Read Conclusions of Papers Future Directions to Develop Papers

Editor's note: This 2014 post conveys the advice of a researcher sharing his experience and does not represent Elsevier's policy. However, in response to your feedback, we worked with him to update this post so it reflects our practices. For case, since information technology was published, we have worked extensively with researchers to raise visibility of non-English language language research – July x, 2019

Update: In response to your feedback, we have reinstated the original text so you lot tin can see how it was revised. – July 11, 2019

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When you organize your manuscript, the first thing to consider is that the guild of sections will be very different than the society of items on you checklist.

An article begins with the Title, Abstract and Keywords.

The article text follows the IMRAD format, which responds to the questions beneath:

• Introduction: What did you/others do? Why did you do it?
• Grandethods: How did you do it?
• Results: What did you notice?
• And
• Discussion: What does it all mean?

The chief text is followed past the Conclusion, Acknowledgements, References and Supporting Materials.

While this is the published structure, however, we frequently use a unlike order when writing.

Steps to organizing your manuscript

1. Set up the figures and tables.
2. Write the Methods.
3. Write upwardly the Results.
4. Write the Word. Finalize the Results and Discussion earlier writing the introduction. This is because, if the give-and-take is bereft, how can you objectively demonstrate the scientific significance of your work in the introduction?
5. Write a clear Determination.
6. Write a compelling introduction.
7. Write the Abstract.
8. Compose a curtailed and descriptive Championship.
9. Select Keywords for indexing.
10. Write the Acknowledgements.
11. Write upwardly the References.

Next, I'll review each stride in more detail. Just before you ready out to write a paper, there are ii important things you should do that will set the groundwork for the entire process.

• The topic to be studied should be the offset issue to exist solved. Define your hypothesis and objectives (These will go in the Introduction.)
• Review the literature related to the topic and select some papers (virtually thirty) that can be cited in your paper (These will be listed in the References.)

Finally, keep in mind that each publisher has its own mode guidelines and preferences, so always consult the publisher's Guide for Authors.

Step one: Ready the figures and tables

Remember that "a effigy is worth a thousand words." Hence, illustrations, including figures and tables, are the virtually efficient manner to present your results. Your data are the driving forcefulness of the paper, and then your illustrations are critical!

How do you decide between presenting your data as tables or figures? Generally, tables give the actual experimental results, while figures are often used for comparisons of experimental results with those of previous works, or with calculated/theoretical values (Figure one).

Whatever your choice is, no illustrations should indistinguishable the information described elsewhere in the manuscript.

Another important factor: figure and table legends must be self-explanatory (Effigy 2).

When presenting your tables and figures, appearances count! To this end:

• Avoid crowded plots (Effigy three), using only 3 or 4 information sets per figure; use well-selected scales.
• Think virtually appropriate axis characterization size
• Include articulate symbols and data sets that are easy to distinguish.
• Never include long boring tables (eastward.g., chemical compositions of emulsion systems or lists of species and abundances). Yous can include them every bit supplementary textile.

If you are using photographs, each must accept a scale marking, or scale bar, of professional person quality in one corner.

In photographs and figures, use color only when necessary when submitting to a impress publication. If different line styles can analyze the pregnant, never use colors or other thrilling effects or yous will be charged with expensive fees. Of class, this does not utilise to online journals. For many journals, you tin submit duplicate figures: 1 in colour for the online version of the periodical and pdfs, and another in black and white for the hardcopy journal (Figure iv).

Another common problem is the misuse of lines and histograms. Lines joining information only can be used when presenting time series or sequent samples data (e.g., in a transect from coast to offshore in Figure 5). However, when at that place is no connexion between samples or there is not a gradient, you must utilise histograms (Figure 5).

Sometimes, fonts are too small for the journal. You must take this into account, or they may be illegible to readers (Effigy half dozen).

Finally, you must pay attention to the use of decimals, lines, etc. (Effigy 7)

Step 2: Write the Methods

This section responds to the question of how the problem was studied. If your paper is proposing a new method, you need to include detailed data so a knowledgeable reader tin can reproduce the experiment.

Withal, do not repeat the details of established methods; apply References and Supporting Materials to indicate the previously published procedures. Broad summaries or cardinal references are sufficient.

Reviewers will criticize incomplete or incorrect methods descriptions and may recommend rejection, because this department is critical in the process of reproducing your investigation. In this way, all chemicals must exist identified. Do not use proprietary, unidentifiable compounds.

To this end, information technology's important to use standard systems for numbers and nomenclature. For example:

• For chemicals, utilise the conventions of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and the official recommendations of the IUPAC–IUB Combined Committee on Biochemical Nomenclature.
• For species, apply accustomed taxonomical nomenclature (WoRMS: Globe Register of Marine Species, ERMS: European Register of Marine Species), and write them always in italics.
• For units of measurement, follow the International Organisation of Units (SI).

