Effective Research Writing
STEM Discipline
Effective Research Writing
The Writing Mind-Set
Some people find writing difficult, or struggle to get started with
writing
Much of this is an issue of mind-set
Writing of any style can be a mechanical process
Academic writing is particularly regimented by convention and by journal and conference
style guidelines
Much of good academic writing comes with practice
“Words On Paper”
The most important thing any academic writer can do is to put
words onto paper
It is easier to write then edit than it is to stare at a blank page
The “Freewriting” technique can be used
Write in sentences randomly around the topic for five minutes, without worrying about
structure or the reader
Use this as a starting point to develop confidence and fluency
The Interview Technique
Use a voice recorder
Brief a friend or colleague on the topic you’re writing about
Ask them to interview you about the topic
Record the answers to the questions and have these transcribed
Use these as a working basis for the paper
Individual Interview
An alternative is to conduct a solo interview
Write out a list of 10 or so questions in advance
Answer each question for around 2 minutes into a voice recorder
Use the results as the basis for some of the paper
Question Ideas
If presenting at a conference or internal workshop, keep a record
of the questions that you’re asked
Talk to colleagues about your research and find out the questions
that they ask you
Look back through your older research, particular theses, and see
what questions occur to you
Brown’s 8 Questions
These can be used as prompts for interviews or for sections of
the paper (or for writing the abstract)
Who are the intended readers?
What did you do?
Why did you do it?
What happened?
What do the results mean in theory?
What do the results mean in practice?
What is the key benefit for the readers?
What remains unresolved?
Brown, R. (1994). The ‘Big Picture’ About Managing Writing
Writing Productivity
Much of writing productivity is the same as any other kind of
academic productivity
Important for managing a busy workload
Most people write best with few distractions
Quiet environment
Closed door
Mobile/Facebook/Skype off
Drinks on hand
Research notes ready
Time Limit Method
Set yourself a section of text to write and a time limit to complete
this task in
Force yourself to write a “good enough” section in this time limit
Move onto the next section with the same approach
This ensures that you have a draft completed
Time Snatching
Much of productive writing is about grabbing chunks of time when
you can
Try and combine tasks which help with both research and
teaching
Balance your workload with your writing
Either, write during the gaps which take place in classes
Or, use that time to complete administrative tasks, leaving you
uninterrupted time for writing
A short deadline can work as well as a long one for many people
Dealing With Overwhelm
Never feel obligated to start with a massive writing project first
Look at alternative to journal papers
Conference papers
Book reviews
“Work in progress” posts for the university web site
Writing Schedule
Get into a regular routine for writing
Same location/time of day
Work when/where you feel most comfortable
1 hour earlier before work?
Middle of the night?
Decide if the work environment is a good writing environment - if
not, seek support to work elsewhere
Home
The Park
A Quiet Pub with Wi-Fi?
Accountability
Writing partnerships (or writing groups) with goals and
responsibilities help writers to success
Agree daily or weekly targets, after which all writers share their
results
This can be a physical meeting or facilitated online
Writers then review what each other has done and share
feedback
Some groups arrange a writing retreat
A set period of time outside the work environment and away from home where a large
piece of writing can be undertaken
Academic Writing Conventions
Writing Style
Much of the style academic writing comes from convention and is
gained through practice
These notes on writing style are intended for summary and as
reminders
Cleverness
Importantly, the aim of the paper is not to make readers think
“You’re Clever”
The aim is to present ideas in a way accessible to a motivated
reader
In most fields, this should be accessible to a keen undergraduate
Don’t try and impress your reader by using big words
Simple and concise language is best
Avoid language that can be interpreted in multiple ways
Understand your audience and write for them
Writing Style
Develop your own writing style
You will have your own preferred phrases and layout
Aim to write in a passive voice
This can still be engaging
Generally, write in the third person
Some fields do allow first and second person
Write in a manner that does not specify gender
Use short sentences and paragraphs
Use tables and illustrations where appropriate
Smart Writing
Smart writing is about getting maximum use from words and ideas
It’s all about carrying out research efficiently and effectively
Work out how much content you need to give for each
publication
This may be based on the importance of the publication
Never offer the bare minimum
Sometimes, publishing outside the your main field carries more weight
Write other forms of articles at the same time as the main paper
For instance, a conference paper can be supported with a series of blog posts looking at
specific examples or implications
Originality
Papers need to be original
That is, you must avoid plagiarism at all costs
Plagiarism includes taking words from yourself (self-plagiarism) or from others
Each paper must contain new ideas
Generally, it’s considered acceptable to reuse 25% of your own
material – but this must be cited and rewritten
Often this may form the background to the paper
It may be replicated in the conclusions to give continued ideas for future work
Filling In The Words
Start With An Outline
Start by listing the different section titles and constructing an
outline
This should meet the style guidelines for wherever you are targeting the publication
List all the main references that you will use in the Reference
section
It’s generally easiest to fill this out first
You can mark references when they’ve been used as a checklist
Add a few bullet points or notes to each section with the main
areas that you’ll cover
Working With Co-Authors
If there are co-authors, agree who will write what
And work out how you will share the document and develop a consistent writing style
One approach that works well for some is:
The first author creates an outline
The first author adds some notes and bullet points to the outline, detailing the points that
should be made
The second author fleshes out the outlines with text
The first author then checks and edits the fleshed out version
Write Each Section
Add the words to complete each section
These needn’t be written in order
Generally write the Conclusion and Introduction near the end
Write the Abstract last of all
Review The Draft
Check that all the required sections are included
Look for repetition and any areas where the academic argument is
unclear or ambiguous
If the work is too short, decide if it is long enough
The maximum word count in many publications is not a target
If the work is too long, decide what can be taken out
Option #1 – remove large chunks which can be kept for later papers
Option #2 – remove words and sentences and rewrite sections to meet the word count
Proof Read Carefully
Check every sentence to make sure it makes sense
Check the paper against the “Instructions For Authors”
Ideally leave a gap before proof reading (and/or get someone else
to do this for you)
The Critique
It’s important to get an informal review before you submit the
paper
You want to correct any problems before you submit this
Use a friend, colleague or contact to critically review the paper
Ask them to point out areas they don’t understand, or places
where they feel there are flaws in the presentation
Make any changes based on their suggestions
You’re now ready to submit!
Any Questions?