In today’s video, we are going to look at how to write a paper (in 2021).
It seems that many believe that writing a GREAT scientific paper is down to the actual writing process. If this was true, then most scientists could easily master fiction. But this is NOT the case. A journal paper has a fixed structure and the contents are also pretty much ‘required’. You cannot decide on the sequence of how the information is presented. You have strict requirements on the length of the research paper and increasingly on the quality of the new findings you are presenting.
People usually do NOT read your paper in their free time. If they read it, it is because they NEED to learn from your experience. They actually want to learn how you did it; so they might want to repeat what you did before they start making their contribution to the field.
Thus, writing an EFFECTIVE research paper is NOT something that starts with throwing words on an arid piece of paper. Unless you have planned and especially executed well the work in the lab, no matter how hard you try, the quality of the paper is somehow limited. First, you want to have a GREAT idea to explore in the lab and quantify the behaviour of your experiments with your measurements. Then, you need to have a good grasp of the experimental techniques and how to use properly the kits you have at your disposal. After, you need also to make a good error analysis. As part of this phase, you should demonstrate that what you are ‘seeing’ in the lab is not a ‘bias’ you might have introduced.
Once you have reached this far, I should CONGRATULATE you for your efforts. At this very point, you are ready to start planning for the writing of your journal paper. Follow those few suggestions and writing tips we give you in this month video.
Needless to say that your PhD supervisor plays a HUGE role in your writing process. S/he should be supportive, especially if this is the very first time you write a scientific paper. Just have a look at our other video on the PhD student-supervisor relationship w/o its problems and how you can HUGELY benefit from this as well.
There are lots of resources out there on this topic. Some are good. Others are NOT so good. Some are GREAT. Others are just factual. Here is a published journal paper that describes How to write a scientific paper.
Writing is like any other trade: you need to work at it. And my motto is: A VORACIOUS READER MAKES A PROLIFIC WRITER. Therefore, read, read, and read. At some point, words will jump EFFORTESLY from your fingers to your computer screen.
Reading a lot does not give you just new ideas. You will soon realise how you also start using the expressions you loved most about the writer of the resource you read.
Keep READING. Read all your life.
