JMR编辑：怎样写好学术文章.pdf
JMR编辑：怎样写好学术文章.pdf
14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 1 Hello 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 2 My name is Michael Driver I am pleased to be with you today to talk about: 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 3 Improving your Chances of Publication Who I am Michael C. Driver PhD • BSc Physics • PhD Electrical Engineering • Birmingham University • England 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 5 Who I am I was Department Manager of Microelectronics with Westinghouse Research Laboratories Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA (27 years) • I worked on gallium arsenide field-effect transistors • Monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MIMIC) • Silicon charge-coupled devices • Gallium nitride devices • Indium phosphide devices 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 6 Who I am I was Director of Publications for Materials Research Society, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania (10 years) I was responsible for: • Journal of Materials Research (JMR) • MRS Bulletin • Proceedings of MRS Meetings • Traveling Exhibit on materials science called “Strange Matter” that toured USA and Canada http://www.strangematterexhibit.com 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 7 Downtown Pittsburgh Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 8 Pittsburgh has 446 bridges Three more than Venice, Italy 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 9 Youghiogheny River, near my home 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 10 Agenda 1.How to choose a good science topic 2.How to write the paper 3.How to choose the journal 4.Useful checklists 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 11 It is necessary to choose a good science topic in order to publish in a high prestige journal 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 12 Choosing a Good Science Topic Vacancy diffusion in crystal physics This is important basic materials science which uses a lot of very sophisticated analytical techniques to investigate it Many opportunities to publish good papers 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 13 Choosing a Good Science Topic Diamond Structure: This structure is becoming very important in semiconductor devices and nanotechnology. Deposition techniques play a huge role in this 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 14 Choosing a Good Science Topic Design and operation of very high vacuum equipment is a very interesting and important science topic. Examples are molecularbeam-epitaxy (MBE), metalorganic-chemical-vapordeposition (MOCVD), and high vacuum sputtering. 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 15 Choosing a Good Science Topic Gallium Antimonide Spiral Making high quality semiconductor films has important applications to semiconductor devices. These devices range from high-power microwave transistors in gallium arsenide to high-efficiency infrared detectors in gallium antimonide 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 16 Choosing a Good Science Topic Hewlett Packard has invented a new type of device in titanium dioxide called the “Memristor”. It is a resistor whose value can be set with a gate like a transistor gate. This device is very small (50nm or 150 atoms) and may change the way in which logic chips are made 17 Memristors 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 17 Choosing a Good Science Topic Carbon Nanotube Nanotechnology is rapidly becoming a technology that touches every aspect of materials science from new devices to new high strength composite materials. There are many opportunities for good science topics in nanotechnology 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 18 Choosing a Good Science Topic Image of substitutional Cr impurities (small bumps) in the Fe(001) surfaces I know at SKL you have a great interest in alloys This topic of course has a lot of opportunities for publishing 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 19 Some Reasons to Publish • To satisfy graduation requirements • To improve status for a professor • To gain promotion within a company • To increase salary for an engineer or scientist • These are personal reasons but: 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 20 Better Reasons to Publish • To present new and exciting results to the world • To discuss or correct already published work • To review topical areas • These are professional reasons 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 21 Remember • Editors, Reviewers, and Readers are only interested in the contents of the manuscript • Not why you wrote the manuscript • The reasons for publishing should always be technical not personal 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 22 A result that should be published • You have found some new and interesting results or phenomena For example: a high mobility polymer semiconductor Polymers are usually low mobility materials. Polymers have many applications to displays and a fast switch is very important 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 23 A result that should be published • You have found a solution to a important practical problem For example: how to make very efficient yellow laser diodes. Lasers and lightemitting diodes are very important in communications and displays 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 24 A result that should be published • You have found the answer to an important existing question For example: what limits room-temperature superconductors. If you can answer this question then you will win the Nobel Prize (This is the most common type of publication in academic research) 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 25 What you should not publish in a Scientific Journal • Work that copies previous work – Includes small, unimportant changes in the experiments. – Even your own work. • Work that is out of date – Other papers have been published that cover the work • Non-scientific work – No data 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 contd 26 What you should not publish in a Scientific Journal (continued) • Poor work – Bad conclusions, unlikely projections • Incomplete work – Too little data, no conclusions, no future work suggested 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 27 Remember Only publish work that people are going to be interested in 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 28 How do we find a Research Topic? