Construction of a Scientific Paper

Question 1

3 reasons for writing an academic paper:

Answer 1

1. advance and disseminate knowledge
2. institutional reasons
3. personal reasons

Question 2

Material and methods section (4)

Answer 2

• identify subsections
• techniques, instruments, reagents, etc
• statistical analysis
• identify samples and conditions and handling

Question 3

How is a journal article usually written?

Answer 3

Materials and methods THEN
results AND intro

Question 4

Results section (2)

Answer 4

• type of visual that best fits data
• show descriptive statistics
• show control on graphs

Question 5

Introduction section (5)

Answer 5

• start with very general statements
• then introduce area of interest
• next paragraph is more specific
• state hypothesis and rationale
• focus on project

Question 6

Discussion section (3)

Answer 6

• present findings in the context of current literature
• state what gap the results fill and how they add to knowledge base
• identify strengths and limitations

Question 7

____ is a full list of sources at the end of the paper

Answer 7

Reference

Question 8

_____ are a short note in the body of a paper that identifies a source

Answer 8

Citation

Question 9

about ____ references per manuscript are in clinical, professional, and bench research journals

Answer 9

20-40

Question 10

Acknowledgements Section (1)

Answer 10

Recognizing everyone who provided support (technicians, researchers, financial help, etc)

Question 11

Abstract word count

Answer 11

250 words in a single paragraph

Question 12

What is included in the abstract? (4)

Answer 12

• intro
• major methods
• major resutls
• conclusion

Question 13

Why publish?

Answer 13

it is thought that the peer review process within the scientific community ensures a trusted form of scientific communication

Question 14

What is Peer Review?

Answer 14

Peer review is a system used to assess the quality of a manuscript.

Question 15

4 types of peer review used by most journal publications

Answer 15

1. single-blind
2. double-blind
3. open peer
4. transparent peer

Question 16

Can the author make revisions after the peer review? What happens next?

Answer 16

Yes, the manuscript can get rejected/transferred or accepted

Question 17

3 benefits for having a peer review?

Answer 17

1. more robust
2. easier to read
3. more useful