Requirements for Sending a Paper to Athma:
Manuscript Text (Intro, Results, Discussion, Methods), dated [MMDDYY]
Supplementary Materials, dated [MMDDYY]
Cover Letter, dated [MMDDYY]
Folder with all figures, tables, and code to generate these
TOC Graphic (optional)
bibtex document with all necessary references (more is always good)
List of suggested reviewers with name, e-mail, school (8-10)
- Acceptable file formats for text: Word & LaTex
- All of these items should be in a Dropbox folder which looks like this:
[insert Dropbox folder image]
For tips on the actual language and writing, see section on Scientific Writing Tips
Notes on preparing a good supplementary information section:
Emulate the sample supplementary materials:
Title page
Table of contents
Experimental
Order experimental by the order that data appears in the text with general methods first
Figures – make these big – there is no space restriction in the SI
Go overboard on detail but not too verbose – Check your SI carefully relative to the experiments you actually did – a typo here can cause another experimenter months of pain.
A little of bit of redundancy in the explanation of slightly different methods for different materials/measurements is okay.
Be very careful when copying from a prior SI – error can propegate
Notes on preparing a good cover letter
Emulate the sample cover letter:
Salutation to the main editor – not the preferred associate
Standard intro paragraph - define the relevant field, what's known, and henceforth the unanswered question
One sentences saying what the core substance of the paper is
A list of features of the paper that make it suitable for the journal in question.
You can some more lofty language here than you would use the text – the point of the cover letter is to get the paper out for review and prevent triage.
A concluding statement with a preferred editor and statement of what audience you believe are best suited to review the paper (may not work depending on the editor).
Types of manuscripts
Two main types that we will use:
Communications
Intro, results, discussion, and conclusion are written in one stream of flow – the hardest to write – transitions are important.
Full papers
Intro, results, discussion, and conclusions are separated into individual sections (sometimes and full experimental section is provided in the text – rather than the SI).
Some papers combine results and discussion – we will not! (see below)
Most commonly prepared a free form word document with figures at the end or embedded (depends on journal – I prefer embedded)
Full Papers
Intro:
Must introduce the field or subfield, articulate the problem (fundamental, applied or both), and introduce briefly the content of the paper in addressing the problem.
Results:
Just the facts – see example
No interpretation of what the data means (unless a minor point would be orphaned in the discussion)
The reader should be able to draw their own conclusions about the data unbiased by the authors prejudice
Discussion
Interpret the data in order to put together a cohesive framework (could be a mechanistic model – a general principle etc.)
Conclusion – Reiterate the main take home message
Communications (hardest to write)
First 1 – 3 paragraphs
It is generally a good idea to include a figure or scheme to highlight the central problem articulated in the intro (this is not always possible).
Funnel down from a general to specific with a focus on getting quickly to the core problem the paper addresses – space is at a premium so verbose expositions are bad and make you have to defend more ground than you want to – but this a balance – too narrow of an intro will cause the paper to be labeled too specialized.
Example 1 (see paper)
Example 2 (see paper)
Herein statement
A concise statement of what the paper reports that address the problem articulated in the beginning paragraph – this usually appears near the end of that third paragraph of the intro.
Example 1:
(replace with examples) Herein we report the investigation of Ni3S2, the hazelwoodite phase of nickel sulfide, as a potent and selective catalyst for the reduction of O2 to H2O under acidic and neutral conditions. In stark contrast to the previous literature, the hazelwoodite phase of nickel sulfide shows enhanced activity and stability when compared to analogous Co9S8 electrocatalyasts at neutral pHs.
Example 2:
(replace with examples) Here, we illustrate the effectiveness of this design strategy by uncovering a novel earth abundant catalyst for oxygen reduction at neutral pH, the heazlewoodite phase of nickel sulfide, Ni3S2. Under phosphate buffered neutral pH conditions, Ni3S2 outperforms state of the art ORR catalysts including MnOx and platinum owing to its unique combination of labile active sites and corrosion resistant sulfide lattice.
Paragraphs past the herein:
Basically a terse results and discussion section.
The topic sentence of each paragraph can either be the concluding central point of the paragraph or the motivation for the experiments conducted in that paragraph – The first is more punchy, but the latter is fairer and creates a better discrimination between results and interpretation since the interpretation doesn’t hit you before the data.
After the topic sentence – dive into the data with multiple corroborating pieces of evidence describe and the final sentence providing a conclusion based on those pieces of data.
The layout of the paragraph is intended to build an argument for the central message of the paper.
Concluding paragraph:
A terse restatement of the center points of what was demonstrated in the manuscript
Can use the last few sentences of the conclusion to allude to possible future directions (this should be kept to a minimum)
General notes
Talk about your figures when you describe data
Specifics, specifics, specifics
Provide examples if you wish to illustrate a point.
Use precise language – don’t just say “A is better than B” – say “A is two-fold more expressed than B under these conditions”
Data is always plural
Books & Resources on how to improve your writing (ranked list borrowed from ZLab):
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
read/listen to The Economist
Writing Science by Joshua Schimel
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
They Say I Say by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein
The Only Grammar Book You Would Ever Need by Susan Thurman and Larry Shea