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 29 Finding a Research Topic “ Basic research is what I am doing when I don’t know what I am doing” -- Werner Von Braun 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 30 Research Topics • Many of you will have research projects already suggested by your professor or your manager • I don’t want you to change your topic • I hope the ideas I will talk about will help you to look at those projects in a different way • And help you create a great paper that will stand a good chance of being published 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 31 A Practical Problem may suggest a Research Problem Reduces Practical Problem Creates Research Answer This cycle can be repeated to generate many research topics Research Question Produces Research Problem Suggests 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 32 Researchers 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 33 “Doing research is not like strolling along an easy, well-marked path to a familiar destination; it is more like zigzagging up and down a rocky hill through overgrown woods, sometimes in a fog, searching for something you won’t recognize until you see it” The Craft of Research, Wayne C, Booth,Gregory G. Colomb and Joseph M. Williams, University of Chicago Press, (2008) 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 34 Good research is not easy 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 35 It can be very confusing 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 36 The answer is often not obvious 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 37 One way to get started on a research project or topic is to ask questions 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 38 Ask Questions • First review the literature – Example: research silicon nanowires • Then ask: – How have silicon nanowires been made in the past? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 39 Ask Questions • Turn positive questions into negative ones to find a topic – Example: Why have silicon nanowires never been used as microwave antennas? • Ask questions like “What If?” – Example: What if I could find a way to make arrays of silicon nanowires? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 40 Ask Questions (continued) • Form a hypothesis to be investigated – For example: I think silicon nanowires can be made into an array suitable for an antenna 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 41 Ask Questions (continued) • Ask questions suggested by your sources in the literature • Questions that build on agreement with your hypothesis – For example: Will my array perform as well as a copper array I have read about? • Questions that are in disagreement with your hypothesis – For example: I read that nanosized arrays are too small for microwaves. Is that right? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 42 Ask Questions (continued) • Where does your project fit into the larger scheme of the topic? – For example: Is this part of the nanotechnology field? • How do the various parts of your research project fit together? – For example: Can nanotechnology be applied to microwaves? What can I learn from other nanotechnology experiments? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 43 Ask Questions (continued) • How can your project be structured? – For example: Shall I build a silicon array and test it or shall I model it first? • Compare and contrast your project with other similar ones – For example: Compare the silicon array with a copper antenna published in a paper one year ago 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 44 Evaluate your questions • Are the questions settled fact? – Does everybody already know the answer? • Are your answers without proof? • Are your answers going to lead to better understanding? • What is the significance of your answers? • Are they important? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 45 Important questions and statements • Less Important: “Can I solve the problem?” • More important: “Will my readers think it is worth solving?” • Less important: “I don’t agree with your findings” • More Important: “What you have found is not very interesting” • The research topic choice must be one that the scientific world wants to hear about 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 46 Helpful Hints • Uncertainty and anxiety are normal during research • Write about the topic as you go. Keep a journal with detailed notes • Break the task into manageable steps • Count on support from your teachers or managers or fellow students • Set realistic goals for yourself • Recognize the struggle for what it is – a learning experience 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 47 How do we know the research work is good and ready to be published? • It is original and not published before • It is significant and interesting • The result can be obtained again if the experiment is repeated • The results have been thoroughly analyzed • They are statistically significant. There is little scatter in the results 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 48 How do we know the research work is good and ready to be published? (continued) • The limitations of the results have been recognized • Further work has been discussed • The bibliography of other people’s work has been recorded • You are confident you have made a contribution • You do not need to wait for more data 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 49 Choosing the right topic that will interest readers is more than 50% of the way towards getting your paper published 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 50 Questions? