De-Mystifying the Process of Writing a Scientific Paper

Writing science papers can be a challenge, especially given that scientists aren’t really trained in how to write.

I have a guest post up at Canadian Science Publishing that outlines some best practices for writing a scientific paper, and provides links to a few fantastic resources that can either help you get started, or support you as you power through – whatever writing stage you’re at.

I also recommend that scientists consider hiring an editor to help with writing papers. It’s not an admission of failure, but rather a realization that expert help can not only make your work shine, but can enhance your chances of getting published. If you’re interested in working with an editor on your manuscript, I’m happy to chat about options and fees.

“If you’ve trained as a scientist, you know that part of the learning curve involves figuring out how to write a scientific paper. Unfortunately, few scientists receive explicit instruction in writing papers—researchers by definition are expected to know how to write.

When you’re a grad student, your supervisor is there to guide you through the paper publication process, as it’s in their best interests to have you publish the outcome of your research with them. Once you become an independent scientist, however—whether that’s in academia, industry, or at an NGO—writing research papers can be a frustrating and lonely experience.

There are many online resources and excellent books designed to provide writing advice to scientists. The difficulty as an early career researcher lies in making the time to learn how to write a good paper while also teaching yourself R stats and maybe a bit of Bayesian statistical methods, coming up with new pedagogical approaches to engage your students—or figuring out how to manage a work team, applying for a shrinking pot of grant funds, starting up a lab or getting familiar with a new job.

This post distills the process of writing a paper into the key steps, and provides links to additional resources available. The goal is to give you a good head start on writing your next scientific paper, while providing specific places to find more detailed advice.”