begin writing. [11] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
State your hypothesis and objectives at the end of the introduction. [13] X Research source Avoid long introductions; you want to be comprehensive, but succinct.
Think of the abstract as an advertisement to encourage people to keep reading.
Avoid technical jargon and abbreviations/acronyms. Consider which keywords you want to tag so that readers searching for articles on a specific topic will be directed to your work.
Tables are frequently used to provide information about the makeup of a study group or the concentrations used within a study. Figures are used to compare the experimental results of the different groups in a visual way.
Don’t include tables if they are not referenced in the text. You can add these tables to an appendix if absolutely necessary. Position the legend directly above the table.
Avoid adding more than 3-4 datasets per graph. Label all axes properly and use the appropriate scales.
If the image is dark, make the scale bar white. If the image is light, make the scale bar a contrasting dark. If the reader can’t see the scale bar, it is not useful.
If you do use color, use complementary mute colors that don’t scream off the page.
The figure legend should be positioned underneath the figure itself.
Cite peer-reviewed literature, manuscripts, and published data. Avoid personal communications, submitted, but unpublished manuscripts, and articles not in English. [25] X Research source
Some journals use an inline citation of (Author, Publication Year) with an alphabetical list at the end. Other journals simply use superscript numbers within the paper and have the numbered list of references at the end. [27] X Research source
Paraphrase the source and avoid direct quotes. If you must quote directly, put the information in quotation marks and specify the page the quote came from. [28] X Research source
If something is considered to be common knowledge in the field, it is not necessary to cite it. For example, stating that DNA is the genetic material of an organism does not need a citation.
Reference managers help avoid incorrect citations and save you hours of work updating the list of citations individually as you go. For more information on citation programs, check out https://subjectguides. library. american. edu/c. php?g=175008&p=3205957.
