How to Write a Good Scientific Article
A scientific article is an academic work based on original research, containing analysis and interpretation on the part of the author. Scientific articles are often labor intensive and are published in scientific journals.
Successfully completing an assignment is ultimately about understanding the instructions, subject and the evaluation criteria. Read the instructions carefully, looking for points that you do not understand and that may require explanation from your teacher.
Also, identify the purpose of the scientific article, the date of submission, the size requested, and the methods of formatting and submitting the document. The following are a few pointers to note:
- It is important to consider your deadline be realistic and organize your time around research, writing, as well as proofreading and correction of the document .
- Word limit: work on a precise and specific topic to avoid getting lost in too much information.
- The object of your research: it is essential to identify the objective of your scientific article as soon as possible. For example, you may wish to inform, persuade, or encourage to pursue a certain type of action.
- When thinking about how to write a science article, you need to think about your readers. Their level of knowledge will influence your writing style, the choice of words and the amount of detail you will add to the explanation of concepts. Address it to an expert audience but make it accessible to a wider audience.
Choose a research topic for your scientific article
There are several ways to come up with an idea for a scientific article, such as brainstorming sessions which entails taking notes, a discussion with a classmate, an interview with a teacher, the decision is yours to make.
Freestyle and Research
Employ a freestyle approach when writing your scientific article by starting with a generic topic and write nonstop for two or three minutes to identify anything that may relate to it and what may be of interest to analyze. Also draw inspiration from existing research works. Dedicated discussion or recommendation sections at the end of scientific papers often include research ideas in specific areas.
Chose a title
Once you’ve established your primary area of investigation, narrow it down to choose a topic that interests you, that is original and fulfils the criteria of your assignment.
Ensure that the subject of your scientific article must be both original and precise.
Research your topic
Write down any discussions that seem to relate to your topic and try to find an issue you can focus on. Use different of sources, such as academic journals, books, and reliable websites during your research and don’t just check out the ideas you have in mind, consider using sources that contradict your hypothesis.
The foregoing will help you determine any flaws in your argument and if there are holes in the chosen topic, one can adjust the argument or topic.
Develop a research statement
In a research statement you make a statement of your main argument. It establishes the purpose and position of your research in your scientific article. If you started with a research question or hypothesis, the statement needs to answer it. He should also explain the sources and reasoning used to answer this question.
The statement must be concise and challenge, or at least articulate, certain aspects of the literature, while remaining coherent. The need to refine your statement as you research may arise, but it can serve as a guide throughout the process of writing the scientific article. Each paragraph is meant to support and develop your primary research objective.
Create a research plan
A research plan works as a guide to use during the process of writing the scientific article. It’s a list of key topics, arguments, and evidence you’ll cover, broken down into sections, with their own titles, so that everything is planned out before you start writing. A research plan helps you make the writing process more efficient. It is therefore important to take time to build it.
Structured paragraphs
Paragraphs are the main building blocks of your scientific article. Each paragraph should have a statement or idea that supports the main argument or purpose of your work.
Write an introduction
The introduction to a scientific article should answer the three questions What? Why? How?
In a dissertation, the introduction has specific requirements on what to include, it serves as a catchphrase that establishes for readers what they already know, while also revealing information about your goal.
Be specific on the topic. Introduce the context and define the key concepts, terms, theories, and historical details relevant to your topic. If you are writing a longer scientific article with a summary of the existing literature, you should also explain how your topic falls within this field of research.
The why question is the most important, but also the most difficult part of your introduction. Give short answers to questions like, what new knowledge or information are you bringing? What are the important issues that your argument answers?
How? ‘Or’ What? The reader should know how your assignment is going to be articulated. Therefore, the introduction should include guide to what will be covered and should present the key elements of the assignment in chronological order.
Write a compelling development
The most complicated part of writing a scientific article is organizing the information and ideas presented. This is one of the reasons why a research plan is useful. However, remember that the outline is only a guide and, when writing, you can be flexible about the order in which you present the information and your arguments.
One of the ways to stay on track is to use your research statement and themed phrases at the beginning of the paragraph to summarize the idea behind it.
After writing a first draft, break your paragraphs down into sentences. Try to identify paragraphs that seem to cover the same aspects. If two paragraphs deal with similar topics, they should analyze the topic in different ways. Check that the transitions between paragraphs are done naturally.
Write a conclusion
The conclusion makes it possible to extract the main argument of the scientific article, giving a sense of finality to the article.
Trace the evolution of the document, emphasizing how you articulated the different elements to provide arguments that support your hypothesis. To make your assignment meaningful, make sure the reader understands how your article responded to the issues raised in the introduction.
Summarize what, why and how, and try to demonstrate how the key ideas presented in the introduction serve to strengthen the point you are trying to make.
You can also discuss the more general consequences of your argument and outline the possibilities for future research offered by your argument and mention the questions that your article raises, but which it does not answer.
Write the final draft
Check that your main topic aligns with the first version and most importantly, that your assignment still responds to the guidelines and questions asked, while also identifying any assumptions that may require further justification, keeping the reader’s perspective in mind. If some assumptions are unclear, but cannot be better explained, simply remove them from your document.
Be open to rearranging your ideas. Make sure each section is in its place and decide if you can organize your ideas better. If you find that ideas are no longer relevant, you should withdraw them or at least reduce the space they take in your argument.
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