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 51 Writing the Paper 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 52 The History of Major Differences between Chinese and English writing Chinese Writing in the Past • Chinese writing was “high context” • Social elements were strong, they set the rules • Depended upon knowledge of “in-groups” • Similar experience and expectations • Inferences were drawn • Much was assumed, many things were not said • Word choice was very important • A few words could communicate a complex message • Was confusing for people who do not know the culture 14 Oct 2009 rights“Beyond reserved Copyright Edward T.All Hall, Culture”M.C.Driver (1976) 2009 54 English Writing • Western (English) culture is largely “low context” • Very little is assumed • Value of the individual word is less important • But more explanation is needed (for example legal documents in USA are very long) • But less chance of misunderstanding particularly for strangers and visitors 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 55 Other Differences • Chinese was topic-comment –For example: The horse. Jack saw it • English is subject-comment –For example : Jack saw the horse 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 56 In Other Words Chinese writing was used to paint a picture English writing tells a story Modern Chinese writing follows closely the English model 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 57 How do we go about writing? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 58 How do we go about writing? • Start writing as soon as you can 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 59 How do we go about writing? • Plan the structure of the paper 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 60 English Paper Structure • • • • • • • • • • • Title Author list Keyword list Abstract Introduction Materials and Methods Results and Discussion Conclusions References and Appendices Acknowledgements Cover Letter 14 Oct 2009 Beginning Main part Information All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 61 14 Oct 2009 62 • • • • • • • • • • Most authors write papers in this order Most scientists read papers in this order Figures and Tables Materials and Methods Results and Discussion Conclusions Introduction Abstract Title Bibliography and References Appendices Cover Letter • Title • Abstract • Conclusions • Introduction These are very important parts of the paper If these are not well written the paper will not be read 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 63 Let us look at the plan for writing the main part of the paper • Materials and Methods • Results and Discussion 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 64 Let us use as an example: “Making the Perfect Cup of Tea” Do the Experiment • Make many cups of tea using various teas • Use mugs and cups • Add milk, sugar, sweetener, or lemon • Taste each one of them 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 66 Do the Experiment • Collect a list of all the Materials and Methods • Collect a list of all the Results • Discuss the tastes 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 67 The Next Step • Lay out your information in the order you will use it • Make a “Storyboard” 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 68 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 69 Wait a Minute! • Is there anything you have forgotten? • More data? • More Materials? • More Methods? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 70 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 71 Check the Content • Is there anything that is not needed (redundant)? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 72 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 73 Begin the Arrangement Group the information into • Materials and Methods • Results and Discussion 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 74 Materials and Methods 14 Oct 2009 Results and Discussion All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 75 Arrange the Materials and Methods 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 76 Materials and Methods 14 Oct 2009 Results and Discussion All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 77 Some of the Materials and Methods will need to be carefully considered Only needed for leaf tea 14 Oct 2009 Part of the standard cup of tea? All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 78 Materials and Methods Results and Discussion The standard technique – for reference, tea is made this way. ‘Control’ The variables – which tea tastes best Two techniques; leaf and packet The variables – milk or lemon? Sugar or sweetener? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 79 Arrange the Results and Discussion 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 80 Materials and Methods Results and Discussion The standard technique – for reference, tea is made this way. ‘Control’ The variables – which tea tastes best Two techniques; leaf and packet The variables – milk or lemon? Sugar or sweetener? