Advanced Academic Writing Workshop

How to start writing a research paper

G.J.E.C.
10 – 13th September, 2018
 Exercise 4

Please complete Exercise 4 with a partner

 Research: How to start writing

• Firstly, identify worthy research in your field.

• Introduction Section, can be written in part, before research

starts.

• Writing Literature Review before writing paper has benefits:

 may change design of research

 Can help understand significance of unexpected

results or observations
 Exercise 5

With your partner, complete Exercise 5

 Introduction Section

• Introduction is not an abstract

• a good Introduction should ease the reader into the

subject, even if technical.

• Introduction should be understood by many scientifically

literate people
 Introduction Section

• You want your research paper to be accessible to many.

• This will enhance your scholarly reputation and

Kumamoto University’s also.

• After reading the Introduction, readers should understand

why work was done, and its importance.
 Introduction Section

• Introduction is not a history of science

• should only discuss findings relevant to your study

• last section of Introduction should transition reader from

previous studies to your study

• Ideally, reader will want to read more

• Do not use the Intro to give conclusions.

 Manuscript writing process

What is the next step?

With your partner, complete Exercise 6

 After Introduction & Literature Review

Don’t wait until your research is completed before writing!

Materials, Methods, and Results Sections can be written as

you are researching:

• Detail materials as they are used

• include technical insights; be specific (Supplementary
Materials)
• group chemicals/substances into paragraphs based on
type
• add to those paragraphs as research proceeds
• when those sections are complete, its easier to edit
 Materials, Methods and Results Sections: Writing Tips

• “be too detailed rather than too brief.”

Why is this a good writing approach?

• write Methods in order of experiments performed:

briefly explain why you took particular steps so reader can

follow logic of your experimental design.
 Materials, Methods and Results Sections: Writing Tips

After experiment is complete and the process is written up,

publication quality figures and diagrams need to be created.

Labelling tips:

• write the legends, number tables and figures sequentially

in order experiments performed.

• for most journals, figure and table legends grouped at the

end of MS
 Q&A

G.J.E.C.
10 – 13th September, 2018