5 Simple Rules for Writing a Paper

Less is more

Authors often feel they need to include as much as possible in their papers. They might even have data, which serves several purposes but the author may fail to see the need to write more than one paper from it. This also applies to the longer sentence structures that often feature in scientific papers- some authors also feel the need to put as much as possible into their sentences. With a lesser word count, you can often express yourself better and more effectively.

Know your audience

When you have your target audience in mind, you can choose an appropriate journal to cast your message to. This first step is critical in determining how you will be able to use your language accordingly to convey your intended message. More specifically, it will determine the organization of the paper, the technicality of the language used, and the detail in the paper.

Be logical

A logical flow should be established to enable your intended audience to follow your work. Such a logical flow is not only essential so that your reader is able to understand the entire story, but also helps you as the author stay on track with your message.

Be concise

Being concise in your paper means that your message is understood without unnecessary elaborate structures. Such lengthy, unnecessarily descriptive, and oftentimes repetitive structures can also come across boring to the reader and serve to be distracting.

Be consistent

Being consistent when writing a paper means choosing one way and sticking with it. This refers to presentation-related elements of the paper; using the same font style, using the same standard terminology throughout the paper, one style guide as a reference, and uniform spelling style (US vs UK). It also means using the same author’s voice to help establish your credibility as an author.

Staying consistent helps the narrative flow of your paper and improves how readable it is.