26-1-2018 WRITING A

SCIENTIFIC
ARTICLE
RESEARCH PAPER

Roxana Trigueros
UNIVERSIDAD DE EL SALVADOR
FACULTAD MULTIDISCIPLINARIA DE OCCIDENTE
DEPARTAMENTO DE IDIOMAS
 WRITING A SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE
Roxana de Trigueros
Universidad de El Salvador
Facultad Multidisciplinaria de Occidente
Departamento de Idiomas
January 25, 2018

A scientific article follows a format that guides scientist in writing scientific

research papers. It norms communication among scientists’ findings. A standard
format is used for these articles, in which the author presents the research study in
an orderly, logical manner. This doesn't necessarily reflect the order in which you did
or thought about the work (Columbia. edu, nd.). The font and size of the letters
(Times New Romans, size 12), spacing between lines (1.5 between lines), the title
and summary of the research’s translation, key words, and writing styles as APA
style or other styles according to your branch of study are also normed. To guide
researchers in their writing and publishing of scientific articles, The Secretary’s Office
of Scientific Research of the University of El Salvador (SIC-UES) gives the following
format:

Title
When writing the title of your scientific article think about marketing. You
must sell your idea. Avoid technical words that only specialist will understand.
However it must attract the appropriate audience. Summarize the main idea in a few
words (9 minimum, 24 maximum). Use a capital letter just at the beginning of the
title unless you are using proper names (SIC-UES, 2017). The title should
summarize the relationship among variables or theoretical issues.

Authors

The authors appear according to their scientific contribution and not in

alphabetical other right after the title. Then the first author to appear must be the
one who did the work and wrote the paper. However, with published articles,
persons that made substantial contributions to the work are also listed as authors
(Columbia. edu, nd.). Academic degrees or any academic or social positions are not
included in the authors’ names. If more than one author is shown, the authors are
separated with a comma. But, if the author or authors have two last names, the last
names are separated with a hyphen. For each authors’ name or names you just
include the initials.

After the initials of each authors’ names write down an Arabic number over
the last initial to indicate the name of the institution and you begin writing an Arabic
number (1) to the person who will correspond the mail. The e-mail address must be
institutional. Other associated authors must be indicated with an Arabic number (2).
Also include their charge and institutional address they belong to and country of
origin, as well as their institutional e-mail address. The Arabic number information
goes as a footnote in a single page (SIC-UES, 2017). Keep in mind that “every
1.Universidad de El Salvador 2. Universidad de El Salvador
Facultad multidisciplinaria de Occidente Facultad multidisciplinaria de Occidente
Departamento de Idiomas Departamento de Idiomas
Estudiante Tesista Docente asesor
perezedgar@ues.edu.sv roxana.villeda@ues.edu.sv
article has a byline consisting of two parts: the name of the author and the institution
where the investigation was conducted (without the words by or from the)”
(Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 1994). For example
the following topic with authors:

Teaching English to adults

Pérez- Mendoza E. A.1, Villeda-Trigueros R.L.2

Hidalgo-Sandoval J.F.

Abstract and key words

The abstract is written in past tense and it gives the reader a preview of your
research. It also refers to the time and space where the research took place as well
as the methodological procedure, objectives, principal results and conclusions. You
must also clearly state the principal research findings. If it is a quantitative research
express your finding in numbers. Avoid the use of charts, graphs, figures,
abbreviations, and references. In this section the paragraphs go alone without
spacing between one another. If you need to express a statistical probability, you do
it in parenthesis, for example (p ≤ 0.01). The abstract is limited to 250 words
maximum and 150 words minimum (SIC-UES, 2017). Take into account that “the
abstract should be a little less technical than the article itself; you don't want to
dissuade your potential audience from reading your paper” (Columbia. edu, nd.).

When writing the abstract keep in mind the research problem and state it in
one sentence if possible. The object or subject of study should be described
specifying characteristics such as number, type, age, and sex. Talk about the
methodology you used in your research, as well as any apparatus used and data-
gathering procedures as complete test names, generic names, dosage of any drugs,
and research instruments. Include significance statistical levels of your findings and
the conclusions and implications of the intervention or study. “Don't use
abbreviations or citations in the abstract. It should be able to stand alone without any
footnotes” (Columbia. edu, nd.).

Key words

At the end of the abstract you must write key words that represent your
research. Those key words will be included a data base. Any person that types key
words similar to yours might find your study in the data base that is why it is very
important to choose the exact words that will represent your job. Write words that
describe your findings or research, research field, or place of study, for example EFL
adult teaching.

1.Universidad de El Salvador 2. Universidad de El Salvador

Facultad multidisciplinaria de Occidente Facultad multidisciplinaria de Occidente
Departamento de Idiomas Departamento de Idiomas
Estudiante Tesista Docente asesor
perezedgar@ues.edu.sv roxana.villeda@ues.edu.sv
Introduction

Begin describing the body of your research paper. Continue answering your
research questions. Tell the audience why it is interesting. Give a brief but relevant
literature review of your research questions in one or two paragraphs talking about
the theoretical implications of the study and its relationship to previous and similar
studies. Write about the relationship among variables explain how the hypothesis
and experimental design relate to the problem End the introduction answering the
specific research question you had in your study.

