1、Scientific writing and presentationProf. Mark BartlamCollege of Life Sciences, Nankai UniversityE-mail: Tel: 23502351Course outline Lecture 7+8: How to write a scientific paper. How to plan and layout your paper; Writing a good abstract and introduction; Methods; Results, discussion and conclusions;
2、 Authorships and acknowledgments; Getting feedback from others.Experimental process Section of paperWhat did I do in a nutshell? AbstractWhat is the problem? IntroductionHow did I solve the problem? Materials and MethodsWhat did I find out? ResultsWhat does it mean? DiscussionWho helped me out? Ackn
3、owledgementsWhose work did I refer to? ReferencesExtra information Supplementary informationHow to plan and layout your paper Follow the standard IMRAD format: Introduction Methods Results And DiscussionHow to plan and layout your paper The rigid IMRAD structure makes scientific writing easier. Plan
4、 each section carefullyHow to plan and layout your paper Each main section should begin with a heading. When your paper reports on more than one experiment, use subheadings to organize your presentation.How to plan and layout your papere.g.:Materials and MethodsCloning and expression.Purification an
5、d crystallization.Structure determination.Section headingSubheadingSubheadingSubheadingReview articles Review articles dont follow the IMRAD structure. You are reviewing several studies together, not a single study or experiment. Start with the introduction, then break down into headings/subheadings
6、 according to your field of study.Strategy Choose which strategy works best for you (tortoise vs. hare). May be better to start with section that has the most constraints: Materials or Methods, or Results. Alternatively, prepare figures and tables first, then use them to write the Results section.In
7、troduction What is the problem, and why should anyone care? Deal with these questions briefly, interestingly, and as simply as possible. A well-written introduction should persuade colleagues or non-specialists to begin reading the paper.Introduction First, state the general field of interest. Conci
8、sely present what is already known about the subject of your research. Reference the most important publications in primary journals. Dont mention everything unless you are writing a review article or thesis.Introduction Second, present others findings that will be challenged or expanded. Explain ho
9、w you are hoping to extend or modify what is already known or believed. Provide support for your argument.Introduction Third, specify the question the paper addresses, and how it does so. This sentence is often phrased in the form of a hypothesis. e.g. “The purpose of this study was to.” or “We inve
10、stigated three possible mechanisms to explain the.” Indicate your experimental approach. Point out what is new and important about your work. When appropriate, briefly summarize the answer(s) you found.Introduction Aim to divide your Introduction as follows: Background: 1-3 paragraphs. Findings to b
11、e challenged: 1-2 paragraphs. Question addressed by the paper: 1 paragraph.Materials and Methods May have several names: Materials and Methods Experimental Procedures Experimental Design, Protocol and Procedure .Materials and Methods May have several names: Materials and Methods Experimental Procedu
12、res Experimental Design, Protocol and Procedure .Materials and Methods Begin by listing the supplies that were necessary for your work. Include animate materials (experimental animals, plants) and inanimate materials (chemicals, reagents). If necessary, explicitly明确地 note that use of animals conform
13、ed to遵照 legal requirements for the country where research was conducted.Materials and Methods Next, specify what was done and for what purpose. Common to proceed in chronological order. Alternatively, parallel the sequence in which you present results. Conclude with a discussion of statistical proce
14、dures used.Materials and Methods Include the right amount of detail. too much reads like a laboratory manual. too little and no one can determine what you actually did. Readers (trained investigator with experience) should be able to repeat your experiments.Materials and Methods Refer to examples pu
15、blished in your chosen journal.Materials and Methods In the U.S., studies should be conducted in accordance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) guidelines (Benson and Boege, 2002) Requires preparation of standard operating procedures for all aspects of a project. Referring to these procedures can be
16、 helpful.Materials and Methods If following a widely known method, name the principles on which it is based and cite the original publication (or recent textbooks). If you modify a method, describe the changes and reference the rest. Only describe a method in full if you have employed a new process
17、or technique.Materials and Methods Use subheadings to separate different types of experiments. Write as if you were verbally describing the conduct of the experiment. You may use the active voice主动语态 , although this section requires more use of third person, passive constructions than others. Avoid
18、use of the first person in this section. Remember to use the past tense throughout - the work being reported is done and was performed in the past.红 色表示不理解Results What was found or seen? Decide on a logical order for presentation. Present results that have a bearing on与 有关 the question you are exami
19、ning. Dont interpret your results unless your journal combines Results and Discussion.如果你的文章没有把结果和讨论合并的话，不要在结果中解释你 的结果 .红 色表示不理解Pattern BasisCategorical Grouping of like itemsChronological Time sequenceSpatial Physical arrangement of entitiesFunctional How parts workImportance In order of decreasing
20、 consequenceProblem-solutions Problem, possible answersSpecificity General to particular (or vice versa)Complexity Simple to complexPro and con Both sides of an issue or decisionCausality Cause and effectDeductive Conclusion first, then backgroundInductive Individual facts, leading to conclusionResu
21、lts Tables and figures are an integral part of the results section. Dont use text to repeat information contained in tables or figures. Readers can see data for themselves. Point out salient features特色 and note relationships between various results.Results Some problems to avoid: Do not reiterate重申
22、each value from a Figure or Table - only the key result or trends that each conveys. Do not present the same data in both a Table and Figure - this is considered redundant and a waste of space and energy. Decide which format best shows the result and go with it. Do not report raw data 原始数据 values wh
23、en they can be summarized as means, percents, etc.ResultsNumber figures and tables according to the order in which they appear in the text. e.g. First Table 1, then Table 2. e.g. First Figure 1, then Figure 2, Figure 3. If using figure panels, label the parts in a logical order: e.g. First Figure 1a
24、, then Figure 1b.Discussion and Conclusions What do your findings mean? Why are they important? Discussion and Conclusions exist to answer these questions. Often combined with each other. Sometimes combined with Results as well.Discussion and Conclusions Interpret your results against a background of existing knowledge. Explain what is new in your work, and why it matters. Discuss both the limitations and implications of your results. Relate your observations to other relevant studies.
