Writing research paper
Tips to write the paper
research paper writing
Structure of the research paper
organization of paper
process to write a paper
steps to write a paper
software to write res. paper
5. Honest research not only finds truth, it also tends to be self correcting.
[1]A.C. Winkler, Jo Ray Metherell, Writing the Research Paper: A Handbook, Wadsworth Cengage learning, Boston, 2011.
What ?
Kind
Concept
Examiner/Readers
requirement
How ?
Ideas together
Making drafts
Formatting
Why ?
Purpose
Report Data
Introduction
Paper
6. MikeAshby, How to Write a Paper, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, 6th Edition, 2005.
Kind
General requirement
of a Examiner/Reader
7. Writing a research paper requires to obtain the information
(through experiments, computation or theoretical) about a
subject, take a stand on it, and back it up with the opinions,
ideas and views of others
http://www.nmu.edu/writingcenter/node/5
A.C. Winkler, Jo Ray Metherell, Writing the Research Paper: A Handbook, Wadsworth Cengage learning, Boston, 2011.
Concept
of
Writing
a
Research
Paper
8. Research Papers should aim at:
o Co-ordinated research
o Self-correcting and motivating
o New ideas generating
o Readers friendly
Research is not only about to think a idea, work over
it, do the experiments, get the results and analyze
it……
But it is also about to report it….
9. Approach
Purpose:
o Why to write a paper?
o What to report?
o Is the data worthy to report?
o Which points to
concentrate/highlight/stress-
upon?
o What idea I am going to put?
Report Data:
o Outline
o Plan of the organization of the paper
including the data on which it rests
o Embodiment (the first draft)
o Papers are not drafted sequentially; do it
in any order you wish
o Get the scientific facts and technical
details down, the ideas formulated, the
graphs and figures planned
10. MikeAshby, How to Write a Paper, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, 6th Edition, 2005.
12. Structure
Title of the paper
Authors and their Affiliations
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Experimental Procedure/Finite Element Methodology
Results and Discussions
Conclusions
Acknowledgement
References
“The reason one writes isn’t the fact he wants to say something. He writes because
he has something to say. “
F
. Scott Fitzgerald
13. Title of the paper
Should not be too long, but should reflect the theme correctly including the
contribution as well as limitations
Example
Better
Fitting of interatomic potentials which is consistent with thermodynamics: Fe, Cu, Ni and their alloys
OR Evaluation of interatomic potentials on the basis of thermodynamics for Fe, Cu, Ni and their alloys
OR Determination of interatomic potentials that fits for Fe, Cu, Ni and their alloys, in accordance with
thermodynamics.
G. Bonnyab, R.C. Pasianot and L. Malerba
1st readable line and 1st impact creating line
14. Authors and their Affiliations
Author,Author,Author andAuthor with
affiliation and address including email.
Some styles require details in footnote,
particularly complete details with even phone, fax of corresponding author.
Example
About the researchers contributed
Philosophical Magazine, V
ol. 89, Nos. 34–36, 1–21 December 2009, 3451–3464.
15. Abstract
o Try for one sentence each on motive, method, key results, conclusions.
o Don’t exceed 3 sentences on any one.
o Avoid flowery details, wrong claims, citations.
o T
ell them, in as few sentences as possible, what they will find.
o Try not to exceed word limit. Imagine that you are paying a 10p a word.
Temography of Shear Bands in Metal Foams
Metal foams, when compressed, deform by shear banding; the bands broaden as deformation progresses. We have
studied the nucleation and broadening of shear bands by laser-speckle strain-mapping. The foams were non-
homogeneous, with spatial variations of density of a factor of 2; the shear bands nucleate in the low-density zones,
and broaden into the high-density regions as strain progresses. The results indicate that processing to minimise the
density fluctuations could increase the initial compressive yield strength of the foams, when shear bands first form,
by a factor of 1.5.
MikeAshby, How to Write a Paper, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, 6th Edition, 2005.
Overview of the paper and highlights it
16. Keywords
o Important for potential reader, more important for the editor in identifying
appropriate reviewer, most important for indexing purposes.
Keywords: Multi-body dynamics; Euler-Lagrange equations; Holonomic
constraints; Systems of differential-algebraic equations.
17. Introduction
o What is the problem and why is it interesting?
o Who are the main contributors?
o What did they do?
o What novel thing will you reveal?
MikeAshby, How to Write a Paper, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, 6th Edition, 2005.
Objective of the paper
Why the work is important
Background:
What has been done?
How it has been done?
Note: Don‘t copy directly from literature, but
summarize the important and relevant aspects of
the paper in your words.
Guidance to the reader:
What are the interesting points in the paper?
Abrief outlined summary of the paper?
18. Important points to remember:
o Try to start with a good first line.
o Literature review
Start from the oldest one
End at the latest
Try to include review articles and books.
o Outline the paper
o Essence should be the answer of the question “What you have done
which has not been done before?”
o Example: “In 1960, Eshelby had shown that screw dislocation is stable
in thin cylinders []………………
The present investigation pertains to the stability of edge dislocation in
Eshelby plates.”
19. Experimental Procedure/Finite Element Methodology
oExperimental paper: equipment, materials, method
oModelling paper: assumptions, mathematical tools, method o
Computational paper: inputs, computational tools, method o
Explain what is especially different about your method
o Give sufficient detail that the reader can reproduce what you did
o Try to use ―
we‖ sparingly
o Don‘t mix Method with Results or Discussion—they come next
MikeAshby, How to Write a Paper, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, 6th Edition, 2005.
20. Results and Discussions
o Present the output of the experiments, model or computation.
o Spend some time in ordering and sequencing the results.
o Extract principles, relationships, generalisations.
o Present analysis, model or theory.
o Show relationship between the results and analysis, model or theory.
o The part should be such that the reader (even new in the field) can appreciate even after casual reading.
o Try to make the figures and tables as informative and properly marked as you can.
o Have a good combination of figures, tables and text.
o Discuss every salient feature carefully, yet do not repeat statements incessantly in the same tone (phraseology).
21. Conclusions
o Draw together the most important results and their consequences.
o Indicate explicitly the significance of the work.
o List any reservations or limitations.
o Conclusions are a summing up of the advances in knowledge that have emerged from it.
o Advisable to present as a bullet-pointed list.
22. Acknowledgement
Express your gratefulness and thanks to:
o Organization for financial support or facility
o People who helped with their ideas or any technical support.
23. References
o Cite significant previous work.
o Cite sources of theories, data, or
anything else you have taken from
elsewhere.
o References can be papers, reports,
books, dissertations, patents and in
some contexts perhaps web-sites and
cited in the style required by the journal
or conference concerned.
o Should be inclusive rather than
focussed.
26. o Final draft before submission.
o Styles for Title, Abstract, Section, Sub-
section, Body text, Captions.
o Referring Figures and Tables in Text
o All these are in accordance with the
journal style
Formatting
Includes:
27. Final Touch
Includes:
o Have a final look on the paper.
o Read if you are a third person and new
in the field.
o All things are sequenced properly.
o The paper is formatted according to the
journal.
o Convert it into the required format like
.doc or .pdf
28. Plagiarism
The culture of plagiarism:
o Ease of deliberate or inadvertent plagiarism through the web
o Much plagiarism arises from ignorance, carelessness, and doubt about
whether familiar information needs to be cited
o Justification by example:
HMG does it…
What is wrong with requoting an already dodgy source?
How can we tell if a press report is ‗original‘
‗Common knowledge‘
o The experienced writer knows what to cite and how: We need to
develop the same skills and judgment in our students
