Scientific Article Writing: Literature Review To Final Draft

Why does writing a scientific article have value and significance?

 

One of the most significant skills possessed by a researcher is the ability to write articles with the aim of informing the world regarding his or her work and ideas. Scientific article writing  involves much more than simply presenting the research data, it also involves putting forth the significance, novelty and relevance of the data to the people. It does not matter whether you are an experienced researcher or an author of a scientific article for the first time, understanding the intricacies of writing a scientific article is critical to ensure that your effort is not in vain. 

 

In this comprehensive guide, we will guide you on how to write an article from its outline through to its first draft, editing, polishing and finally its submission to the target journal. As we do this, we shall inject useful advice, contemporary practices as well as diagrams to enrich the outcome of the article and help ease the process.

Why does writing a scientific article have value and significance?

There is no doubt whatsoever in the fact that writing scientific articles helps researchers as well as society as a whole in more ways than one. Here is the explanation: 

 

 

1. Transfer of Information 

This is the primary reason why scientific articles were written in the first place. Scientific articles enable researchers to share their discoveries with peers worldwide. This exchange fosters collaboration and advances innovation in diverse fields.

 

2. Problem Solving

Identifying critical gaps in knowledge or investigating real-world issues through research makes way for solution strategies based on facts.

 

3. Building on Existing Research Article Writing

When you share your results through research article writing, you are adding to the ever increasing wealth of knowledge and egging on new researches on to take your work further.

 

The academic publishing market is competitive, with an ever increasing number of Scientific articles being published each year, over 2.5 million as reported by Statista which shows the need to always focus on delivering quality work.

 

 

Analyzing the Components of a Scientific Paper:

It has been established that the typical order of components in a scientific paper is: the Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD). For example:

 

• Introduction: Context, statement of the research problem, and objectives of the study are presented.
• Methods: Methods acquisition, materials, and instruments used in the research are elucidated.
• Results: Findings and conclusions are presented in a straightforward manner, using illustrative figures, graphs, tables, or charts.
• Discussion: Results are explained in light of what was found previously and what is thought to be the next step.
• Abstract: Briefly states the entire article with a word count of around 150–300 words.
• Keywords: Are specific words which are important for the article in obtaining an index and enhancing search ability.
• References: Contains all sources which have been referred to in the article in a specific format prescribed by the journal.​​​

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1. An Article Outline and Structure Visualization:

In this section, we provide an example of the structure of an article in a visual flowchart form.

Abstract → Keywords → Introduction → Methods → Results → Discussion → References

See the above and below images for different perspectives of the articles’ structure.

2. Planning Your Scientific Article:

The writer should emphasize this factor as she performs her planning for her writing task.

Organizing Your Data

Adapt the most appropriate method of presentation or visualisation of the findings.

 

Using Reference Management Tools

Reference Management Tools like Mendeley, Endnote and Zotero make the task of reference and citation management easy which helps to save time and improve accuracy.

 

Creating an Outline

Formulate a complete outline that will enable you to achieve logical thought processes in writing. Use appropriate subheadings or headings and grouping such that seamless change of focus from one idea to another is achieved.

3. Writing the Scientific Article:

Step 1: Title

A strong title rewards you with increased interest in reading the article. It is the first contact for most potential readers and interested personnel. So make it as specific as possible, brief and descriptive.

Step 2: Writing the Abstract 

The abstract summarizes your study and should cover: