Mastering Your PhD: Science Papers that Shine

Abstract

Write this section last and revise it meticulously. It may be the only part of your paper that gets read, so it must contain a precise (and complete) summary of your work. abstract is a one-paragraph summary, usually less than about 200 words, of the work described in the article. It should contain the following elements: • central question (purpose) of the study. • A brief statement of what was done (methods). • A brief summary of the results. • A brief statement of the conclusions. Many computer search engines make use of the information in the abstract, so make sure the key words are included so that an Internet search will pick up your article. Introduction Many people find this section the most difficult part of the paper to write. goal of the introduction is to put your work in context. You need to include enough background information so that a reader not familiar with the field can understand the relevance of your work and how it fits into the big picture. And it has to pack this information into a small space. This means crisp, concise sentences. Introduction is where you state the purpose of your work. What research question were you attempting to answer? Why did you choose this experiment? What's the point? You also need to mention previous research on or related to the question you're asking. How did what is already known help you in planning your own experiments? Finally, be sure to state clearly your hypothesis or research question and your objectives. Read the introductions of several well-written papers in your field to get an idea of content and style. Some journals allow you to put the paper's main conclusion at the end of the introduction. Make use of this convention when you can, as it will prepare the reader for the main body of your article. Materials and methods In this section, accuracy is key, and details count. What was your experimental setup? Which type and brand of equipment did you use? How and when was the equipment calibrated? Which chemicals did you use? (Even the company you ordered them from and the batch number can be important.) Be sure to provide enough information so that other researchers can assess the validity of your work and perhaps replicate it if they choose. Again, study several well-written articles from respected journals to get a sense of what to include. If you already know which journal you plant to submit to, study the articles in a recent issue to get a feeling for content and style. Common practice is to describe methods using the passive voice: The sample was heated to 50C rather than We heated the sample to 50C. Results In the results section, you present the analyses of the data you collected. Graphs and tables are the easiest way to present this information. If your experiment resulted in a lot of numbers, try various types of graphs and tables to see which is the most effective in conveying your results. A combination of tables and graphs usually works best, so that the reader can see both actual numbers and a graphical presentation of the relationship between variables. Results section must closely match the Materials and Methods section. For example, if you present temperature data in the Results section, then the Materials and Methods section should say when and how you measured temperature. Don't confuse the Results section with the Discussion section. Results section should contain only the data you measured, as well as the graphic and tabular representation of the relationships between variables. Wait for the Discussion section to mention the patterns or trends you discovered. Creative data presentation can also highlight the trends you wish to further expound on in the Discussion section.