Scientificpaperstructure

ScientificpaperstructureWhyaScientificFormat?Thescientificformatmayseemconfusingforthebeginningsciencewriterduetoitsrigidstructurewhichissodifferentfromwritinginthehumanities.Onereasonforusingthisformatisthatitisameansofefficientlycommunicatingscientificfindingstothebroadcommunityofscientistsinauniformmanner.Anotherreason,perhapsmoreimportantthanthefirst,isthatthisformatallowsthepapertobereadatseveraldifferentlevels.Forexample,manypeopleskimTitlestofindoutwhatinformationisavailableonasubject.OthersmayreadonlytitlesandAbstracts.ThosewantingtogodeepermaylookattheTablesandFiguresintheResults,andsoon.Thetakehomepointhereisthatthescientificformathelpstoinsurethatatwhateverlevelapersonreadsyourpaper(beyondtitleskimming),theywilllikelygetthekeyresultsandconclusions.TopofpageTheSectionsofthePaperMostjournal-stylescientificpapersaresubdividedintothefollowingsections:Title,AuthorsandAffiliation,Abstract,Introduction,Methods,Results,Discussion,Acknowledgments,andLiteratureCited,whichparalleltheexperimentalprocess.Thisisthesystemwewilluse.Thiswebsitedescribesthestyle,content,andformatassociatedwitheachsection.Thesectionsappearinajournalstylepaperinthefollowingprescribedorder:ExperimentalprocessSectionofPaperWhatdidIdoinanutshell?AbstractWhatistheproblem?IntroductionHowdidIsolvetheproblem?MaterialsandMethodsWhatdidIfindout?ResultsWhatdoesitmean?DiscussionWhohelpedmeout?Acknowledgments(optional)WhoseworkdidIreferto?LiteratureCitedExtraInformationAppendices(optional)SectionHeadings:MainSectionHeadings:Eachmainsectionofthepaperbeginswithaheadingwhichshouldbecapitalized,centeredatthebeginningofthesection,anddoublespacedfromthelinesaboveandbelow.DonotunderlinethesectionheadingORputacolonattheend.Exampleofamainsectionheading:INTRODUCTIONSubheadings:Whenyourpaperreportsonmorethanoneexperiment,usesubheadingstohelporganizethepresentation.Subheadingsshouldbecapitalized(firstletterineachword),leftjustified,andeitherbolditalicsORunderlined.Exampleofasubheading:EffectsofLightIntensityontheRateofElectronTransportTopofpageTitle,Authors'Names,andInstitutionalAffiliations1.Function:YourpapershouldbeginwithaTitlethatsuccinctlydescribesthecontentsofthepaper.Usedescriptivewordsthatyouwouldassociatestronglywiththecontentofyourpaper:themoleculestudied,theorganismusedorstudied,thetreatment,thelocationofafieldsite,theresponsemeasured,etc.Amajorityofreaderswillfindyourpaperviaelectronicdatabasesearchesandthosesearchengineskeyonwordsfoundinthetitle.2.TitleFAQs3.Format:Thetitleshouldbecenteredatthetopofpage1(DONOTuseatitlepage-itisawasteofpaperforourpurposes);thetitleisNOTunderlinedoritalicized.theauthors'names(PIorprimaryauthorfirst)andinstitutionalaffiliationaredouble-spacedfromandcenteredbelowthetitle.Whenmorethentwoauthors,thenamesareseparatedbycommasexceptforthelastwhichisseparatedfromthepreviousnamebythewordand.Forexample:DucksOver-WinterinColoradoBarleyFieldsinResponsetoIncreasedDailyMeanTemperatureImaMallard,UraDrake,andWoodruffDucqueDepartmentofWildlifeBiology,UniversityofColorado-BoulderTopofpageThetitleisnotasection,butitisnecessaryandimportant.Thetitleshouldbeshortandunambiguous,yetbeanadequatedescriptionofthework.Ageneralrule-of-thumbisthatthetitleshouldcontainthekeywordsdescribingtheworkpresented.Rememberthatthetitlebecomesthebasisformoston-linecomputersearches-ifyourtitleisinsufficient,fewpeoplewillfindorreadyourpaper.Forexample,inapaperreportingonanexperimentinvolvingdosingmicewiththesexhormoneestrogenandwatchingforacertainkindofcourtshipbehavior,apoortitlewouldbe:MouseBehaviorWhy?Itisverygeneral,andcouldbereferringtoanyofanumberofmousebehaviors.Abettertitlewouldbe:TheEffectsofEstrogenontheNose-TwitchCourtshipBehaviorinMiceWhy?Becausethekeywordsidentifyaspecificbehavior,amodifyingagent,andtheexperimentalorganism.Ifpossible,givethekeyresultofthestudyinthetitle,asseeninthefirstexample.Similarly,theabovetitlecouldberestatedas:EstrogenStimulatesIntensityofNose-TwitchCourtshipBehaviorinMice4.StrategyforWritingTitle.TopofpageABSTRACT1.Function:Anabstractsummarizes,inoneparagraph(usually),themajoraspectsoftheentirepaperinthefollowingprescribedsequence:thequestionyouinvestigated(orpurpose),(fromIntroduction)statethepurposeveryclearlyinthefirstorsecondsentence.theexperimentaldesignandmethodsused,(fromMethods)clearlyexpressthebasicdesignofthestudy.Nameorbrieflydescribethebasicmethodologyusedwithoutgoingintoexcessivedetail-besuretoindicatethekeytechniquesused.themajorfindingsincludingkeyquantitativeresults,ortrends(fromResults)reportthoseresultswhichanswerthequestionsyouwereaskingidentifytrends,relativechangeordifferences,etc.abriefsummaryofyourinterpetationsandconclusions.(fromDiscussion)clearlystatetheimplicationsoftheanswersyourresultsgaveyou.WhereastheTitlecanonlymakethesimpleststatementaboutthecontentofyourarticle,theAbstractallowsyoutoelaboratemoreoneachmajoraspectofthepaper.ThelengthofyourAbstractshouldbekepttoabout200-300wordsmaximum(atypicalstandardlengthforjournals.)Limityourstatementsconcerningeachsegmentofthepaper(i.e.purpose,met