Prakash Paper Writing

8/2/2019 Prakash Paper Writing

1/53

Writing research papers

By:Prof.Prakash


2/53

Paper writing

Forces us to be clear, focused Crystallises what we dont understand

Opens the way to dialogue with others: realitycheck, critique, and collaboration Writing the paper is how you develop the

idea in the first place- detailing the idea toexperiments, designs, modelling, results,discussions , comparisons etc.


3/53

Just an idea is not enough to write a paper. Develop the idea into a concept,

Implementation and experimentation areneeded Conduct analysis modeling, algorithms,

solution techniques . Establish performance measures Conduct experiments.


4/53

Measure performance Design experiments properly using standard

procedures. Compare with existing methods using

standard measures.

Interpret results from different angles.

Do all the above before writing a paper.


5/53

Questions

When to write? When you found some newmethods and taken it tocompletion. Or youfinished your experiments and it promisessome useful/ improved results and compareswell orbetter than existing methods

How to write? In stages, top down approach What should it contain?


6/53

Questions

Which journal to send the paper? Look atdifferent journals and identify one that fitsyour work.


7/53

characteristics

Whom do you address the paper? Clarity

Completeness Correctness Interesting, ease of understanding


8/53

Characteristics

Ease of reading- language simple,unambigous, sentences, connected paras,sections, titles

Good abstracts, introductions, detailing,discussions

Avoid copy and paste strictly plagiarism isviewed seriously. Quotes should be properlybuilt and referenced and should be short.


9/53

Conveying the idea

Here is a problem Its an interesting problem

Its an unsolved problem Here is my idea My idea works (details, data) Limitations, advantages, potentials, etc Heres how my idea compares to other

peoples approaches New work potentials.


10/53

structure

Abstract Introduction

The problem Related work-literature survey (three views) My idea The details - design, analysis, experiments,

algorithms Comparisons and results discussions


11/53

abstact

1.State the problem 2. Say why its an interesting problem

3. Say what your solution achieves 4. Say what follows from your solution and

analysis/ comparisons


12/53

Introduction Writing an introductionMake it a short, complete writeup. Describe the importance (significance) of the study - why was this

worth doing in the first place? Provide a broad context. Defend the model - why did you use this particular concept or

system? What are its advantages? You might comment on itssuitability from a theoretical point of view as well as indicatepractical reasons for using it.

Provide a rationale. State your specific hypothesis(es) orobjective(s), and describe the reasoning that led you to select them.

Very briefy describe the experimental design and how itaccomplished the stated objectives.


13/53

contributions

Write the list of contributions first The list of contributions drives the entire

paper: the paper substantiates the claims you have

made


14/53

Substance

Never say, "No one has ever looked at this, so Idid...

" Never say, "this is interesting Never talk at the level of methods in your

introduction (e.g., variables, measures,factors)

Do not write papers for academics/peers.- it isa difficult process how much to introducethe topic- to what depth?


15/53

Introductions are the hardest to write:inverted triangle model: funnel

Your study should be totally motivated fromyour introduction

Avoid using the expression, "Research hasfound" or "studies have shown" (if you deletethis, the sentence sounds much better)

Observations


16/53

Observations

It is a fallacy that you should leave someobvious things wrong or incomplete in thepaper so as to give the reviewer/readersomething to criticize

Most people accept or reject a paper in thefirst 5 pages and then look for evidence in aconfirmatory manner

Use active voice! Edit! Edit! Edit! (e.g., cut all phrases such as,

"in order to"; cut all boilerplate sentences


17/53

Remember that your research paper shouldbe based on a number of reliable materialswhich will support your argument.


18/53

Sometimes it helps to break up your paperinto sections, five is usually a good number.Work on those sections by themselves,making sure that the last sentence is atransition sentence into the next paragraph.Your intro and your conclusion should mirror

each other, but not be identical. Theseparagraphs should condense the facts andpositions regarding the subject of your paper

so the reader has a clear idea coming and


19/53

Details

Concentrate single-mindedly on a narrativethat

Describes the problem, and why it isinteresting

Describes your idea Defends your idea, showing how it solves the

problem, and filling out the details


20/53

Idea first

Sounds impressive...but Sends readers to sleep

In a paper you MUST provide the details, but FIRST convey the idea Introduce the problem, and your idea, using EXAMPLES and only then present the general case


21/53

Completeness

Your introduction makes claims

The body of the paper provides evidence to

support each claim Check each claim in the introduction, identify

the evidence, and forward-reference it fromthe claim

Evidence can be: analysis and comparisons,theorems, experiments and measurements,case studies


