Writing a Research Manuscript
GradWRITE! PresentationStudent Development Services
Writing Support CentreUniversity of Western Ontario
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Manuscripts
Definition: A text that has not yet been published
Structure not much different from undergraduate papers
Your very best effort
Introduction
Introduce your field of
study
Narrow focus using
specific and important
references
Justify your research
Statement of purpose
(hypothesis, predictions,
purpose, objectives etc.)
General
Specific
Include Don’t Include
Basic terminology of your field (e.g. chemical names, definitions, species names)
Key papers that led to your study
Brief mention of your study in your statement of purpose
Exhaustive literature search
Details of your study
Methods
A complete account of all the steps in your study
Presented in logical order
Includes collecting and analyzing data
Easy to write
Include Don’t Include
All materials, quantities, brands of major equipment and study locations
Citations of novel techniques
Figures of complicated setups
Equations and statistics
Finicky details
Results
Results
A summary of your findings
Presents details in the same order as the methods
Also, easy to write
Can be technical
Include Don’t Include
Summary of your findings (i.e. averages, trends)
Tables and Figures
References to tables and figures
Raw data
The same information twice
Too many figures
Interpretation of your results
Discussion
Address your hypothesis with reference to your results
Explain and put findings in context (references)
Comment on your finding’s significance and potential for future study
General
Specific
Discussion
Interpret your results
Sometimes combined with results into one section
May repeat specific to general writing multiple times (e.g. for each objective or key finding)
Include Don’t Include
Most papers from the introduction
References to tables and figures
Summary / Conclusion
Detailed account of your results
Any new ideas not set up in the introduction
The Academic Publishing Process
Once your paper is as good as it can be
Will take a very long time the first few times
Picking a Journal
Find “Calls For Papers”
Look at your reference list
Contact editors before submitting
Look at turnaround times
Aim high
Cover Letter
Short introduction to your article
Instructions to authors usually have guidelines
Less about the content; more about the context
Cover Letter
Type of paper submitted (article, note, review)
Name and contact information of all authors
Comment on the originality of the paper
Potential reviewers
Money Issues
Page charges vary
Range from $0 to $1000+
Colour, figures, reprints etc. cost money
Talk to your supervisor
The Submission Process
Mostly online these days
Be prompt and be prepared to wait
Typical Procedure:
Submit the abstract
Submit a .pdf file of full manuscript
Sign consent forms
Revisions
It happens
They want to help you
Make changes and resubmit
If unconvinced, justify your stance
Rejection
It happens
Thank the editor for his/her time
Examine the comments to determine the reason
Wrong journal?
Flawed manuscript?
Acceptance
It happens
Submit high-quality files
Review proofs (galleys, reprints)
Update your CV and celebrate