Structuring Your Paper. How do I put it all together?

Structuring Your Paper

How do I put it all together?

Information Flow

• One idea per paragraph

• Ideas should follow each other in a logical sequence.

• Two ways to order results:1. Chronological “First we did x, then y, then z.”2. Thematic Whatever order makes most

sense

Outline ≈ Skeleton

W. Li G. Doczi

Ref: J. Dorman

Creating an Outline

• Summarizes the major points• Can help you write the paper:

- Each point -> the first or last sentence of paragraph

• Use your figures to make an outline - add key words to your figures

Ref: Penrose & Katz & J. Dorman

W. Li

Kuna indians: no hypertension of cardiovascular diseasesMigration from Ailigandi to Vera Cruz results in higher BPAiligandi Kuna diet: 10 x more cocoa-beverage, 4x more fish, 2x more fruit than Vera Cruz Kuna; no difference in salt

Figure Outline

Table 1. Description of subjects in the study

Figure 2. Results from the study

- Intake of Fruit- Intake of Meat/Fish- Intake of Salt, Sweets, Fat- Intake of Beverages

Figure Outline

Writing From the Figures

Demographic and health characteristics of Demographic and health characteristics of participants from Ailigandi and Vera participants from Ailigandi and Vera Cruz are shown in Table 1.Cruz are shown in Table 1. Individuals studied in Ailigandi were slightly older than those interviewed in Vera Cruz. Both study samples were comprised of approximately two-thirds women (more women were available to study because they were at home during the day). Blood pressure levels were lower on Ailigandi, although hypertension was uncommon in both groups. The Kuna residing in Vera Cruz weighed more than those in Ailgandi, but the difference in body mass index did not achieve statistical significance.

Writing From the Outline

Writing From the Outline

Demographic and health characteristics of participants from Ailigandi and Vera Cruz are shown in Table 1. Individuals Individuals studied in Ailigandi were slightly older studied in Ailigandi were slightly older than those interviewed in Vera Cruz.than those interviewed in Vera Cruz. Both study samples were comprised of approximately two-thirds women (more women were available to study because they were at home during the day). Blood pressure levels were lower on Ailigandi, although hypertension was uncommon in both groups. The Kuna residing in Vera Cruz weighed more than those in Ailgandi, but the difference in body mass index did not achieve statistical significance.

Writing From the Outline

Demographic and health characteristics of participants from Ailigandi and Vera Cruz are shown in Table 1. Individuals studied in Ailigandi were slightly older than those interviewed in Vera Cruz. Both Both study samples were comprised of study samples were comprised of approximately two-thirds women (more approximately two-thirds women (more women were available to study because women were available to study because they were at home during the day).they were at home during the day). Blood pressure levels were lower on Ailigandi, although hypertension was uncommon in both groups. The Kuna residing in Vera Cruz weighed more than those in Ailgandi, but the difference in body mass index did not achieve statistical significance.

Writing From the Outline

Demographic and health characteristics of participants from Ailigandi and Vera Cruz are shown in Table 1. Individuals studied in Ailigandi were slightly older than those interviewed in Vera Cruz. Both study samples were comprised of approximately two-thirds women (more women were available to study because they were at home during the day). Blood Blood pressure levels were lower on Ailigandi, pressure levels were lower on Ailigandi, although hypertension was uncommon in although hypertension was uncommon in both groups.both groups. The Kuna residing in Vera Cruz weighed more than those in Ailgandi, but the difference in body mass index did not achieve statistical significance.

Writing From the Outline

Demographic and health characteristics of participants from Ailigandi and Vera Cruz are shown in Table 1. Individuals studied in Ailigandi were slightly older than those interviewed in Vera Cruz. Both study samples were comprised of approximately two-thirds women (more women were available to study because they were at home during the day). Blood pressure levels were lower on Ailigandi, although hypertension was uncommon in both groups. The Kuna residing in Vera The Kuna residing in Vera Cruz weighed more than those in Cruz weighed more than those in Ailgandi, but the diAilgandi, but the difffference in body mass erence in body mass index did not achieve statistical index did not achieve statistical significance.significance.

Title

Function of a Title

Catch reader’s interest- Title will be read by 1,000’s- Few will read your entire paper

Identifies paper’s main topic or message

Indexing tool

Ref: R. Day and M. Zeiger

How to Write an Effective Title

Design it so your colleagues will find it Summarize your main point Be concise Be specific Running title

Writing the Title

Should briefly answer the question you addressed with your experiments

State your major finding

Create a “working title” before you write- You can change it later if you discover new

interpretations of your data as you write

Ref: V. McMillan

Data vs. title

Different kind of data = different title

- What kind of paper are you presenting?

Methods

Descriptive

Hypothesis

Titles of Methods Papers

State:• The method you developed, improved, or characterized• What the method is used for

Example: Rapid Subtyping of Dengue Viruses by Restriction Site-Specific (RSS)-PCR

Ref: M. Zeiger

Titles of Descriptive Papers

State: • What is being described and where• If relevant, its significance or function

Example:Clinical, Epidemiologic, and Virologic Featuresof Dengue in the 1998 Epidemic in Nicaragua

Hip1, a Novel Co-chaperone Involved in the Eukaryotic Heat Shock Response

Ref: M. Zeiger

Titles of Hypothesis Papers

State:• The variable that was manipulated or modified• The dependent variable that you measured or observed• The study organism or location

Example: Growth Inhibitory Effect of Triclosan on Equine and Bovine Babesia Parasites

Ref: M. Zeiger

Example: “Oct-3 is a maternal factor required for

the first mouse embryonic division”

Good Titles: Be Concise

• Title ≠ sentence; remove filler words• Remove verbs that are too definitive, too

assertive:

Ref: R. Day and M. Zeiger

X

Better: “The requirement of maternal factor Oct-3 for the first mouse embryonic division.”

A Good Title

• What is a good title?

“The fewest possible words that adequately describe the contents of the paper.”

• Be specific and concise!

Ref: R. Day

Good Titles: Be ConciseWordy: A Preliminary Study of the

Prevalence of Viruses in Three Storm Drains During Wet and Dry Weather in Southern California as Assessed by RT-PCR Detection of Viral RNA

Ref: V. McMillan

Concise: RT-PCR Detection of Viral RNA in Three Southern Californian Storm Drains During Wet and Dry Weather

Use Few Abbreviations• Confusing to reader!

• Consider how a researcher would search for the word in PubMed: – By the abbreviation or by spelling it out?– You want people to find your paper!

• Use only very common abbreviations– RNA, DNA, etc.– See Journal’s “Instructions to Authors”

Ref: R. Day and V. McMillanRef: R. Day and V. McMillan

Title: Be Specific

Vague: Detection of Viruses in Storm Drains

Ref: V. McMillan

Specific: Detection of Enteroviral and Hepatitis AViral RNA by RT-PCR in Three Storm Drains in Southern California

Vague: Detection of malarial DNA in

mosquitoes by PCR

Ref: V. McMillan

Specific: Detection of Plasmodium falciparum DNA in Anopheles gambiae by PCR (i.e., taxonomic information)

Title: Be Specific

• For a methods paper:– No need to say “New” method for…..– If it is an improved method, say what the

improvement is:

Rapid Phenol-Free Method for DNAExtraction from Anopheles gambia Larvae

Ref: M. Zeiger

Title: Be Specific

Running Title

• Shorter version of title

• Appears as a short phrase- At bottom or top of every page of paper

• Includes key words

Ref: M. Zeiger

Running Title: Example

Title: Widespread Atypical Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Caused by Leishmania chagasi in Nicaragua

Running Title: Atypical Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Nicaragua