Present proper command experiments and statistics used, again to make the experiment of investigation repeatable.

List the methods in the same lodge they will appear in the Results section, in the logical order in which you did the research:

1. Clarification of the site
2. Description of the surveys or experiments washed, giving information on dates, etc.
3. Description of the laboratory methods, including separation or treatment of samples, analytical methods, following the order of waters, sediments and biomonitors. If y'all have worked with different biodiversity components kickoff from the simplest (i.eastward. microbes) to the more than complex (i.e. mammals)
4. Clarification of the statistical methods used (including confidence levels, etc.)

In this section, avoid calculation comments, results, and discussion, which is a common error.

Length of the manuscript

Once again, look at the journal's Guide for Authors, but an ideal length for a manuscript is 25 to xl pages, double spaced, including essential information but. Hither are some general guidelines:

• Title: Short and informative
• Abstract: 1 paragraph (<250 words)
• Introduction: 1.5-2 pages
• Methods: two-3 pages
• Results: 6-viii pages
• Give-and-take: 4-half-dozen pages
• Conclusion: one paragraph
• Figures: half dozen-8 (1 per page)
• Tables: i-iii (one per page)
• References: 20-50 papers (2-four pages)

Footstep 3: Write up the Results

This section responds to the question "What have you institute?" Hence, only representative results from your inquiry should be presented. The results should be essential for give-and-take.

All the same, remember that most journals offer the possibility of adding Supporting Materials, so utilize them freely for data of secondary importance. In this way, do not endeavor to "hide" data in the hope of saving information technology for a subsequently paper. Y'all may lose evidence to reinforce your conclusion. If information are also abundant, you can use those supplementary materials.

Use sub-headings to proceed results of the same type together, which is easier to review and read. Number these sub-sections for the convenience of internal cross-referencing, but ever taking into business relationship the publisher's Guide for Authors.

For the information, decide on a logical order that tells a clear story and makes it and easy to understand. Generally, this will be in the same order as presented in the methods section.

An important issue is that you must non include references in this section; you lot are presenting your results, so you cannot refer to others hither. If you refer to others, is because you lot are discussing your results, and this must be included in the Discussion department.

Statistical rules

• Bespeak the statistical tests used with all relevant parameters: eastward.g., hateful and standard deviation (SD): 44% (±3); median and interpercentile range:  seven years (4.5 to 9.five years).
• Use mean and standard deviation to report normally distributed data.
• Utilize median and interpercentile range to written report skewed information.
• For numbers, use two significant digits unless more precision is necessary (2.08, not 2.07856444).
• Never apply percentages for very small samples due east.k., "i out of two" should non be replaced by 50%.

Step 4: Write the Discussion

Hither you lot must respond to what the results mean. Probably it is the easiest section to write, merely the hardest section to go right. This is because it is the most important section of your commodity. Here you go the take chances to sell your information. Take into account that a huge numbers of manuscripts are rejected because the Word is weak.

Y'all need to make the Discussion corresponding to the Results, just do not reiterate the results. Here you need to compare the published results by your colleagues with yours (using some of the references included in the Introduction). Never ignore work in disagreement with yours, in turn, you must confront it and convince the reader that you are correct or better.

Take into business relationship the post-obit tips:

1. Avoid statements that go beyond what the results can support.

2. Avoid unspecific expressions such as "higher temperature", "at a lower rate", "highly significant". Quantitative descriptions are ever preferred (35ºC, 0.5%, p<0.001, respectively).

3. Avert sudden introduction of new terms or ideas; yous must present everything in the introduction, to exist confronted with your results here.

four. Speculations on possible interpretations are allowed, but these should be rooted in fact, rather than imagination. To achieve expert interpretations retrieve about:

• How exercise these results relate to the original question or objectives outlined in the Introduction department?
• Do the data support your hypothesis?
• Are your results consistent with what other investigators have reported?
• Hash out weaknesses and discrepancies. If your results were unexpected, effort to explain why
• Is in that location another way to interpret your results?
• What farther research would be necessary to respond the questions raised past your results?
• Explain what is new without exaggerating

5. Revision of Results and Give-and-take is not just paper work. You may exercise further experiments, derivations, or simulations. Sometimes y'all cannot clarify your idea in words considering some critical items accept not been studied substantially.

Step 5: Write a articulate Determination

This section shows how the piece of work advances the field from the present country of cognition. In some journals, information technology'south a separate department; in others, information technology's the last paragraph of the Discussion section. Whatever the example, without a clear conclusion department, reviewers and readers will discover it difficult to judge your work and whether information technology merits publication in the periodical.

