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This comprehensive guide by Martin van Bommel outlines the crucial steps involved in writing a science paper. The writing process includes establishing objectives, structuring the document with essential sections like abstract, introduction, and results, and addressing the relevance of new findings to existing knowledge. Effective communication, organization, and justification of ideas are key elements. By understanding the importance of clear presentation and proper use of research, researchers can contribute significantly to scientific discourse. Practical tips and outlines for efficient writing are included.
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Writing a Science Paper Martin van Bommel No tale is so good that it can’t be spoiled in the telling. Proverb
Science in General • Science is a system for accumulating reliable knowledge • Observations • Hypothesis • Experimentation or proof • Describe results in a paper to add to existing scientific knowledge
Why write? • Communicate new results or opinions • Must persuade others of relevance and correctness • Describe position of idea within body of scientific knowledge • Formally state the idea, often as a theory or hypothesis • Explain what is new about the idea • Show paper’s contribution • Justify the theory
Organization • Abstract - shows relevance of work • Single paragraph giving summary of • Aims • Scope • Conclusions • Introduction • Expanded version of abstract • Motivate reader to read on
Organization (con’t) • Survey or background • Describe existing knowledge and how it is extended by the new results • Points to references for reader who is not expert in the field for further reading • Definitions (before or after survey) • Provide necessary background and terminology
Organization (continued) • Results • Explain chain of reasoning • Details of proofs or experiments • Summary • Draw together topics discussed • Concise statement of results • Future work?
Selecting a Topic • Choose one that • interests you, not just your supervisor • has not been researched to death • broad enough to have enough available background material • specific enough so that you can focus on a reasonable amount of material • has interesting applications or a specific use (easier to motivate)
Preparation • Establish an objective • Identify the readers • What do you want readers to know or be able to do? • Determine the scope or coverage of your work or project
What kind of material? • Let’s assume Object-Oriented DB • Google search gives us: • OODB articles and products • Problems? • OODB Management Systems • Problems? • Object database - Wikipedia • Problems? • Where else should we search?
Organization • Outlining • Breakdown into manageable parts • Add illustrations • Methods of development • Chronological or sequential • Order of importance • General to specific • Cause and effect
Writing • Always write from your own notes • Never read from a reference work while writing unless quoting • Plan the section before writing it • Write section in one sitting – makes it flow better • Do not stop writing to check something – check later
Visual (WYSIWYG) vs Compiler • Visual (e.g. Microsoft Word) • Great for immediate use documents • Poor for revisions and mathematics • Focus on style • Compiler (e.g. LATEX) • Better for revisions and mathematics • Produce professional-looking documents • Make style changes easily • Focus on content
Summary • Determine • What you want to say • Who is going to be reading it • How it is best organized • Do you find the result interesting • Any Questions?
