I Have Learned in Writing Papers (Dr Chun-Zhu Li)

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aper (cont’d)
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4.4 Conclusions • Tell your readers what they should remember when they finish reading this paper. • Each conclusion must be NEW in your study and must be what you have just gone through. • If possible, try to use different wording/sentences from those in the main text to summarise. This helps the readers to understand. • Is each of your sentences in this section as accurate as that used in law?
3. Before Starting to Write
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• The worst mistakes are not in grammar, but in your logics. • Do not mis-manage your brain (do not try to squeeze words out of your brain in front of a computer). • Analyse and understand your data as fully as possible. • Ask yourself: what is the main theme (ONLY ONE) of your proposed paper?
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SOME LESSONS
I Have Learned in Writing Papers
Dr Chun-Zhu Li Reader in Chemical Engineering Monash University chun-zhu.li@.au
1. Why Writing a Paper
4. Writing the Paper (cont’d)
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4.3 Results and Discussion • Are you repeating yourself within the paper? • Are you telling the readers which Table or Figure you are referring to? • Are you making statements beyond the limits of your experimental data? • Are the ways you had drawn your figures in agreement with the ways you are telling a story?
2. Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
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• You are fully familiar with the up-to-date progress in your area. • You have made some NEW discoveries (or you have NEW ideas) in relation to the existing literature. • You have reached the stage where you do not need to look at the references when you actually write your paper. • You are sincere, honest and not prepared to tell lies. • You do not mind hard working. Writing a paper is no easier than the experiments.
4. Writing the Paper (cont’d)
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4.3 Results and Discussion Is the sentence you have just finished typing grammatically correct, logically sound and clear, accurate in meaning and concise in words? Do not leave it to the end to re-edit. This is the best way to ensure that you train your brain to think logically. Finally ask yourself: is this sentence necessary?
4. Writing the Paper
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4.1 Introduction Introduce your paper to the reader: • Significance of your study • What have been done in the past • What needs to be known • The purpose of your study
3. Before Starting to Write (cont’d)
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• PLAN your science “fiction”: a good paper is a result of good science plus good art. Try to entertain your potential readers. • Outline your ideas on a piece of paper (sorry: several pieces of paper, A3 may be better than A4 for the beginners). Put down as many dot points as you can. • Put a dictionary and, if possible, a handbook next to your computer.
2. Pre-requisites and Co-requisites (cont’d)
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• You will not discriminate against the data you do not like. • Your sponsor allows you to publish. • Your co-authors agree with what you want to say in the paper. • You have contributed something so that you deserve to be a co-author. • You do not leave people out who should be an author for any reason.
4. Writing the Paper (cont’d)
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4.1 Introduction • This is not meant for you to tell the readers what you know (you are trying to tell a story to your peers who are experts in theory). • This can not be a collection of your random thoughts when sitting in front of a computer, forced by various constraints to complete 10 pages before the deadline. • The last paragraph is not meant to be identical to your abstract.
4. Writing the Paper (cont’d)
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4.3 Results and Discussion Follow gas-tight (vacuum-tight) logics: • Within a sentence. • Between sentences. • Among sentences. • Within a paragraph. • Between paragraphs. • Among paragraphs. • Among sections. • Throughout the paper.
4. Writing the Paper (cont’d)
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4.3 Results and Discussion
Use sub-headings. If you cannot separate your story into sub-headings, ask yourself: do I understand my data and what are behind my data well enough?
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Research starts with new ideas and ends with publication/reporting. • To communicate your NEW discoveries/ideas to your colleagues for the advancement of science and technology (not copying). • For your personal career DEVELOPMENT (not destruction).