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 The main result – a pot of tea made in ‘standard’ way The testable variables Which tea tastes best? China tea, of course What effect does the teapot cover make? Keeps tea warm Does it taste different in a mug or cup? No Milk? Sugar ? Sweetener? Lemon? Milk 81 The “Materials and Methods” and “Results and Discussion” are now arranged 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 82 Materials and Methods Results and Discussion The standard technique – for reference, tea is made this way. ‘Control’ The variables – which tea tastes best Two techniques; leaf and packet The variables – milk or lemon? Sugar or sweetener? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 The main result – a pot of tea made in ‘standard’ way The testable variables Which tea tastes best? China tea, of course What effect does the teapot cover make? Keeps tea warm Does it taste different in a No mug or cup? Milk? Sugar ? Sweetener? Lemon? Milk 83 You now a have a plan for writing this part of the paper 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 84 Planning takes you: From Confused To Organized Consider Creating a “Writing Group” to help you write a paper 4 or 5 people working on their own paper • Meet regularly to read and discuss one another’s work • Each person summarizes their work in one sentence • Develop an “Elevator Story” – 30 sec summary of work you could give someone in an elevator • Discuss who will read your published work • Get feedback from group • This helps to create a schedule for the work 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 86 Questions? Lets discuss the parts of the paper in the order that the reader will read them Title • Very Important • The title is read by many people, the paper may be read by none • Title is used for indexing (also the Abstract and Keywords) • The word order is very important • Use the smallest number of words that give the meaning and main issue of the paper • No abbreviations in the title • Make it interesting 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 89 Abstract • Also very important • Mini-version of the paper (less than 250 words) – Usually a single paragraph • “Advertises” your work • Enables the reader to quickly find the content of the paper • Helps indexing and searching 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 90 Abstract (continued) • Should give the objectives and scope of the research • Describe the methods employed without details • Focus mainly on results and main conclusions • No references or figures should be in the abstract • Can enable scientists to “keep up” with the literature without reading the whole paper • Write in past tense 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 91 Conclusions • Hardest part to write • Think about the data, sort it, determine the significance • Help the reader to see the trends in the data • Point out any exceptions • Compare your results with previously published work 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 92 Conclusions (Continued) • State conclusions clearly, with evidence • Discuss future work • Analyze only the data shown in the “Results” section 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 93 Conclusions (Continued) • Do not project conclusions beyond the data • Make sure your conclusions refer to the results • Do not make speculations on other topics –This is a problem that occurs often 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 94 Conclusions (Continued) • Do not leave the reader thinking “So what?” • But do not make exaggerated claims about the importance of the work – For example: My silicon nanotubes will make energy production cheaper than wind energy. • End with a paragraph describing the significance of the work – For example: This result shows the first use of silicon nanotubes in energy production 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 95 Introduction • Describe the problem and its context • Discuss other peoples work for background, with references • Briefly state the method of the investigation • State the principal results of the investigation • State the principal conclusions suggested by the results including any limitations • Write in present tense • Or present perfect – For example: We have made a study of silicon nanotubes) 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 96 Author List • Should be determined by all authors before research is started • Corresponding author is responsible for decisions • First author is the “primary” author • Ethical issues about who should be included (described later) 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 97 Keyword List • Helps readers to find your paper • Used by indexing and abstracting services such as Science Direct, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus • Helps supplement the title for indexing 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 98 Materials and Methods • This is a critical part of the paper and looked at carefully by reviewers • Provide enough detail for others to repeat the work including: – Equipment, Raw materials, and Non-standard procedures • Show “materials and methods” section to a colleague. Ask them if they would be able to reproduce your results • Write in past tense 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 99 Results • Present the data once • Do not repeat the data in different ways • Do not repeat “Methods” in this section • Use tables and graphs for large amounts of data and to indicate trends • Show meaningful statistics • Put legends on tables and figures 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 100 References • Always acknowledge information from other people (we will discuss this in Ethics) • Be careful with “et al.” abbreviation in the reference list at the end of a paper. Some journals like it, others do not • Look at Author Guidelines for format of references 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 101 References (continued) • Spell the names correctly • Get the numbers right (year, page number) • More mistakes in references than