If you believe that writing a scientific paper is a task only for scientists or professors holding a Ph.D., you must be surprised now because students can do it either. Moreover, they do it successfully.
Of course, if you write a science article for the first time, you may find it really tough. Creating a top-quality and appropriate research paper is not the same as writing a narrative story. It requires much more time, patience, research, effort, and, of course, knowledge, and experience. However, you can use the following 10 really helpful tips that will help you cope with your fears and insecurities and create a really worthy scientific paper.
Any student can write research papers. You can even publish it on your own. Of course, if you keep saying “write my essays for me” each time when getting a writing assignment, you will need to gain some more experience probably before starting to work on a scientific paper. In this article, we will try to learn how even the most inexperienced students can have their publications put in a minimum of time.
1. Check the requirements of the journal
If you are going to start an introduction to a scientific paper, wait a bit. First, determine the key message of your paper. It would be great if you could formulate it in just one sentence. You should be able to be back to it throughout your paper. If you cannot deliver your core message in just one paper, you are simply not ready to write it.
It is a sort of a vision statement for your paper and it will also be determined by where exactly your work is going to be posted. Different scientific journals have different requirements and styles. You may need to find out what kind of scientific paper format is required in a particular journal before you start working on your paper. You can do it on their website. It will save tons of your time in the future, so you will not have to rewrite it many times.
2. Do not start with the introduction
It may sound strange but you should begin with the end in mind. If you start with your introduction, your core message will simply change by the time you reach at least the middle of your research. People never write about what they think in the beginning. Therefore, it is recommended to start with the main body and then, get back to your introduction and create it properly keeping the main idea of your paper in mind.
3. Start with the figures
Figures are the skeleton of your paper. Only you know the details of your research while your readers have no idea what you are going to tell about. The first figure will let them know more about your discovery and make them want to find out more.
It would be good to use a “storyboarding” method and lay all figures on boards. You can use different software for it, such as PowerPoint, for instance. All figures are called to support your statement and be provided in a logical order. It will also help you understand whether you miss some data.
4. Keep track of your references
One of the biggest mistakes of students writing scientific and other papers is that they start writing down all references after finishing the article. If you apply to the best essay writing service uk, you will know that professional writers record all references in the process of research.
For that purpose, you can even use an electronic manager. Without references, your work will be plagiarized. so it is crucial to mention everyone whose research and works you used in the process of writing. If you fail to write all of them down on time, you will struggle with searching for them when the paper is finished and waste too much time.
5. Create the title after you finish your paper
Just like in the case of the introduction, the title must be written at the very end of the writing process. After you create a good body for your scientific article, you can think of an appropriate title that will reflect the idea of the paper in the best possible way. Think well about the keywords to include in the title. If someone is interested in your topic, think of those keywords this person would type in the search engine. Those keywords must be necessarily included in the title.
6. Check the examples
If you write a scientific article for the first time and have no experience at all, you should browse some good scientific papers examples to get inspired. They will give you a much better idea of how to format, structure, and build your work.
You will also be able to see what kind of papers they have already written on your topic. Maybe this topic should be put aside and you should search for something else if all of your ideas have already been described by someone else. The examples are a great way to give yourself the right direction to move in.
7. Separate the results
The task of any scientific paper is to conduct certain research. You should provide the results and discussions in one separate section although some journals require to separate these two sections. It would be good to devote a couple of paragraphs to each figure and explain the result, how relevant it is to your statement, and to the field, in general. Be specific and smoothly connect this section to the conclusion.
8. Create a strong conclusion
There is nothing complicated in writing a good conclusion. Its aim is to summarize everything you have already written. Tell the readers about the most important findings in the process of your research and tell again why it is so important. Once again, restate your vision statement and tell what you have learned, in particular. The conclusion must let your readers know about the significance of your studies, as well as the results of it.
9. Get back to the introduction
Now, as your conclusion is ready, you can get back to the introduction. Remember to complete it last. If you compare your scientific article to a story, it should play the role of the exposition telling your readers about the setting, main conflict, characters, etc.
Scientific papers are not much different from fictional stories. The role of the introduction is to give a view of the research and tell about the problem covered in the paper. The readers must know about other researchers who worked on this problem and what their results are. You should also provide your statement in the introduction, including your expectations of the study conducted. A lion’s share of the references will also be provided in the introduction.
10. Edit your paper
Do not think that once your paper is finished, you must hurry to submit it to the journal. Of course, you do not have to pay a professional proofreader (although it would also bring good results) but you must at least get back to your studies in some time.
For example, you should put the paper aside for a while (at least 24 hours) and get back to it with an unbiased opinion and totally sober view. Read it again very carefully. Improve all phrases that sound weird. Eliminate unnecessary sentences that do not have any scientific value. Correct all grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes or typos.
By following these 10 tips on writing a scientific paper, you will be able to create a good article on your own without wasting precious time.
Author Bio:
Rebecca Carter is a writer located in London. She works for an essay writing company and is always eager to help students with their assignments. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and enjoys writing about her life and experience. In her spare time, Rebecca likes going camping and attending dance classes.