Methodology

Describe in detail the way the study was conducted as well as the reliability
and validity of your results. It is convenient to “divide the Method section into labeled
subsections. These usually include descriptions of the participants, the apparatus
(or materials), and the procedure” (Columbia. edu, nd.). Give details of how you got
the sample size. Demographic characteristics (sex and age) are important to
maintain. Go over the elements of inclusion and exclusion you used. The research
tools, apparatus and material used obtain the data is extremely important to describe.
Moreover the procedure must summarize each step of your research as instructions
you gave to the target population or participants, target group information and
intervention or manipulations is also important.

Results and discussion

Results

Tell the reader the relationship your results have with the original research
question. Mention the way the data gotten supports your hypothesis or research
questions. Compare your results with other researcher’s findings. And if the results
were not the expected ones, explain “why there is another way to interpret your
results” (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 1994).
According to the data gotten what other research questions raised and what type of
research is necessary to answer those research questions.

Summarize in one sentence the principal finding of your research. Remember

that this section goes in past tense. If you have done a quantitative research “the
units of measurement go alone the International System of Units, and the
abbreviations must be totally explicit according to the international norms” (SIC-UES,
2017). You may also present charts and figures in this section, however, they must
be just referenced because you include them in a separate section. This is done
because the company or magazine publishing your article will place them in the
proper place where they are referenced.

3
Discussion of results

Here you evaluate and interpret the implications of the data. Relate your
interpretation to the hypothesis or research questions. Make emphasis on any
theoretical consequence of your results. You may begin the discussion supporting
or not supporting the hypothesis or main research question. Emphasize on the new
and relevant aspects of your research. Remember to remark on the contributions
you made through the research and in what way the study helped to resolve the
original problem. Talk about the contrast of your results with other research studies.

Conclusions

Conclude according to your research questions and objectives. This should

be based on the data gotten. Avoid manipulation of data, the use of bibliographical
reference and the use of charts and figures. Contrary to your thesis work avoid the
use of bullet points and numbers.

Acknowledgments

This applies for those who received institutional help in their research. Every
research must have a footnote thanking the institution, for example: “This research
was carried out with the financial help of the University of El Salvador, Central
America” (SIC-UES, 2017).

Bibliographical references

Only those texts that were cited in this research paper must appear in the
bibliography and they go alone the APA norms. Use bold letter to highlight authors’
names and date (SIC-UES, 2017).

CHARTS AND FIGURES

Charts

Charts or tables must have a brief, simple, and catchy title to indicate what
you mean to inform through the chart. It goes in the upper side of the chart. The
notes that go in the lower side have a smaller size then the rest of the writing. The
charts must measure three quarters of a page maximum. Remember to include only
those charts that are relevant in your study and remember to identify them through
Arabic numerals according to their appearance in the research article. These charts
are the ones cited in the text (SIC-UES, 2017).

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Figures

Figures are diagrams, graphics, maps, photographs, drawings, or

impressions. As in the charts the title in each figure must be brief, simple, and catchy
to indicate what you mean to inform through it, they are located below the figure.
The maps and drawings must include a scale according to the International Unit
System. Keep in mind the contrast, quality and clarity of the resolution of the pictures.
As stated in the charts, too, remember to include only those figures that are relevant
in your study and remember to identify them through Arabic numerals according to
their appearance in the research article. Also, these figures are the ones cited in the
text (SIC-UES, 2017).

Text

Justify your text and use Arial Normal, letter size 12, double space. The left
margin must be 3.0 cm; the right upper margin and lower margin 2.5 cm. The page
number goes in the right lower side. Numbers from zero to nine are written in letters
if they do not represent any unit of measurement. The maximum number of pages
permitted in a scientific article is 20. The bibliographical references go alone APA
style. Appendix or annex are not used in this type of writing (SIC-UES, 2017).

Publish your article

Now you are ready to send and publish your scientific article. You may
communicate with Ing. Carlos Alfredo Estrada Faggioli Editor Director of Minerva
magazine (E-mail: carlos.faggioli@ues.edu.sv). Send him an e-mail as soon as
possible and you may also send an e-mail to SIC-UES sic@ues.edu.sv or call: 503
2225-8434.

Good luck.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Columbia. edu. (nd.). Writing a Scientific Research Article. Retribed from Writing a
Scientific Research Article:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/ug/research/paper.html

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. (1994). Guidelines

for Writing a Scientific Article. Obtenido de Guidelines for Writing a Scientific Article:
http://www.csic.cornell.edu/201/paperguidelines.html

SIC-UES. (2017). Estructura del Artículo en la Revista Minerva de la Universidad de

El Salvador. San Salvador: UES.