in any other part of the manuscript • No unpublished references like “Private communication” • No references to non-English publications • No references to articles difficult to access 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 102 Form of References 1. Name and Year (Harvard System) – For example: The polymer was tested by Williams and his coworker “Williams and Wang (1998)” 2. Alphabet-Number – For example: The polymer was tested by Williams and his coworker (12) – The references appear in alphabetical order at the end of the document 3. Citation Order – For Example : The polymer was tested by Williams and his coworker 24 – The reference numbers appear in order in the text and at the end of the document 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 103 The Journal’s Author Guidelines will tell you which Reference Format to use 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 104 Materials Research Society JMR Author Guidelines http://www.mrs.org/s_mrs/doc.asp?CID=2006&DID=85270 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 105 Set up a Reference Database • As you find references, make a record of them • Keep them in a simple database (Excel) that you can search • Or use a professional database (For example: 2collab and Endnote) • Record all the information that you find in the reference • Even if you do not think you will need it 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 106 Appendices • Include “other” information, particularly for electronic versions • Include only those Appendices mentioned in the main text of the paper 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 107 Acknowledgements • Significant help from an individual either in your laboratory or elsewhere • The source of special equipment or materials • Outside financial assistance (Grants contracts or fellowships) • Show the acknowledgement to the person being acknowledged 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 108 Cover Letter • Mention the Journal you are writing to • Describe the manuscript – Title – Is it new? – A revision? – Type of article (review, full paper, or short communication) • Briefly describe the scientific work • Is the paper a continuation of other work by you? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 109 Cover Letter (continued) • Indicate the corresponding (submitting) author and their affiliation • Give the mailing address to be used for written communication • Give the telephone number, e-mail address, and fax number (if appropriate) • For multi-editor journals suggest which editor could handle the manuscript • Suggest reviewers, but they must be unbiased 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 110 Questions? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 111 Grammar • English Grammar is very difficult • I will talk about only a few points For more information see an excellent presentation by Chad Walker, “English Editing Workshop: Making “Good” Better” http://www.liwenbianji.cn/filefold er/Chad_Elsevier_110207.ppt (Reference is in the handout) 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 112 Examples of Grammar Problems • Confusion between “a” and “the” • “a” is one of many – “an” in front of a vowel For example: an alloy, an experiment • “the “ is a special thing 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 113 Two Horses I see a horse in a field (Nothing special about this horse) 14 Oct 2009 I see the horse that won the big race (This is a special horse) All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 114 Two Transistors This is a Transistor (One of many N‐P‐N transistors) 14 Oct 2009 This is the first transistor (There is only one “first” transistor) All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 115 Use of “its” and “it’s” • “Its” is the possessive form • For example: “The laser shone its light on the photocell.” • The light came from the laser • “It’s” is the shortened form of “It is” • For example: “ It’s the light that made the photocell react.” • It is the light that made the photocell react. 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 116 Effect as a noun The Doppler Effect 14 Oct 2009 Effect as a verb Magnetic fields effect currents All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 117 Some examples from the “English Editing Workshop: Making “Good” Better” 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 118 2. affect/effect (and impact) • “effect” as a noun is the “result of some action.” ( “effect”作为名词时，表示“行为的结果”) • • “affect” as a verb is “to influence”. ( “affect ”作为 动词时，意思为“影响”) BUT • “effect” as a verb is to “bring about a change.” ( “effect” 作为动词时，意思为“引起变化”) • “affect” as a noun is the feeling or emotion caused by somebody‘s demeanor, action, or speech. (“affect” 作为名词时，意思为由于某人行为举止或语言引起的感受或情绪) • “impact” should be used only to describe “striking of one body against another” and should not be used as “affect”. ( “impact” 只用于描述“一件事对另一件事”产生的冲击，不能作为“affect”使用) 14 Oct 2009 119 2. affect/effect (and impact) “Ingesting massive doses of ascorbic acid may affect his recovery.” (influence the recovery in some way) “Ingesting massive doses of ascorbic acid . may effect his recovery.” (produce/cause the recovery) Luckily, the medicine did not adversely affect the patient. Many scientists believe that global warming is the effect of greenhouse-gas emissions. 14 Oct 2009 120 3. because/as/since • “as” used only in temporal, not causal, sense. (“as” 表示时间，而不是因 果关系) “As we were completing the paper, new evidence came to light.” • “because” used to show causal action. (“because” 表示因果关系) “Five participants could not complete the follow up questionnaire because they had moved out of the target district.” • “since” used to show temporal relation. (“since” 表示时间关系) "Since we completed the study, there have been 3 additional outbreaks." 