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| people:etanter:writing-tips [2025/10/27 14:08] – etanter | people:etanter:writing-tips [2025/10/27 14:08] (current) – etanter |
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| Writing papers is an art, it requires practice and dedication. Unfortunately, we were not taught about it when we studied at school. As a researcher though, it is vital to master it. Don't forget, a good idea badly explained is not worth a penny (at least not a publication). So as a wanna-be researcher, you should consider this dimension of the work seriously, and be willing to dedicate yourself to it up to the point where you enjoy it (and others do too!). | Writing papers is an art, it requires practice and dedication. Unfortunately, we were not taught about it when we studied at school. As a researcher though, it is vital to master it. Don't forget, a good idea badly explained is not worth a penny (at least not a publication). So as a wanna-be researcher, you should consider this dimension of the work seriously, and be willing to dedicate yourself to it up to the point where you enjoy it (and others do too!). |
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| - **Polish your English.** International research uses the English language. Nothing is more annoying for a native speaker to read a paper written in bad English (even for non-native speakers, it hurts). The first step to getting your paper accepted, is to produce an "acceptable" paper. Of course, "readable" is a good starting point! Check basic things: tense (use present tense), grammar, be sure that verbs and subjects match, that each verb has a subject (¡no es castellano!), etc. Use a spell-checker. Don't hesitate to frequently consult a good dictionary, thesaurus, and grammar book (if your English is sufficiently advanced, monolingual books are a good idea). Go on the web, buy books, read, learn. [Btw, thanks to Ren Cerro for correcting my own English in this page!] | - **Polish your English.** International research uses the English language. Nothing is more annoying for a native speaker to read a paper written in bad English (even for non-native speakers, it hurts). The first step to getting your paper accepted, is to produce an "acceptable" paper. Of course, "readable" is a good starting point! Check basic things: tense (use present tense), grammar, be sure that verbs and subjects match, that each verb has a subject (¡no es castellano!), etc. Use a spell-checker. Don't hesitate to frequently consult a good dictionary, thesaurus, and grammar book (if your English is sufficiently advanced, monolingual books are a good idea). Go on the web, buy books, read, learn. |
| - **No more than one idea per sentence.** An idea may require several sentences to be properly spelled out. But never mix several ideas in the same sentence. Use short, direct style, concise sentences. | - **No more than one idea per sentence.** An idea may require several sentences to be properly spelled out. But never mix several ideas in the same sentence. Use short, direct style, concise sentences. |
| - **One word (expression) per concept.** Do not refer to the same 'thing' in different ways. Be minimalistic in the vocabulary. Introduce new terms only (only) when necessary. In that case, make your best effort to give a positive definition of the concept, rather than explaining a concept through what it is not or how it differs from others. | - **One word (expression) per concept.** Do not refer to the same 'thing' in different ways. Be minimalistic in the vocabulary. Introduce new terms only (only) when necessary. In that case, make your best effort to give a positive definition of the concept, rather than explaining a concept through what it is not or how it differs from others. |
