Treat your academic writing as a tool for communication rather than a form of expression. A manuscript is not a poem or song, or even a novella or story (even though it has elements of storytelling). Keep descriptions simple and precise rather than showing off your vocabulary or knowledge. Your target audience is other experts in the field, not your friends or family. Their proficiency is their field of expertise, not necessarily the English language. The goal is to contribute evidence to the body of scientific research that advances humanity’s knowledge in the field. In doing so, make sure to reference papers that informed your study – explain your vantage point while you’re ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’.
Paper template
If you can answer these questions exactly, then you’ve got a paper!
If not, then you’ve got some thinking ahead…
Abstract
Why is this issue important?
Why does something need to be done about it?
What did you do?
What did you find/build?
What insight does it offer?
What progress will this lead to?
Introduction
In what context(s) is this topic useful?
What are its limitations?
How are those limitations being addressed? (solutions)
What’s missing from these solutions? (gap)
Why does that gap need to be filled?
How does your work address it?
Results
What did you do?
What was the outcome?
What insight does it offer?
How did you prove that?
[Repeat for multiple results]
Discussion
What were the key findings?
What are their limitations?
What are the potential applications / next steps?
How do they build the future of this work?
How does this contribute to your vision?
Conclusion
What did you do?
How did you do it?
What did you find?
What progress will this lead to?
Remember that you don’t have to sit in front of a screen to write. A scientific article can take years to write even though it can be typed in only a few hours! Read, meditate, go for walks, cook, garden, chat with colleagues – fuel your brain so that you’re ready to start typing once you get to the keyboard.
Useful links:
- Your research contribution – specialization is not easy.
- Your confidence while learning – the timeline could be months or years depending on your project.
- Your holistic impact – no rush to get to the center, enjoy the journey!
- How to use this template to minimize anxiety – right in the beginning, try answering it in only one page (feel free to fill in the gaps with calculated guesses, i.e., “speculate”, “hypothesize”, or “assume” 😉). As you progress, strengthen your answers by expanding to more pages. If your objectives change, feel free to start over!
Writing is an introspective, nonlinear, intangible process. Let it flow naturally, and don’t lose hope! You’re always further along than you realize. Two steps forward, one step back…
“Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.”
Got questions or feedback? Contact me!