14 Oct 2009 121 4. because of/due to • “due to” = adjective + preposition, adjectival phrase meaning “attributable to” or “caused by” (归因于．．．) "The problem was due to mechanical failure." • “because of” = conjunction + preposition, adverbial phrase meaning “as a result of” or “owing to” (因为／由于) “The problem occurred because of mechanical failure.” *Tip: Use “attributable to” and “as a result of” to determine the correct one. 14 Oct 2009 122 5. comparable/similar (and same) • “comparable”: adjective indicating an item lending itself to comparison with a similar term. (可与…相比的, 类似的) “Because the methods are different, the statistics are not comparable.” • “similar”: adjective indicating likeness (相似). "The mortality rates in Sweden and Chile are similar." 14 Oct 2009 123 For Further Examples Chad Walker, “English Editing Workshop: Making “Good” Better” http://www.liwenbianji.cn/filefolder/Chad_Elsevier_110207.pp t Reference is in the handout 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 124 Other Common Errors • Keep the verb tenses consistent within a paragraph • Avoid punctuation errors – For example: Commas instead of periods, colons instead of semicolons • Avoid sexist or gender‐based statements – For example: “He deposited a gold layer on the sample”. Use “we”, “I”, “they” or use the name of the person • Use hyphens properly – For example: Allthin‐film semiconductors rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 14 Oct 2009 2009 125 Other Common Errors (continued) • Do not use bullets in papers, only in presentations • Abbreviations must be explained – For example: AlGaAs is aluminum gallium arsenide • Acronyms must be spelled out when first used – For example: MBE (Molecular Beam Epitaxy) • “Therefore”, “however”, “hence”, and “thus” are usually followed by a comma 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 126 A Difficult Subject • Grammar and proper word use are the most difficult lessons to learn • Unfortunately, we do not have enough time to discuss them more today • Look at the references I have given you for more information • Please contact me personally if you have further questions: mdriverphd@aol.com 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 127 Questions? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 128 Graphics 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 129 Graphics Illustrations should only be used to present essential data The information in the table can be presented in one sentence: ‘The surface soils were dark grayish brown, grading to light olive brown (woodland), light olive brown (wetland), and pale olive (grassland) at 100 cm.’ Summarize results in the text where possible 14 Oct 2009 130 Graphics The figure and table show the same information, but the table is more direct and clear ECOLOGICAL GROUP Station I II III IV V 75U 75R 200R 500R 1000R 91.3 89.8 69.3 63.0 86.7 5.3 6.1 14.2 29.5 8.5 3.2 3.6 8.6 3.4 4.5 0.2 0.5 6.8 4.2 0.2 0.0 0.0 1.1 0.0 0.0 14 Oct 2009 131 Graphics •Legend is poorly defined •Graph contains too much data •No trend lines 14 Oct 2009 132 Graphics •Legend is well defined but there is still too much data and no trendlines 14 Oct 2009 133 Graphics •Legend is clear •Data is better organized •Trend lines are present 14 Oct 2009 134 Figure Captions (Legends) • Should be able to stand alone – Should not have to read the text to understand the figure • Should not be too long • May need to be in a separate list in the manuscript (see Author Guidelines) • Font and figure should be large enough to allow for some reduction in the final document 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 135 More on Graphics • Color should be used only when absolutely necessary • Consider many people will print out graphics in black and white • Pictures should be a manageable size (look to Author Guidelines) – For example: do not submit 100MB files • Do not use GIF images for figures. Export as PostScript or use JPEG’s 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 136 More on Graphics (continued) • Use pictures that make a point, not just look pretty • When comparing results for a number of experiments use bar graphs or scatter plots • For displaying trends use line graphs • Avoid numbers with artificial precision – For example: 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 137 Artificial Precision Too many zeros 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 138 Statistics 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 139 14 Oct 2009 140 More on Statistics • For percentages, both the numerator and denominator should be given • 30% (15/50) • Do not use percentages for small samples • One of two should not be replaced by 50% 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 141 Questions? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 142 Ethics 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 143 Ethics • In most cases problems in ethics occur because of carelessness or ignorance • In very few cases are ethical problems a result of deliberate wrongdoing 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 144 What are the important ethical issues? Scientists have responsibilities • Conducting the research • Reporting the work • Authoring the manuscript Ethics are involved in each of these areas 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 145 Ethics in Conducting the Research • Do not fabricate data and results • Do not selectively report data (drop outliers) • Data should be made available to other scientists – (except in the case of patents or privacy issues) 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 146 Ethics in Conducting the Research (continued) • Animals and humans must be treated humanely • Do not use old data, add to it, and call it a new study • Avoid fragmentation, “salami slicing” to write many papers with little data 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 