scientific journal writing and writing for grants

Scientific Journal Writing Scientific Journal Writing Writing for GrantsWriting for Grants

Gordon CookeGordon Cooke

Writing the PaperWriting the Paper

• Questions Journals Ask

• Is the research question important?

• Is it interesting to our readers?

• Is it valid?

• Planning the Study

• Identifying a problem

• Formulating the hypothesis

• Think about the design of the study

Writing the Paper: Writing the Paper: What Editors Look ForWhat Editors Look For

• Short Clear Precise Title

• Good Abstract

• Good Design and Methods

• Clear Conclusions

• Brevity/Concise

• You’ve followed their instructions

Writing the Paper: Writing the Paper:

What Reviewers Look ForWhat Reviewers Look For • Good Design and Methods

• Simple Tables and Figures

• Logical Organisation

• Brevity

• Balance

• Appropriate Statistics

• Their Papers

Writing the PaperWriting the Paper

TitleAbstract

IntroductionMethodsResults

DiscussionReferences

Figures and TablesCovering Letter

Post Review

Writing the Paper Writing the Paper

1. Title

• Short and simple

• Begin with a key word

• Avoid Abbreviations


2. Abstract

• Make it interesting

• Structure it•Background

•Methods

•Results

•Conclusions

• Keep it short (<250 Words)


3. Introduction

• Inverted Pyramid•General to Specific

• Summarise previous research

• Be Balanced

• Don’t over reference

• Don’t Criticise

• State the Hypothesis


4. Methods

• Allows readers to judge the quality of the work

• Identifies weaknesses

•Allows repetition of the study

•State the study design


5. Results

• Be enthusiastic

• Start with positive findings

• Be logical

• Provide numbers and variability

• Don’t duplicate text, figures and tables

• Keep focused


6. Discussion

• Reverse of Introduction

• Put the results in perspective

• How far do the results fulfill the

objective?

• Limitations

• How do the results relate to other works?

• Implications

• Be careful in criticism


6. Discussion (Contd)

• Be modest

• Be balanced (Objective)

• Be concise

• End with a strong statement


7. References

• Appropriate format

• Don’t over self cite

• Chose recent references

• Avoid conference abstracts

• Only 1 or 2 references per point


8. Figures and Tables

• Professionally produced

• Clearly labelled axes, lines etc…

• Informative legend

• Appropriate plots

• Don’t over clutter

• Align for ease of reading


9. Covering Letter

• Use the editors name

• State the importance of the question

• State the importance of the findings

• Why have you chosen this journal?

• Can suggest impartial reviewers


10. Post review

• Take criticism well

• Take the advice of reviewers

• Scientists are naturally critical!!

• Remember main goal is to get published

Grant Applications Grant Applications

• Ideas

• Novelty

• Importance

• Sound Basis

• Right People

• Right Environment


• Funders

• Government

• Charities

• Industry

• Considerations

• Eligibility

• Mission of Organisation

• Special Initiatives


• Planning

• Deadlines

• Preparation Time

• Process Time


• Applying

• Instructions

• Questions

• Ethics and Licences


• Components of an Application

•Summary (Write Last)

•Aims

•Background

•Experimental Plan

•Appendix

•Justification


• Make a Good CASE

•Concise

•Accurate

•Specific

•Easy to Follow

• Know Your Audience


• Referees’ Comments

“…it involves techniques with which the

applicant appears to have no prior experience

and for which no preliminary data are proposed”

“…one weakness in the proposal is that there is

no alternative plan should the proposed

approach not yield information relevant to the

hypothesis proposed”


“…the work described in this application is over

ambitious, it could not be achieved in the

lifetime of the principle investigator”

“…I had only one problem with this application, I

had no idea what they were trying to do…”

