PUBLISHING A PAPER

21st September 2016

Why Publish
To share ideas and results with colleagues
To leave a record of research which can be
added to by others
To receive due recognition for ideas and results
To attract interest from others in the area of
research
To receive expert feedback on results and ideas
To legitimize the research; i.e. receive
independent verification of methods and results

Referees Criteria
Is

the contribution new

Is the contribution significant
Is it suitable for publication in the journal
Is the organisation acceptable
Do the methods and treatment of results
confirm to acceptable scientific
standards
Are all conclusions firmly based on the
data presented

Referees Criteria
Is

the length of the paper satisfactory

Are all illustrations required
Are all the figures and tables necessary
Are figure legends and table titles
adequate
Do the title and abstract clearly indicate
the content of the paper
Are the references up to date, complete,
and the journal titles correctly abbreviated
Is the paper excellent, good or poor

AIMReD Its Key Features

Results as a story
Results : The Key Driver of an Article
Turning Data into Knowledge
Results govern the content and
structure of the whole article
It is important to be as clear as
possible about the main points of
your results story at the beginning
of the writing process.

Tables and Figures

Tables

recording data (raw or processed data)

explaining calculations or showing components of
calculated data
showing the actual data values and their precision
allowing multiple comparisons between elements
in many directions

Figures

showing an overall trend or picture

comprehension of the story through shape
rather than the actual numbers
allowing simple comparisons between only a few
elements

When to Use a Table or Figure

When

Table

Figure

Working
with
Concentrati
ng On
Accurate of
Precise
Values are

Numbers

Shape

Individual
Values
More
Important

Overall
Pattern
Less
Important

Writing Results
Authors should only write sentences
about the most important findings
Especially the ones that will form part
of the focus of the Discussion section
Highlights the important findings
Locates the figure(s) or table(s)
where the results can be found
Comments on (but does not discuss)
the results

Methods
Methods

section provides the

information needed for another
competent scientist to repeat the
work.
Goal of the Methods section is that it
establishes credibility for the results

Should therefore provide enough

information about how the work was
done for readers to evaluate the results;
i.e. to decide for themselves whether the
results actually mean what the author

Introduction
Should

have answers to the

questions
Is

the contribution new?

Is the contribution significant?
Is it suitable for publication in the
journal?

Five Stages to an Introduction

Introduction Stages
Stage

1: Locating your project within an

existing field of scientific research
Authors then seek to move their readers
smoothly from these broad, general
statements towards one sub-area of the
field, and then to the authors own
particular topic
Using references in Stages 2 use
selected literature from their field to justify
their study and construct a gap or niche
for their work

Introduction Stages
Stage

3 Indicating the gap or research

niche authors often present a broad
gap early in the Introduction, and a
more specific one close to the end.
Stage 4: The statement of purpose or
main activity authors set up the
readers expectations of the rest of the
paper: they tell them what they can
expect to learn about the research
being presented

Writing Introduction
Begin

with Stage 4 Aim

Next go to Stage 3 Gap or need for
further work
Next think of how to write Stage 1,
the setting for your work
Next arrange information collected
from literature into Stage 2

Discussion
1.

2.

A reference to the main purpose or

hypothesis of the study, or a
summary of the main activity of the
study.
A restatement or review of the most
important findings, generally in
order of their significance, including
whether they support the original
hypothesis, or how they contribute to the
main activity of the study, to answering
the research questions, or to meeting the
research objectives

Discussion
3.

4.

5.

6.

Explanations for the findings, supported

by references to relevant literature,
and/or speculations about the findings,
also supported by literature citation.
Limitations of the study that restrict the
extent to which the findings can be
generalized beyond the study conditions.
Implications of the study (generalizations
from the results: what the results mean in
the context of the broader field).
Recommendations for future research
and/or practical applications.

Title
Numbe
Strategy
r
1
Provide as much relevant
information as possible, but
be concise
2
Use keywords prominently
3
Choose strategically: noun
phrase, statement, or
question?
4
Choose strategically: noun

Abstract Importance
For

busy readers the Abstract,

sometimes called the Summary, may
be the only part of the paper they
read, unless it succeeds in convincing
them to take the time to read the
whole paper!
For readers in developing countries
with limited access to the literature,
the Abstract may be the only
information on your work that is
available to them.

Abstract Structure
Lette
Structure
r
B
Some background information
P
The principal activity (or purpose)
of the study and its scope
M
Some information about the
methods used in the study
R
The most important results of the
study
C
A statement of conclusion or

Thank You