10 TIPS ON HOW TO WRITE A SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE

A scientific paper is a written and published report describing original research results.

I need to mention that a research   is not complete until the results have been published and understood.

As the saying goes knowledge not shared., is  knowledge lost, therefore scientific publication is a sure way of disseminating information obtained through research.

Your scientific paper should have the following 

1. TITLE

A good title is defined as the fewest possible words that describe the contents of the paper. Note that an  improperly titled paper will get lost and will never be read. It needs to be Informative, specific, Concise and Understandable.

To get a good title for your scientific paper, you can do the following

·         Make a list of the most important keywords

·         Think of a title that contains these words

·         The title could state the conclusion of the paper

 

2.      ABSTRACT

This should be written in clear and simple words, as it is the first and sometimes the only part of the manuscript read. It should provide a complete and selective summary of the most significant ideas and information. It must contain the following

·         brief background

·         methods used

·         Summarized results

·         principal conclusions

·         It should be written in one paragraph

 

3.       INTRODUCTION

I think that introduction should contain the following

o   Background information and knowledge gap

o   hypothesis, question and purpose statement

o   Approach, plan of  attack and proposed solution

 

4.      METHODS.

This should contain the following

o   Detailed experimental procedures

o   Explains analytical techniques used

o   Be precise, complete and concise

 

5.      RESULTS

This is the core or heart of the paper and It needs to be clearly and simply stated since it constitutes the new knowledge contributed to the world. You need to summarize and illustrate the findings in an orderly and logical sequence, without interpretation. It should be written in a way that it should guide the reader through the findings, stressing the major points. Figures and tables should stand alone and tell a complete story so that the reader should not need to refer back to the main text. Note the following when presenting result

·         Use the fewest figures and tables needed to tell the story.

·         Do not present the same data in both a figure and a table

 

6.       DISCUSSION

Sometimes this is the  hardest section to write. It is where you need to display your knowledge of the study and implication of your findings. Its primary purpose is to show the relationships among observed facts. It should end with a short summary or conclusion regarding the significance of the work. State your conclusions as clearly as possible. Here you need to

·         answer the question asked

·         defend your conclusion

·         give the big picture ie the take home message

 

7.      REFERENCES

 Referencing is a standardized way of acknowledging the sources of information and ideas that you have used in your document.  A list of ALL the references used in the text must be written. Reference lists allow readers to investigate the subject in greater depth if they so wish. Any papers not cited in the text should not be included.

 

8.      CLARITY OF PURPOSE

Remember that the purpose of scientific writing is to communicate new scientific findings. Thus it has to be clear, simple and well ordered communication to transmit new scientific findings. A good research paper is the one that easily conveyed your idea to the reader unambiguously.

 

9.      PROOFREAD:

Having written your scientific paper as it should be, you need to read it thoroughly again  for errors in spelling and grammar

10. PUBLICATION:

You need to  select the best journal where your paper can be published. Tips on how to select a good journal is beyond the scope of this write up. Researchers publish and disseminate their work in many different ways through formal  publication in books and in learned and professional journals; through conferences and their proceedings; and through a variety of less formal means, including web-based tools for social networking.

 In addition to all these points listed above, you need conducive and enabling environment for you to concentrate and write quality scientific paper or what do you think ?