Successful WritingSuccessful Writing

• Sentence Structure

• Length and Complexity

• Easy to Digest

• Too Many Items

• Manageable Units

• No Long Sequences of Short Statements


• Style

• Do not create long strings of adjectives in

front of nouns

• BAD…causing problems for rigid gas permeable contact lens users

• BETTER…causing problems for rigid gas-permeable contact-lens

users

• BEST…causing problems for users of rigid, gas-permeable contact

lenses


•Grandiose Vocabulary

•Use ‘Plain’ English wherever possible

•Unnecessary Weight

•A)…utilise the new equipment to…

•B)…use the new equipment to…

•A)…until session termination…

•B)…until the session ends…


•Interruption from unfamiliar words

•A)…other deleterious side-effects…

•B)…other harmful effects…

•A)…this format can be used in lieu of…

•B)…this format can be used instead of…


•Reduced Precision

•A)…the result was concordant with the previous

test…

•B)…the results was the same as the previous

test…

•A) In contrast, Compound X abrogated the

leukocyte accumulation…

•B) In contrast, Compound X eliminated the

leukocyte accumulation…


•Unnecessary Use

•A)…the ideal fungicide…must combine high

fungitoxicity with low mammalian toxicity and

phytotoxicity, and with the absence of tainting or

other deleterious side-effects when the fruit is

processed…

•B)…the ideal fungicide…must kill fungus

effectively, but must be harmless to animals and

plants, and must cause no tainting or other harmful

side-effects when the fruit is processed…


•Ambiguous Use

•A)…A exceeds B by a factor of x 10…

•B)…A is 10 times greater than B…

•Inaccurate Use

•A)…of similar age were randomised into two

groups according to weight and age…

•B)…were separated into two groups according to

weight and age…


•Fashionable Words

•A)…there are three parameters to be taken into

account…

•The writer meant ‘Variables’

•B)…enter the parameters obtained…

•The writer meant ‘Values’

•C)…record the parameters of temperature…

•The writer meant ‘Limits’ or ‘Boundaries’

•Parameter can mean a ‘Constant’ or a

‘Variable’!


•What does inhibit mean?

•Suppression

•Decrease

•Block

•Stop/Reduce

•What does cohort mean?

•Random sample?

•Similar Sample?


•Roundabout Phrasing

•A)…samples have been subjected to examination

by…

•B)…samples have been examined by…

•A)…reported that the batches experienced a

colour change during storage…

•B)…reported that the batches changed colour

during storage…


•Excessive Nominalisation

•A)…use of nasal drops produces significant

shrinkage of nasal polyps…

•B)…use of nasal drops shrinks nasal polyps

significantly…

•A)…a reduction in the time required may be

effected…

•B)…the time required can be reduced…


•Active and Passive Verbs

•A) Drug X reduced the inflammation in the lungs

significantly. (ACTIVE)

•B) The inflammation in the lungs was reduced

significantly by drug X. (PASSIVE)


•First person V. Impersonal

•A)…the suggestion is made that…WHO?

•B)…we suggest…

•A)…attempts have been made to prepare…WHO?

•B)…I have tried to prepare…

•A)…it is thought that…

•B)…we think that…


•Punctuation

•A) Take no action as the camera operates

automatically…

•B) Take no action, as the camera operates

automatically…

•A) Insert the new disk into the disk drive with the

notch at the bottom and the label on the left.

•B) Insert the new disk into the disk drive, with the

notch at the bottom and the label on the left.


•Punctuation

•A) Frequently adjusted totals need to be

scrutinised…

•B) Frequently, adjusted totals need to be

scrutinised…

•A) However many modules are required to test the

same number of ABC’s, so it will be necessary…

•B) However, many modules are required to test

the same number of ABC’s, so it will be necessary…


•Punctuation

•A) The species of fish supported by the reef are

varied and abundant food supplies are available

to…

•B) The species of fish supported by the reef are

varied, and abundant food supplies are available

to…

•A)…will be assessed using three symptoms:

fatigue, pain and nausea and vomiting.

•B)…will be assessed using three symptoms:

fatigue, pain, and nausea and vomiting.


•Punctuation

•A)…overuse of pesticides has led to air and water

pollution…

•B)…overuse of pesticides has led to pollution of air

and of water…

•A)…bacteria carrying dust particles…

•B)…bacteria-carrying dust particles…

scientific journal writing and writing for grants

Education

paper questions journals

title short

methods simple tables

forwhat editors

forwhat reviewers

interesting structure

discussion references

letter post review