22/53

Introduction

IntroductionIntroductory paragraphsStatement of the problemPurposeSignificance of the studyResearch questions and/or hypotheses


23/53

Background

BackgroundLiterature reviewDefinition of terms


24/53

methodology

Restate purpose and research questions or nullhypotheses

Population and samplingInstrumentation (include copy in appendix)Procedure and time frameAnalysis plan (state critical alpha level and type

of statistical tests)

Validity and reliabilityAssumptionsScope and limitations


25/53

Conclusions and recommendationsSummary (of what you did and found)Discussion (explanation of findings - why do

you think you found what you did?)Recommendations (based on your findings)


26/53

Who reads a paper?

A paper is read by one or more skilled referees,and, if accepted,

by a scientifically-informed audience.


27/53

First step The first job is to structure your thinking. Follow top down approach. Devise a tentative title for the paper and write it down. jot down what seem like sensible section headings.- first

level of detailing. Get into the next level of detailing.- what is (are) the idea(s)

to be described in the section- paragraph headings, figures, ideas.

Think of things that might be relevant to the section areference, a graph you might need, an idea that requiresfurther development


28/53

Title

Should reflect correctly and succintly thecontents of a paper.

Should be based on the contributions andarea.

Should not be general, vague, broad.


29/53

Results Summarize your findings in text and illustrate them, if

appropriate, with figures and tables. In text, describe each of your results, pointing the

reader to observations that are most relevant. Provide a context, such as by describing the questionthat was addressed by making a particular observation. Describe results of control experiments and include

observations that are not presented in a formal figureor table, if appropriate.

Analyze your data, then prepare the analyzed(converted) data in the form of a figure (graph), table,or in text form.


30/53

results

Never include raw data or intermediatecalculations in a research paper.

Do not present the same data more thanonce.

Text should complement any figures or tables,not repeat the same information.

Please do not confuse figures with tables -there is a difference.


31/53

Discussions Decide if each hypothesis is supported, rejected, or if

you cannot make a decision with confidence. Do not simply dismiss a study or part of a study as

"inconclusive." Research papers are not accepted if the

work is incomplete. Draw what conclusions you can based upon the results

that you have, and treat the study as a finished work You may suggest future directions, such as how the

experiment might be modified to accomplish anotherobjective.

Explain all of your observations as much as possible, focusing on mechanisms .


32/53

Discussions Decide if the experimental design adequately

addressed the hypothesis, and whether or not it wasproperly controlled.

Try to offer alternative explanations if reasonable

alternatives exist. One experiment will not answer an overall question,

so keeping the big picture in mind, where do you gonext?

The best studies open up new avenues of research.What questions remain?

Recommendations for specific papers will provideadditional suggestions.


33/53

References List all literature cited in your paper, in alphabetical

order, by first author. In a proper research paper, onlyprimary literature is used (original research articlesauthored by the original investigators).

Be cautious about using web sites as references -anyone can put just about anything on a web site, andyou have no sure way of knowing if it is truth or fiction.

If you are citing an on line journal, use the journalcitation (name, volume, year, page numbers)


34/53

checklist 1. Did I begin each paragraph with a proper topic sentence?

2. Have I supported my arguments with documented proof or examples?3. Any run-on or unfinished sentences?4. Any unnecessary or repetitious words?5. Varying lengths of sentences?6. Does one paragraph or idea flow smoothly into the next?

7. Any spelling or grammatical errors?8. Quotes accurate in source, spelling, and punctuation?9. Are all my citations accurate and in correct format?10. Did I avoid using contractions? Use "cannot" instead of "can't", "donot" instead of "don't"?11. Did I use third person as much as possible? Avoid using phrases suchas "I think", "I guess", "I suppose"12. Have I made my points clear and interesting but remained objective?13. Did I leave a sense of completion for my reader(s) at the end of thepaper?


35/53

style Use normal prose including articles ("a", "the," etc.) Stay focused on the research topic of the paper Use paragraphs to separate each important point (except for the

abstract) Indent the first line of each paragraph Present your points in logical order Use present tense to report well accepted facts - for example, 'the

grass is green' Use past tense to describe specific results - for example, 'When

weed killer was applied, the grass was brown' Avoid informal wording, don't address the reader directly, and don't

use jargon, slang terms, or superlatives Avoid use of superfluous pictures - include only those figures

necessary to presenting results


36/53

Style

Use past tense except when referring toestablished facts. After all, the paper will besubmitted after all of the work is completed.