A common fault in this section is repeating the abstruse, or just listing experimental results. Picayune statements of your results are unacceptable in this section.

Yous should provide a clear scientific justification for your work in this section, and bespeak uses and extensions if appropriate. Moreover, you tin can suggest future experiments and point out those that are underway.

You tin can propose present global and specific conclusions, in relation to the objectives included in the introduction

Stride half-dozen: Write a compelling Introduction

This is your opportunity to convince readers that yous clearly know why your work is useful.

A good introduction should answer the following questions:

• What is the problem to be solved?
• Are there any existing solutions?
• Which is the best?
• What is its chief limitation?
• What do you lot hope to achieve?

Editors like to run into that you have provided a perspective consistent with the nature of the journal. You need to introduce the main scientific publications on which your piece of work is based, citing a couple of original and important works, including recent review manufactures.

Even so, editors detest improper citations of too many references irrelevant to the piece of work, or inappropriate judgments on your own achievements. They volition think you lot take no sense of purpose.

Here are some additional tips for the introduction:

• Never use more words than necessary (exist concise and to-the-point). Don't make this department into a history lesson. Long introductions put readers off.
• We all know that you are cracking to present your new information. But do not forget that you need to give the whole movie at kickoff.
• The introduction must be organized from the global to the particular bespeak of view, guiding the readers to your objectives when writing this paper.
• Country the purpose of the paper and research strategy adopted to reply the question, only do not mix introduction with results, word and decision. Ever go along them separate to ensure that the manuscript flows logically from one section to the next.
• Hypothesis and objectives must be clearly remarked at the stop of the introduction.
• Expressions such every bit "novel," "first fourth dimension," "first e'er," and "epitome-changing" are non preferred. Employ them sparingly.

Footstep 7: Write the Abstract

The abstract tells prospective readers what you did and what the important findings in your enquiry were. Together with the title, it'southward the advertizing of your article. Make information technology interesting and easily understood without reading the whole commodity.  Avoid using jargon, uncommon abbreviations and references.

You must be authentic, using the words that convey the precise significant of your inquiry. The abstract provides a short description of the perspective and purpose of your newspaper. It gives primal results but minimizes experimental details. It is very important to remind that the abstract offers a curt clarification of the estimation/conclusion in the last sentence.

A clear abstract will strongly influence whether or not your work is further considered.

However, the abstracts must exist continue every bit brief as possible. Simply check the 'Guide for authors' of the journal, just normally they have less than 250 words. Here's a good example on a short abstract.

In an abstruse, the two whats are essential. Here's an instance from an commodity I co-authored in Ecological Indicators:

1. What has been washed? "In recent years, several benthic biotic indices accept been proposed to be used every bit ecological indicators in estuarine and coastal waters. Ane such indicator, the AMBI (AZTI Marine Biotic Index), was designed to institute the ecological quality of European coasts. The AMBI has been used also for the determination of the ecological quality status within the context of the European Water Framework Directive. In this contribution, 38 different applications including six new case studies (hypoxia processes, sand extraction, oil platform impacts, engineering science works, dredging and fish aquaculture) are presented."
2. What are the main findings? "The results testify the response of the benthic communities to different disturbance sources in a simple way. Those communities act as ecological indicators of the 'health' of the arrangement, indicating clearly the gradient associated with the disturbance."

Pace eight: Compose a concise and descriptive title

The title must explicate what the newspaper is broadly about. It is your first (and probably only) opportunity to concenter the reader's attention. In this mode, call up that the first readers are the Editor and the referees. Likewise, readers are the potential authors who will cite your article, so the commencement impression is powerful!

We are all flooded by publications, and readers don't have time to read all scientific product. They must be selective, and this selection often comes from the title.

Reviewers will check whether the title is specific and whether information technology reflects the content of the manuscript. Editors detest titles that make no sense or neglect to represent the subject matter adequately. Hence, proceed the championship informative and concise (clear, descriptive, and not too long). You must avert technical jargon and abbreviations, if possible. This is because y'all need to attract a readership as large as possible. Dedicate some fourth dimension to think about the title and discuss information technology with your co-authors.

Here you lot can run into some examples of original titles, and how they were changed after reviews and comments to them:

Example 1

• Original title: Preliminary observations on the effect of salinity on benthic community distribution within a estuarine system, in the North Body of water
• Revised title: Effect of salinity on benthic distribution within the Scheldt estuary (N Body of water)
• Comments: Long title distracts readers. Remove all redundancies such every bit "studies on," "the nature of," etc. Never use expressions such as "preliminary." Be precise.

