![]() ![]() All they need to do is scrutinize these pieces and put them together into a comprehensive paper. When scientists start writing a research paper, they already have their files with data, lab notes with materials and experimental designs, some visuals, and tables with results. Indeed, writer’s block is a logical fallacy for a scientist ― it is just an excuse to procrastinate. Staring at an empty screen is frustrating, but your screen is not really empty: You have a template of your article, and all you need to do is fill in the blanks. Many students complain that they are not productive writers because they experience writer’s block. As Paul Silvia explains, “Revising while you generate text is like drinking decaffeinated coffee in the early morning: noble idea, wrong time”. Pour your ideas into the paper and leave revision and editing for later. Do not slow down to choose a better word or better phrase do not halt to improve your sentence structure. When you create the first draft, do not succumb to the temptation of editing. Copy your outline into a separate file and expand on each of the points, adding data and elaborating on the details. This positive feeling spills over into our work and life and has a very positive effect on our overall attitude.Īfter you get enough feedback and decide on the journal you will submit to, the process of real writing begins. In addition, doing the hardest task first thing in the morning contributes to the sense of accomplishment during the rest of the day. At the end of the semester, she was amazed at how much she accomplished without even interrupting her regular lab hours. One Yale University graduate student spent a semester writing from 8 a.m. For many people, mornings are more productive. When figuring out which blocks of time will be set for writing, you should select the time that works best for this type of work. Choose from 1- to 2-hour blocks in your daily work schedule and consider them as non-cancellable appointments. The same kind of regular exercises, or I call them “writing sessions,” are required to be a productive author. If you have not done physical exercises for a year, only regular workouts can get you into good shape again. ![]() Just as with any type of hard work, you will not succeed unless you practice regularly. In his book How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing, Paul Silvia says that for some, “it’s easier to embalm the dead than to write an article about it”. As stated in Hayes’ framework for the study of writing: “It is a generative activity requiring motivation, and it is an intellectual activity requiring cognitive processes and memory”. It is a very difficult process of intense concentration and brain work. Whether you have written 100 papers or you are struggling with your first, starting the process is the most difficult part unless you have a rigid writing schedule. Specifically, I will focus on the best approaches to start a scientific paper, tips for writing each section, and the best revision strategies. In this paper, I will discuss the issues related to the writing process of a scientific paper. How does the writing process work? How can you fit your writing into a daily schedule packed with experiments? What section should you start with? What distinguishes a good research paper from a bad one? How should you revise your paper? These and many other questions buzz in your head and keep you stressed. You have not written anything for a while (lab reports do not count), and you feel you have lost your stamina. Yet days pass, and you cannot force yourself to sit down to write. Your colleagues think you are ready to write a paper, and your lab mates tease you about your “slow” writing progress. Your pipette feels like an extension of your hand, and running western blots has become part of your daily routine, similar to brushing your teeth. You generated an enormous amount of interesting data. You have been struggling with your project for a year. ![]()
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