1、Writing for International Journals,Yixin Zhou MD &PhD Adult Reconstructive Surgery Beijing Jishuitan Hospital The 4th Clinical College of PKU,a JAS presentation,Good science Good writing,a JAS presentation,Good Scientific Writing requires:,What included in Introduction? What order and what tense? Wh
2、at constitutes good title? What should be covered in Summary?,a JAS presentation,Questions?,Rules of grammar Weakness of passive voice Need for topic sentence Transitional phrases,a JAS presentation,Do you remember?,How many references are too many? How should figures be cited? How should Discussion
3、 be organized?,a JAS presentation,Questions?,Format Style,a JAS presentation,Questions?,Author frustration Delays in submission Extra-cycle of review,a JAS presentation,Results in:,Concise & Simple Make sure meaning of every word Use verb instead of abstract nouns Break up nouns clusters & stacked m
4、odifiers,a JAS presentation,Four Rules of Writing:,I have made this letter longer than usual, because I lack time to make it shorter. -Pascal,a JAS presentation,Every word does no good, does harm!,a JAS presentation,What can be shortened & simplified? What can be eliminated?,a JAS presentation,Conci
5、se & Simple:,The reaction goes fastest when,a JAS presentation,Love to you occurred in the bottom of my heart!,a JAS presentation,Optimal reaction conditions are approximated when,a JAS presentation,The reaction goes fastest when,a JAS presentation,If you can say it more simply, do so!,a JAS present
6、ation,Restore vigor to scientific writing Natural, direct, easy to understand,a JAS presentation,Use verbs:,An increase in heart rate occured,a JAS presentation,Heart rate increased,a JAS presentation,The new drug caused a decrease in heart rate,a JAS presentation,The new drug decreased heart rate,a
7、 JAS presentation,If subject, verb, and object conveys core message :,a JAS presentation,Simple,& direct,Occurred, showed, caused, produced, was achieved, was observed, was noted,a JAS presentation,Weak verbs:,Tion (inhibition, formation, decomposition) Ment (improvement, assesment) Ence (occurrenc,
8、 existence),a JAS presentation,Nouns from verbs:,Markedly, fairly, quite, rather, several, very, much,a JAS presentation,Avoid using vague qualifiers:,Heart rate Bone cell,a JAS presentation,Break up noun cluster & stacked modifiers:,Trabecular length variability Variability in trabecular length,a J
9、AS presentation,Break up noun cluster & stacked modifiers:,Tell a story, and only one story!,a JAS presentation,Text of a manuscript,Questions never posed Clear message never emerge,a JAS presentation,Common Errors,If does not tell a story:,a JAS presentation,Left unwritten,Introduction Material & M
10、ethod Results Discussion,a JAS presentation,Manuscript Structures,Establish the importance of the subject Explain what is known State what is unknown or problematic with the known Conclude with clear research question,a JAS presentation,Introduction,A funnel to lead readers,a JAS presentation,Introd
11、uction:,a JAS presentation,Introduction:,a JAS presentation,Introduction:,a JAS presentation,Introduction:,a JAS presentation,Introduction:,a JAS presentation,Introduction:,a JAS presentation,Introduction:,a JAS presentation,Introduction:,a JAS presentation,Introduction:,What was done to answer the
12、questions?(protocol) Why was it done?(purpose) How was it done?(methods) How was it analyzed,a JAS presentation,Materials & Methods,Material: What was examined? Methods:,a JAS presentation,Materials & Methods:,a JAS presentation,Materials & Methods:,a JAS presentation,Materials & Methods:,a JAS pres
13、entation,Materials & Methods:,a JAS presentation,Materials & Methods:,a JAS presentation,Materials & Methods:,a JAS presentation,Materials & Methods:,a JAS presentation,Materials & Methods:,Present results in decreasing order of importance Following the research questions at the end of introduction
14、(or chronologically) Avoid figures or tables as the subjects or objects of sentences Dont duplicate data in the text, figures and tables State the major result in the text, refer to figures and tables parenthetically, avoid including data in the text,a JAS presentation,Results,Result is a stated mes
15、sage! Data are numbers support results (statistical summaries, transformed data, figure & table),a JAS presentation,Results and data are not the same,Topic sentence should be strong Avoid using methods as topic sentence State the result referring to data,a JAS presentation,Results,a JAS presentation
16、,Results,Topic sentence should be strong Avoid using methods as topic sentence State the result referring to data,a JAS presentation,Results,The strain in the proximal cortex ranged from compressive to tensile (table1). When the stiffer stem was in place, strains in region 1 went from -2347423 to -1
17、415379 microstrain(Fig3). This difference was statisticaly significant(p0.05),a JAS presentation,Sample,Stem stiffness decreased the compressive strains measured in the most proximal region. When the stiffer stem was in place, compressive strains decreased by almost 40% compared with when the compli
18、ant stem was in place (talbe1).,a JAS presentation,Sample,Restate the research questions Describe how your data support your answers Establish what is new & important by comparing Present the strengths & limitation End with clear statement or speculation based on the Answers to your questions,a JAS
19、presentation,Discussion,Rephrasing of the question Answer reached from the results Answer explicit & direct,a JAS presentation,Function No1: answer research question,a JAS presentation,Discussion:,Dont repeat M&M How results lead to answer Referring key data to remind readers,a JAS presentation,Func
20、tion No2: Explain how your results support the Answer,a JAS presentation,Discussion:,a JAS presentation,Discussion:,Does your answer with current thinking? Can you explain conflicts or discrepancy? What information is provided?,a JAS presentation,Function No3: Explain how the answer compares with ,a
21、 JAS presentation,Discussion:,Source of strength & limitation Why shortcomings are acceptable?,a JAS presentation,Function No4: Balanced presentation of strength & limitation,a JAS presentation,Discussion:,a JAS presentation,Discussion:,a JAS presentation,Discussion:,End with clear statement Avoid ending with future study,a JAS presentation,End of Discussion:,a JAS presentation,Discussion: ending,a JAS presentation,Discussion: ending,Thank You！,a JAS presentation,
