How to write and publish a scientific paper - Barbara Gastel, Robert A. Day 2022

Preparing to write
Approaching a writing project
Some preliminaries

In the laboratory, careful preparation helps experiments proceed smoothly and efficiently. Much the same is true of scientific writing. By preparing carefully before you start to compose a manuscript, you can make writing relatively easy and painless. Of course, in our unbiased view, preparing to write should include reading this book and keeping it on hand to consult. (Our publisher suggests buying a copy for your office or lab, a copy to use at home, and maybe one to keep in your car or boat.) But using this book is only a start. The following also can help.

Good writing is largely a matter of effective imitation. Therefore, obtain copies of highly regarded scientific papers in your research area, including papers in the journal to which you plan to submit your current work. Notice how these papers are written. For example: What sections do they include, and in what order? How long do the various sections tend to be? How do the sections tend to be structured? What types of subheadings, if any, tend to be included? How many figures and tables, and what types thereof, are typical? Especially if you are a nonnative speaker of English, what seem to be some standard phrases that you could use in presenting your own work? Using published papers as models, and perhaps using detailed outlines of them to help structure your own paper (Gray 2020), can prepare you to craft a manuscript that will be suitable to submit.

Successful writing also entails following instructions. Essentially every scientific journal posts instructions to authors. Following these instructions takes much of the guesswork out of writing and can save you the unpleasant task of rewriting a paper because it did not meet the journal’s specifications (or finding that the editor simply rejected your paper without comment). If instructions are long (some journals’ instructions run the equivalent of several pages or more), underline or highlight the key points to remember. Alternatively, you may list the points most relevant to the paper you will write. Also, consider bookmarking on your computer the journal’s instructions to authors.

For more detailed guidance—for instance, on nomenclature, reference formats, and grammar—instructions for authors often refer readers to standard style manuals. Among style manuals commonly used in the sciences are the following:

The ACS [American Chemical Society] Guide to Scholarly Communication (Banik et al. 2020—)

AMA [American Medical Association] Manual of Style, 11th edition (Christiansen et al. 2020)

The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition (2017)

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition (2020)

Scientific Style and Format, 8th edition (Style Manual Subcommittee, Council of Science Editors 2014)

New editions of these manuals come out from time to time. Between editions, updates commonly are posted on the manuals’ websites. And increasingly, such manuals are available in continually updated online versions, as well as in print. Indeed, the ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication, which succeeds the ACS Style Guide (Coghill and Garson 2006), exists only as such a version. Look for the most recent edition of the style manual you will use. Commonly, you can find such style manuals in academic and other libraries. If you lack easy access, consider investing in the style manuals most commonly used in your research field. In any case, be ready to consult such manuals.

If you do not have reference-management software—for example, EndNote, RefWorks, or Zotero—now may be a good time to obtain it. Many universities make such software readily available and provide instruction in its use. Further information about using such software appears in Chapter 15.

While you are gathering scientific content, ideas for your paper may occur to you. For example, you may think of a point to include in the discussion, or you may come up with a good way to structure a table. Write down these ideas; for each section of your paper, consider creating a file in which to place them. Not only will recording your ideas keep them from escaping your memory, but having such ideas readily available can get your writing off to a quick start.

Once you have gathered and analyzed your data, speaking can be a fine transition to writing. If possible, present your work at a departmental seminar or local research day. Perhaps give an oral or poster presentation at a conference. Preparing to speak can help you with formulating your article. Also, questions from listeners can help you to shape what you will write.

Research typically is a team endeavor. So is reporting on research. In the writing, as in the research, different team members commonly take different roles. Sometimes one member drafts the whole paper and the others review and revise it. Other times, different members draft different parts of the paper and then circulate them to the others for review. Whatever the case, clarify beforehand who will do what, and perhaps set a timetable. Maybe consider what software, if any, you will use to facilitate collaboration. Will you share drafts via Dropbox? Will you use Google Docs? Will you use software designed specifically for academic collaboration? Discuss such matters before starting to write.

To facilitate writing, do lots of prewriting. For example, stack copies of published papers in the order in which you plan to cite them. List points you wish to make in a given section, and sort and re-sort them until you are pleased with the order. Perhaps make a formal outline. By doing much of the thinking and organizing beforehand, you can lower the activation energy needed to write a paper. In fact, such prewriting can catalyze the writing process so well that you find yourself eager to write.

In preparing to write, realize that sometimes ideas must percolate for a while. If, for example, you cannot come up with an effective way to begin your paper or to structure a section, take a break. Exercise for a while, take a nap, or maybe discuss your work with someone. A solution may then occur to you.

The physicist Wolfgang Pauli reportedly stated, “I don’t mind your thinking slowly; I mind your publishing faster than you think” (Mackay and Ebison 1977, p. 117). Take the time to reflect and plan before you write and publish.