147 Data for one good paper 14 Oct 2009 “Salami slicing” of Data All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 Data for ten poor papers 148 Ethics in Reporting the Work • Do not copy other peoples work (plagiarize) without citing it (includes your own work) • Do not submit the same paper to more than one journal at a time • Do not pre-publish on the internet • Do not submit translations of non-English published manuscripts as original work 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 149 Citations benefit you • By helping to avoid charges of plagiarism • By showing how well you have researched the literature • By helping readers to understand the quality of your manuscript • By honoring your sources 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 150 Ethics in Authoring the Manuscript • Include people who made significant contributions as authors • Do not include people who only: – Got the funding for the work – Collected the data – Supervised the research group (can be difficult) • Other contributions should be acknowledged • Authors and coauthors should review the manuscript for accuracy and validity 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 151 Questions? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 152 Choice of Journal 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 153 The Publishing Process Author submits a paper Reject Editor previews Paper back to author Referees assigned Accept Accept/Reject Reject Revision required Author revises and resubmits paper Editor decides and notifies author Referee checks paper and makes recommendation to Editor Accept Editor checks revisions Accept Journal publishes paper Editor asks Referee to check again 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 154 The Process • The Editor plays a key role • Makes the first decision on the manuscript – Readability and general quality • Uses the opinion of the reviewer for detailed information – who is an expert in the topic • Makes the final decision 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 155 Revisions to Manuscript • If the reviewer suggests changes • Make them within the time limit • Use the comments and be responsive 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 156 If you are rejected • Do not be discouraged • Read carefully the reviewer and editor comments • Improve the work and the paper • Resubmit when the paper is better • Do not just submit the same paper without changes to another journal • Your reputation is important 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 157 Where shall the manuscript go? What sort of work is it? • Complete investigation (full Journal article) • Brief discussion of new result (Letters Journal) • Review of topic (Review Journal or Bulletin) • Correction of existing publication 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 158 Where shall the manuscript go? • The topics of the paper must be the same topics as the journal – Look at the keywords of the papers in the journal or the last two years • The editor and reviewers for the journal have areas of expertise only for the journal’s topics – For example: a paper on metallic alloys should not be sent to the IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices or the Optical Society’s Optics Express 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 159 Quote from Academic Radiology “Interpretation of our findings may suggest that authors are perhaps better served by seeking publication in journals whose target audience best suits the nature of their work, rather than selecting journals based on perceived prestige drawn from Impact Factor or Rejection Rate alone.” Academic Radiology Volume 13, Issue 1, Pages 77-83 (January 2006) Exploring the Relationship Between Impact Factor and Manuscript Rejection Rates in Radiologic Journals Andrew P. Kurmis, Timothy P. Kurmis 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 160 In other words: Choose a journal with the same topics without worrying too much about very high prestige 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 161 Also Choosing a journal with a very high Impact Factor may result in a greater chance of being rejected or having your paper delayed 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 162 Higher Impact Factors mean Higher Rejection Rates Nature and Science IF = 30; RR >90% Journal of Materials Research “Exploring the Relationship Between Impact Factor and Manuscript Rejection Rates in Radiologic Journals ,“ Andrew P. Kurmis and Timothy P. Kurmis Academic Radiology vol.12 Issue 1 PP77-83 Jan 2006 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 14 Oct 2009 2009 163 Mean IF =0.7 JMR IF > 1.5 “How to Write a World Class Paper,” Noelle Gracy, PhD, Elsevier BV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 164 Choosing a Journal like JMR • Has an impact factor that is good in the Materials Science category • Covers a wide range of technologies so that your topic will be a match • Publishes quite quickly (6 to 7 months) • Has very qualified editors and reviewers 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 165 The value of a paper can be measured in many ways • Impact Factor (ISI) • Google Scholar Eigenfactor • Page rank (Google) • All these measure the value of a Journal – Unrelated to the value of the paper • H-index – measures an author’s publications • The references for these methods of paper evaluation are given in the handout 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 166 The value of a paper can be measured in many ways (continued) • The real value of a paper is the number of times the paper is read and cited by others • One measurement for electronic manuscripts is the number of times the paper is downloaded on the web 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 167 Getting