Reference to results of a specific study shouldalso be in past tense.

Organize your ideas, making one major pointwith each paragraph.


37/53

State the hypothesis/objective precisely - donot oversimplify.

As always, pay attention to spelling, clarityand appropriateness of sentences andphrases.

Make sure that your sentences are complete,that they make sense when you proofread,and that you have verb/subject agreement.


38/53

Style

In text, refer to each figure as "figure 1,""figure 2," etc. ;

number your tables as well . Place figures and tables, properly numbered,

in order at the end of the report (clearlydistinguish them from any other material suchas raw data, standard curves, etc.)


39/53

style

When you refer to information, distinguish datagenerated by your own studies from publishedinformation or from information obtained from

other students (verb tense is an important toolfor accomplishing that purpose).

Refer to work done by specific individuals

(including yourself) in past tense. Refer to generally accepted facts and principles in

present tense.


40/53

Style Statement like "we used Microsoft Excel to produce a

graph of x versus y." is anecdotal and is considered tobe superfluous.

Unnecessary background If you state facts or describe mechanisms, do so inorder to make a point or to help interpret results, and

do refer to the present study. If you find yourself writing everything you know about the subject, you arewasting your time (and that of your reader). Stick tothe appropriate point, and include a reference to yoursource of background information if you feel that it isimportant.


41/53

Mistakes to avoid

Placing a heading at the bottom of a page withthe following text on the next page (insert apage break!)

Dividing a table or figure - confine eachfigure/table to a single page

Submitting a paper with pages out of order


42/53

Observations

Incomplete sentences, redundant phrases,obvious misspellings, and other symptoms of a hurriedly-written paper can cost you.

Spelling and grammatical errors can beembarrassing.

please make sure that tables are not split overmore than one page, that headings are not"orphaned," pages submitted out of sequence, etc.


43/53

Inappropriate statements

It isn't necessary to tell fellow scientists thatyour study is pertinent to the field of biochemistry. Your readers can figure out towhat field(s) your work applies. You need notdefine terms that are well known to theintended readership. For example, do you

really think it is necessary to define systolicblood pressure if your readership consists of physicians or cardiovascular physiologists?


44/53

Superlatives include adjectives such as "huge,""incredible," "wonderful," "exciting," etc.

Your definition of incredible might be different

from that of someone else - perhaps a five foldincrease is incredible to you, but not for the nextperson. It is much better to use an objectiveexpression, such as "Oxygen consumption was

five fold greater in the presence of uncoupler,which is a greater change than we saw with theaddition of any other reagent."


45/53

Beliefs

Similarly, we don't write that we believesomething. We present the evidence, andperhaps suggest strong support for a position,

but beliefs don't come into play.


46/53

Proof

The requirements for scientific proof areextremely rigorous.


47/53

Over simplification

We used a spectrophotometer to determineprotein concentrations for each of oursamples.

We used an oscilloscope to measurepotentials .


48/53


49/53

Results

Use an appropriate number of decimal places(if you need decimal places at all) to reportmeasured or calculated values. The number of

decimal places and/or significant figures mustreflect the degree of precision of the originalmeasurement.

there is never any need to qualify ameasurement or calculation as 'about' or'approximate.'


50/53

Some rules 1. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.

2. Prepositions are not words to end sentenceswith.3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.5. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat)6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.7. Be more or less specific.8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are(usually) unnecessary.


51/53

Some rules 9. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.

10. No sentence fragments.11. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't beused.12. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words thannecessary; it's highly superfluous.14. One should NEVER generalize.15. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.

16. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.17. One-word sentences? Eliminate.18. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.19. The passive voice is to be ignored.


52/53

Some rules 20. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words

however should be enclosed in commas.21. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.22. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.23. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forthearth-shaking ideas.24. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hatequotations. Tell me what you know."25. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times:Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.26. Puns are for children, not groan readers.27. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.28. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.29. Who needs rhetorical questions?30. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.


53/53

Plagiarism

Plagiarism (use of others words, ideas,images, etc. without citation) is not to betolerated and can be easily avoided by

adequately referencing any and allinformation you use from other sources. Inthe strictest sense, plagiarism isrepresentation of the work of others as being

your work. Paraphrasing other's words tooclosely may be construed as plagiarism insome circumstances

Prakash Paper Writing

Documents

Transcript of Prakash Paper Writing