Example 2

• Original title: Action of antibiotics on leaner
• Revised title: Inhibition of growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis past streptomycin
• Comments: Titles should be specific. Retrieve about "how volition I search for this piece of information" when you pattern the title.

Example three

• Original championship: Fabrication of carbon/CdS coaxial nanofibers displaying optical and electric properties via electrospinning carbon
• Revised championship: Electrospinning of carbon/CdS coaxial nanofibers with optical and electrical properties
• Comments: "English needs assistance. The title is nonsense. All materials accept properties of all varieties.  You lot could examine my pilus for its electrical and optical properties! You MUST be specific. I haven't read the paper but I doubtable at that place is something special well-nigh these properties, otherwise why would yous be reporting them?" – the Editor-in-Chief.

Try to avoid this kind of response!

Step nine: Select keywords for indexing

Keywords are used for indexing your paper. They are the label of your manuscript. It is true that now they are less used by journals considering you tin can search the whole text. Withal, when looking for keywords, avert words with a wide meaning and words already included in the title.

Some journals crave that the keywords are not those from the journal proper noun, considering it is implicit that the topic is that. For instance, the journal Soil Biology & Biochemistry requires that the discussion "soil" not be selected every bit a keyword.

Simply abbreviations firmly established in the field are eligible (e.chiliad., TOC, CTD), fugitive those which are not broadly used (e.k., EBA, MMI).

Again, cheque the Guide for Authors and look at the number of keywords admitted, label, definitions, thesaurus, range, and other special requests.

Pace 10: Write the Acknowledgements

Here, y'all tin can thank people who have contributed to the manuscript simply not to the extent where that would justify authorship. For example, hither yous can include technical help and assistance with writing and proofreading. Probably, the near important matter is to thank your funding agency or the agency giving you a grant or fellowship.

In the case of European projects, do not forget to include the grant number or reference. As well, some institutes include the number of publications of the organization, e.chiliad., "This is publication number 657 from AZTI-Tecnalia."

Pace xi: Write upwardly the References

Typically, there are more mistakes in the references than in whatever other part of the manuscript. It is one of the about annoying problems, and causes great headaches among editors. Now, information technology is easier since to avoid these trouble, because in that location are many available tools.

In the text, you must cite all the scientific publications on which your work is based. But do not over-inflate the manuscript with too many references – it doesn't make a better manuscript! Avoid excessive self-citations and excessive citations of publications from the same region.

Minimize personal communications, do not include unpublished observations, manuscripts submitted simply not all the same accustomed for publication, publications that are not peer reviewed, grayness literature, or articles not published in English.

As I have mentioned, you will find the well-nigh authoritative information for each journal'southward policy on citations when you consult the journal's Guide for Authors. In full general, you lot should minimize personal communications, and exist mindful as to how y'all include unpublished observations. These will be necessary for some disciplines, but consider whether they strengthen or weaken your paper. You might as well consider manufactures published on research networks prior to publication, but consider balancing these citations with citations of peer-reviewed research. When citing research in languages other than English language, be enlightened of the possibility that not everyone in the review process volition speak the language of the cited paper and that it may exist helpful to find a translation where possible.

You can use any software, such every bit EndNote or Mendeley, to format and include your references in the paper. Most journals have now the possibility to download small files with the format of the references, allowing you to change information technology automatically. Also, Elsevier'due south Your Newspaper Your Way program waves strict formatting requirements for the initial submission of a manuscript every bit long as it contains all the essential elements being presented hither.

Make the reference list and the in-text citation conform strictly to the style given in the Guide for Authors. Remember that presentation of the references in the correct format is the responsibility of the author, not the editor. Checking the format is normally a big chore for the editors. Make their work easier and they volition appreciate the effort.

Finally, cheque the following:

• Spelling of writer names
• Year of publications
• Usages of "et al."
• Punctuation
• Whether all references are included

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In my next article, I volition give tips for writing the manuscript, authorship, and how to write a compelling embrace letter. Stay tuned!

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References and Acknowledgements

I have based this paper on the materials distributed to the attendees of many courses. It is inspired by many Guides for Authors of Elsevier journals. Some of this information is also featured in Elsevier's Publishing Connect tutorials. In add-on, I take consulted several web pages: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/, www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~wilkins/writing/index.html.

I desire to admit Dr. Christiane Barranguet, Executive Publisher of Aquatic Sciences at Elsevier, for her continuous back up. And I would similar to thank Dr. Alison Bert, Editor-in-Chief of Elsevier Connect; without her assistance, this series would accept been impossible to complete.

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Source: https://www.elsevier.com/connect/11-steps-to-structuring-a-science-paper-editors-will-take-seriously

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