Guidelines for Writing a Scientific Paper
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Guidelines for Writing a Scientific Paper
The sections of this document summarize how to format a scientific paper. For more information on the contents of a scientific paper or formatting guidelines, I recommend the sources [2, 3].
This guide is written using LaTeX - a free typesetting language that can be downloaded from https:// www.latex-project.org/ or used online (no downloads required!) at overleaf.com. For information on how to use LaTeX, I recommend the guides available from Overleaf [1].
Scientific papers are formatted like an hour-glass (Figure 1). Start broad by describing why your topic is important in a broader context (Introduction), gradually narrow the discussion to be about the specific question you answer (Background and Main Result sections), then widen again by summarizing and interpreting your results back in the broader context (Discussion).
Figure 1: The hour-glass structure of a scientific paper. Image from: butlerscicomm.com
Introduction
The introduction should aim to answer the following (interconnected) points:
1. Briefly describe your topic in the broader context of PDEs/this class. If applicable, give some historical information on the topic.
2. What is the motivation for this topic? Does it arise in an application, is it an analytical tool used to understand some behavior of PDEs, is it a phenomenon that arises in the analysis of PDEs, ...
3. Why is the topic important and what knowledge gap is the topic or method filling?
Note that while I often use bulleted or numbered lists in this document, lists should be used sparingly in your final paper.
Background
The background section should contain all of the necessary mathematical definitions, notations, theo- rems, types of analysis, or new mathematical model in order for the audience to understand the results. In this case, your audience is your classmates. Think of the background section as all the stuff you learned while working on your final project.
Main Result
The main results section should contain the work that you have done! That is, put the example you worked out, proof of a theorem you studied, application you researched, etc. here! Think about the main results section as where you apply what you learned to an example or to produce some outcome.
Discussion
The discussion section should contain the following information.
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A summary of why this topic is important. You can rephrase some of the points you brought up in the introduction. Try to add more insight now that your reader knows more about the topic! Give some insight into the topic or the methods that you used. A description of the limitations and/or assumptions of the topic you researched. For example, maybe the theorem only applies to continuous functions, or perhaps the model is posed on an infinite domain. Point out what the limitations are, and comment on the significance of these limitations. |
References
Be sure to cite the sources that you use! Look at the bottom of this tex file for a basic example of how to cite a few sources with LaTeX.
2 Guidelines
1. Scientific papers do not contain quotes. Instead of quoting a text or paper, you should paraphrase it. Paraphrase does not mean copy the text without quotation marks - this is plagiarism!
2. Use active voice! It is okay to use passive voice sparingly. Furthermore, it is okay to use “we” or “I” in scientific papers. You can think of scientific papers as a conversation with the reader about what you have done. That being said, “we” or “I” should not be overused.
3. Be clear, concise, and logical with your language. It is much better to have a short and to the point scientific paper than a long-winded one. Only include information necessary for the reader to understand the main outcomes.
4. Scientific papers do not contain overly expressive language. Again, be concise and to the point. Structure sentences so that the outcome is clear. You can (and often should) state things matter of factly. Transitions sentences are not needed between the sections of the paper.
5. Do not start sentences with numbers, mathematical notation, or formulas. All mathematics should be written in complete sentences.
6. Cite your sources! Be sure to have a References section that cites your sources!
[1] Learn LaTeX in 30 minutes, Overleaf. https://www.overleaf.com/learn/latex/Learn_LaTeX_
[2] Lee, K. P. A Guide to Writing Mathematics. https://web.cs.ucdavis.edu/~amenta/w10/
[3] Su, F. E. Guidelines for Good Mathematical Writing. Harvey Mudd College.
https://math.hmc.edu/su/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/08/ Guidelines-for-Good-Mathematical-Writing.pdf
[4] Turbek, S. P., Chock, T. M., Donahue, K., Havrilla, C. A., Oliverio, A. M., Polutchko, S. K.,
Shoemaker, L. G. and Vimercati, L. (2016), Scientific Writing Made Easy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Undergraduate Writing in the Biological Sciences. Bull Ecol Soc Am, 97: 417-426. https: //doi.org/10.1002/bes2.1258
2021-12-05