SS115 Introduction to Biological Sciences

Notes on Scientific Paper Writing

The best scientific study is virtually worthless unless it is communicated to other
scientists. Therefore, scientists must develop professional writing skills. The style of
writing is often very different from creative writing, as a science writer does not write
to be understood, but to prevent misunderstanding. A clear, unambiguous, and
economical style is the ideal, although there is room for individual difference too.
A scientific paper is a written and published report describing original research
results. Scientific papers have been evolving for over three centuries under the
influence

of

developing

tradition,

editorial

practice,

scientific

ethics

and

printing/publishing procedures. Scientific papers are highly stylized, with distinctive

and clearly evident component parts. At its present state of evolution, scientific
papers are usually composed of the following sections: Title, Abstract, Introduction,
Methods and Materials, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgments, and Literature Cited
(references). This organization reflects the basic steps in the scientific process:
stating a problem, forming a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis and interpreting the
results.
Title - The title is a one-sentence summary of the paper. It should give the reader a
concise, informative description of the content and scope of the paper.
Abstract - The abstract is an informative summary of the objectives and findings of
the study. Usually the abstract is a single paragraph of about 100150 words that;
(1) states the purpose of the study and the hypotheses being tested; (2) contains a
sentence summarizing the methods used; (3) emphasizes the major results of the
study; and (4) ends with a closing sentence suggesting how the results may be
interpreted. The abstract should be able to "stand on its own" and not refer to any
graphs or tables, or cite any references.
Introduction - The introduction prepares the reader for the rest of the paper. In this
section the purpose of the study is stated and enough background information is
given to clarify the significance of the study and the ideas being tested. Any
hypotheses and their predictions should be described explicitly in the introduction.
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Materials and Methods - The materials and methods section is a very concise
summary of the subjects, equipment and procedures used in your study. This section
should contain enough information for another researcher to repeat (replicate) your
study exactly.
Results - The results section includes a narrative description of the results and any
tables and graphs. In this section the results are described, but they are not
discussed or interpreted. All further discussion of the results is saved for the next
section. Tables are used to summarize numerical results in columns and rows. Each
table should be numbered and given a concise heading. Graphs are visual
representations (figures) of numerical results, and are also numbered and titled.
Data should be reported only once: in a paragraph of the results section, or in a
table, or in a figure (but not two of them and not all three).
Discussion - The discussion section should provide your interpretations of the
results and place the results in context. The first paragraph should briefly summarize
the major findings of the study. Subsequent paragraphs should deal with each major
finding of the study. Each of these paragraphs should begin with a topic sentence
that refers to or describes the main point, and should be followed by statements and
information that support that point. The results of the study must be interpreted with
respect to the hypotheses described in the introduction, and in light of the organisms
biology. Avoid statements that cannot be supported by the data, and be sure none of
your conclusions are contradicted by the data. The main points of the discussion
should tie in with the main points of the introduction. The paper must come "full
circle" and the discussion must give the reader a sense of completion. At least a
paragraph should be devoted to a discussion of possible errors in the design and
implementation of the study, and to alternative interpretations of the results. The final
paragraph should provide a "take-home message" and/or suggest new areas for
further research. This concluding paragraph must be both forceful and memorable,
and should produce a sense of closure for the reader.
Acknowledgments - Often the author(s) of a scientific paper receive help from
many other individuals. The Acknowledgment section is a way for the author(s) to
acknowledge the help and thank the individuals who provided it. Usually, authors will
acknowledge those who have suggested improvements in their methods, provided
useful information or data, gave permission for specific aspects of the work, or
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provided suggestions, criticisms and comments on earlier drafts of the paper. This
section may not be necessary for your current report.
Literature cited - Complete citations for all references cited in the text of the paper
are given in the literature cited (or references) section. Citations are listed in
alphabetical order by authors' last names.
Special features of scientific papers - Papers written for scientific topics differ in
several ways from other papers. For example, you should rarely, if ever, use
quotations in scientific papers. Quoting another author's words is only appropriate
when the exact wording (not the idea) is the point you are trying to make. Although
quotations are rare, citations are common. You should cite any and all findings,
interpretations and ideas that are not your own. Footnotes are NEVER used for
citations; a Literature Cited section, which follows the discussion, is used to list
references for all cited papers, as described above. The goal of scientific writing is
more than understanding; the goal is to avoid misunderstanding. If ten people read a
scientific paper, all ten should have exactly the same understanding of what was
done, why it was done, what was found, and how the findings were interpreted.
This guide was adapted from an excerpt in the following paper:
Animal Behaviour Society (nd) Laboratory Exercises in Animal Behavior - Crickets and Territory
Defense. Retrieved 24 January, 2008, from http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABSEducation/laboratoryexercises-in-animal-behavior/laboratory-exercises-in-animal-behavior-crickets-and-territorydefense/?searchterm=scientific%20paper

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