Writing a student paper scientifically is not easy the first time. There is a lot of literature on the topic of scientific writing. In the end, it's all about the structure and evidence that leads to the gain in knowledge. At this point, not only a few useful tips and supporting literature references, but also the reference to a framework that allows the author a goal-oriented writing.
At the latest when writing the master's thesis, it is called independent editing. There is not always an identical procedure, and it differs in the disciplines. There are a few basic rules to follow.
Structure
- State of the research,
- Questions to research,
- Formulation of hypotheses,
- Methodological approach,
- Analysis,
- Results, and
- Discussion of results.
Structure and evidence
The paper has a clear thread with a stringent argumentation, which is supported by evidence.
Especially general statements should be used carefully because they have to be valid. Words like many, mostly, frequently, little, often should be avoided and should serve as a summary. Example: Instead of "many", "8 out of 10" is a statement with higher value and validity. After making this statement, "many" can be used again in a conclusion - if no other way is possible. However, please always use it with caution. But what is an optimal structure and how do you get the necessary clarity in the text to also publish successfully?
Optimal structure and clarity for successful publications
We know that contributions are often lost due to a lack of structure and clarity. Often there is a lack of time to set the right framework, to understand the community or economically the market or to know a feasible structure. In this context, my colleagues and I have written an article (Publish or Perish: A Scientific Blueprint for a Journal Article) as a framework recommendation for structuring scientific papers to provide them as authors a scientific blueprint for most submissions especially in the International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (iJEP).
Our many years of expertise and experience in the field have enabled us to gain valuable insights into the preparation of papers. We highlight typical mistakes and present insights to avoid them. Furthermore, we take a look at the specific parts of an article to clarify the expectations of the editors. Additionally, we present a lightweight approach that authors can use to quickly dive into writing.
Our proposed framework helps them authors organize their thoughts, make the structure of the paper publishable, and reduce time to market. This proven blueprint can be used by them as authors to streamline their writing processes to make their contributions more successful. We are convinced that this approach will help you as authors to optimally prepare your contribution and pave the way to publication.
Literature References
I personally found two books very helpful:
- Esselborn-Krumbiegel, H. (2022): Richtig wissenschaftlich schreiben: Wissenschaftssprache in Regeln und Übungen, 7th ed., UTB GmbH, Paderborn
and
- Müller, E. (2013): Schreiben in Naturwissenschaften und Medizin, UTB GmbH, Paderborn.
Further books for scientific writing
Core Literature
- Gottlieb, M; Utesch, M (2022): Publish or Perish: A Scientific Blueprint for a Journal Article, International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (iJEP), 12(3), pp. 171–177, doi: https://doi.org/10.3991/ijep.v12i3.28253.
Further Literature
- Esselborn-Krumbiegel, H. (2022): Richtig wissenschaftlich schreiben: Wissenschaftssprache in Regeln und Übungen, 7th ed., UTB GmbH, Paderborn
- Müller, E. (2013): Schreiben in Naturwissenschaften und Medizin, UTB GmbH, Paderborn.