Scientific Writing for Research
Character of Scientific Papers
A research Paper has to research something. It is not a Report. The readers state of knowledge must not be assumed. A scientific paper makes scientific statements, which are
- falsifiable, measure Mable, resilient, defendable
- verifiable, transparent, dependable
- objective, free of subjective influences
- relevant, insight bearing
Writing Research Papers
Defending your Thesis
Writing a scientific paper, means defending it’s thesis. In order to prove your statements, either provide the assertion yourself by using domain specific proofs, or cite other (prefer primary over secondary) scientific papers.
Writing Style
When writing, focus on conciseness, consistency and precision over aesthetics and stylistic variety. Don’t write in the me-form.
Employ Analytical Writing
Research Paper Structure
Every scientific paper contains these underlying parts: (Heading names can differ)
- Introduction (Motivation, Theses & Question)
- Foundation (Collection of Terms, Tools and Basics; The purpose is to build up the foundation of the following chapters, not sharing knowledge)
- Individual Contribution (Dealing with Scientific Question; Should refer to above foundation text)
- Conclusion (Summary, Resumè, Next Steps, Remaining Open Questions)
Practical Tips for a red thread
- First create a Table of Contents
- Fill sections with key words and revise
- How long will each section be? Figure out the total page number
- Write prosa-text to fill out section contents
- Include pictures, tables and figures afterwards to support the text
- In the end, write the abstract and the final title
Source: Leitfaden für studentische wissenschaftliche Arbeiten von Stefan Huber