it to the Journal Read the Instructions to Authors for the journal you have chosen 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 168 Checklists 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 169 What mistakes might we make that affect probability of success? • English is poor and not understandable • Paper is a story (narrative) rather than a logical report • The passive voice is used too much • Paper is out of the scope of the journal • The paper is not formatted according to the guide for authors for the journal 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 170 What mistakes might we make that affect probability of success? (continued) • Revisions not made in time or in response to the reviewers comments • For revisions to paper, changes not marked in manuscript for reviewer to easily read 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 171 14 Oct 2009 172 What makes a good paper? • The claims are supported by the data • The experimental design is rigorous – there is a positive control; there is a negative control. • Interpretations from the data are clear. The data are quantitative as well as qualitative • The conclusions have been drawn from more than one approach • The discoveries have led to new insight(s) 14 Oct 2009 How to read papers part 1 June 2007 - Maggie Smith and Bill Wisden M C Driver All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 173 What makes a bad paper? • Claims do not fit the data • The data is made more important than it really is • Poor experimental design. – A single experimental approach may produce unreliable data – An alternative approach may improve the data 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 174 14 Oct 2009 http://www.docstoc.com/docs/2562911/HOW-TO-WRITE-A-WORLD-CLASS-THEORETICAL-PAPER 175 A Good Design helps the Understanding of a Paper • Write one thought per paragraph • The order of presentation of the ideas in the paper is very important • Use short sentences • Use short words (not too many syllables) • Use good graphics that make a point • Use the “Spell Checker” 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 176 Review of the Most Important Points • The scientific topic must be – Interesting – High quality – Original and unpublished • The paper must be readable – Good English (vocabulary and grammar) – Good spelling – Consistent tenses 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 177 Review of the Most Important Points (continued) • Experiments must be repeatable – By the author(s) – By other scientists • The ethics must be perfect – No copying without properly citing the sources 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 178 Acknowledgements 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 179 Major Sources of Information “The Craft of Research”, Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, Third Edition The University of Chicago Press, 2008 ISBN-10:0-226-06566-9 “How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper,” Robert A. Day Oryx Press 5th Edition 1998ISBN 1-57356-164-9 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 180 Inspiration Graphics and Other Topics “How to Write a World-Class Methodology – Tips, Traps and Travesties,” Daniel McGowan, Scientific Director, Edanz Group, and Zhou Mingxin, Publishing Support, Elsevier http://www.paperpub.com.cn/admin/upload/file/200893103922625.pdf The “Tea Making” project: “How to Write a Scientific Paper (or Thesis Chapter or Report)”, Peter Billingsley, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Scotland (April 2005) http://www.abdn.ac.uk/clsm/graduateschool/presentations/paper-writing.ppt All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 14 Oct 2009 2009 181 Discussions • Dr Gordon E. Pike, Editor-in-Chief (retired), the Journal of Materials Research, Materials Research Society • Professor Norman Davison, Manitoba, Canada 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 182 Picture Credits The pictures I have used in this presentation all come from Wikimedia Commons and include the following contributors: J. J. Yang, HP Labs Stannered Pbroks13 Runningamok19 Stian Martinsen 3rd Wave Media Armstrong1113149 Stahlkocher 14 Oct 2009 Brian0918 KissGirl Paul Friel P.M. Thibado, B.R. Bennett, B.V. Shanabrook and L.J. Whitman All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 183 In Conclusion 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 184 I have described the components of a good paper Title Author List Keyword List Abstract Introduction If you write these well, you will have: Materials and Methods Results and Discussion Conclusions References Appendices Acknowledgements 14 Oct 2009 Cover Letter All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 185 I have described the components of a good paper Title Author List Keyword List Abstract If you write these well, you will have: Introduction Materials and Methods Results and Discussion Conclusions References Appendices Acknowledgements 14 Oct 2009 Cover Letter All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 186 I have described the components of a good paper Title Author List Keyword List Abstract If you write these well, you will have: Introduction Materials and Methods Results and Discussion Conclusions References Appendices Acknowledgements 14 Oct 2009 Cover Letter All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 187 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 188 Questions? 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 189 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 190 mdriverphd@aol.com 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 191 FIN 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 192 Other Considerations • Copyright transfer agreement • Page charge acceptance • Why pay page charges 14 Oct 2009 All rights reserved Copyright M.C.Driver 2009 193