26-1-2018 WRITING ASCIENTIFIC ARTICLE RESEARCH PAPER Roxana Trigueros UNIVERSIDAD DE EL SALVADOR FACULTAD MULTIDISCIPLINARIA DE OCCIDENTE DEPARTAMENTO DE IDIOMAS WRITING A SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE Roxana de Trigueros Universidad de El Salvador Facultad Multidisciplinaria de Occidente Departamento de Idiomas January 25, 2018 A scientific article follows a format that guides scientist in writing scientific research papers. It norms communication among scientists’ findings. A standard format is used for these articles, in which the author presents the research study in an orderly, logical manner. This doesn't necessarily reflect the order in which you did or thought about the work (Columbia. edu, nd.). The font and size of the letters (Times New Romans, size 12), spacing between lines (1.5 between lines), the title and summary of the research’s translation, key words, and writing styles as APA style or other styles according to your branch of study are also normed. To guide researchers in their writing and publishing of scientific articles, The Secretary’s Office of Scientific Research of the University of El Salvador (SIC-UES) gives the following format: Title When writing the title of your scientific article think about marketing. You must sell your idea. Avoid technical words that only specialist will understand. However it must attract the appropriate audience. Summarize the main idea in a few words (9 minimum, 24 maximum). Use a capital letter just at the beginning of the title unless you are using proper names (SIC-UES, 2017). The title should summarize the relationship among variables or theoretical issues. Authors The authors appear according to their scientific contribution and not in alphabetical other right after the title. Then the first author to appear must be the one who did the work and wrote the paper. However, with published articles, persons that made substantial contributions to the work are also listed as authors (Columbia. edu, nd.). Academic degrees or any academic or social positions are not included in the authors’ names. If more than one author is shown, the authors are separated with a comma. But, if the author or authors have two last names, the last names are separated with a hyphen. For each authors’ name or names you just include the initials. After the initials of each authors’ names write down an Arabic number over the last initial to indicate the name of the institution and you begin writing an Arabic number (1) to the person who will correspond the mail. The e-mail address must be institutional. Other associated authors must be indicated with an Arabic number (2). Also include their charge and institutional address they belong to and country of origin, as well as their institutional e-mail address. The Arabic number information goes as a footnote in a single page (SIC-UES, 2017). Keep in mind that “every 1.Universidad de El Salvador 2. Universidad de El Salvador Facultad multidisciplinaria de Occidente Facultad multidisciplinaria de Occidente Departamento de Idiomas Departamento de Idiomas Estudiante Tesista Docente asesor
[email protected] [email protected] article has a byline consisting of two parts: the name of the author and the institution where the investigation was conducted (without the words by or from the)” (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 1994). For example the following topic with authors: Teaching English to adults Pérez- Mendoza E. A.1, Villeda-Trigueros R.L.2 Hidalgo-Sandoval J.F. Abstract and key words The abstract is written in past tense and it gives the reader a preview of your research. It also refers to the time and space where the research took place as well as the methodological procedure, objectives, principal results and conclusions. You must also clearly state the principal research findings. If it is a quantitative research express your finding in numbers. Avoid the use of charts, graphs, figures, abbreviations, and references. In this section the paragraphs go alone without spacing between one another. If you need to express a statistical probability, you do it in parenthesis, for example (p ≤ 0.01). The abstract is limited to 250 words maximum and 150 words minimum (SIC-UES, 2017). Take into account that “the abstract should be a little less technical than the article itself; you don't want to dissuade your potential audience from reading your paper” (Columbia. edu, nd.). When writing the abstract keep in mind the research problem and state it in one sentence if possible. The object or subject of study should be described specifying characteristics such as number, type, age, and sex. Talk about the methodology you used in your research, as well as any apparatus used and data- gathering procedures as complete test names, generic names, dosage of any drugs, and research instruments. Include significance statistical levels of your findings and the conclusions and implications of the intervention or study. “Don't use abbreviations or citations in the abstract. It should be able to stand alone without any footnotes” (Columbia. edu, nd.). Key words At the end of the abstract you must write key words that represent your research. Those key words will be included a data base. Any person that types key words similar to yours might find your study in the data base that is why it is very important to choose the exact words that will represent your job. Write words that describe your findings or research, research field, or place of study, for example EFL adult teaching. 1.Universidad de El Salvador 2. Universidad de El Salvador Facultad multidisciplinaria de Occidente Facultad multidisciplinaria de Occidente Departamento de Idiomas Departamento de Idiomas Estudiante Tesista Docente asesor
[email protected] [email protected] Introduction Begin describing the body of your research paper. Continue answering your research questions. Tell the audience why it is interesting. Give a brief but relevant literature review of your research questions in one or two paragraphs talking about the theoretical implications of the study and its relationship to previous and similar studies. Write about the relationship among variables explain how the hypothesis and experimental design relate to the problem End the introduction answering the specific research question you had in your study. Methodology Describe in detail the way the study was conducted as well as the reliability and validity of your results. It is convenient to “divide the Method section into labeled subsections. These usually include descriptions of the participants, the apparatus (or materials), and the procedure” (Columbia. edu, nd.). Give details of how you got the sample size. Demographic characteristics (sex and age) are important to maintain. Go over the elements of inclusion and exclusion you used. The research tools, apparatus and material used obtain the data is extremely important to describe. Moreover the procedure must summarize each step of your research as instructions you gave to the target population or participants, target group information and intervention or manipulations is also important. Results and discussion Results Tell the reader the relationship your results have with the original research question. Mention the way the data gotten supports your hypothesis or research questions. Compare your results with other researcher’s findings. And if the results were not the expected ones, explain “why there is another way to interpret your results” (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 1994). According to the data gotten what other research questions raised and what type of research is necessary to answer those research questions. Summarize in one sentence the principal finding of your research. Remember that this section goes in past tense. If you have done a quantitative research “the units of measurement go alone the International System of Units, and the abbreviations must be totally explicit according to the international norms” (SIC-UES, 2017). You may also present charts and figures in this section, however, they must be just referenced because you include them in a separate section. This is done because the company or magazine publishing your article will place them in the proper place where they are referenced. 3 Discussion of results Here you evaluate and interpret the implications of the data. Relate your interpretation to the hypothesis or research questions. Make emphasis on any theoretical consequence of your results. You may begin the discussion supporting or not supporting the hypothesis or main research question. Emphasize on the new and relevant aspects of your research. Remember to remark on the contributions you made through the research and in what way the study helped to resolve the original problem. Talk about the contrast of your results with other research studies. Conclusions Conclude according to your research questions and objectives. This should be based on the data gotten. Avoid manipulation of data, the use of bibliographical reference and the use of charts and figures. Contrary to your thesis work avoid the use of bullet points and numbers. Acknowledgments This applies for those who received institutional help in their research. Every research must have a footnote thanking the institution, for example: “This research was carried out with the financial help of the University of El Salvador, Central America” (SIC-UES, 2017). Bibliographical references Only those texts that were cited in this research paper must appear in the bibliography and they go alone the APA norms. Use bold letter to highlight authors’ names and date (SIC-UES, 2017). CHARTS AND FIGURES Charts Charts or tables must have a brief, simple, and catchy title to indicate what you mean to inform through the chart. It goes in the upper side of the chart. The notes that go in the lower side have a smaller size then the rest of the writing. The charts must measure three quarters of a page maximum. Remember to include only those charts that are relevant in your study and remember to identify them through Arabic numerals according to their appearance in the research article. These charts are the ones cited in the text (SIC-UES, 2017). 4 Figures Figures are diagrams, graphics, maps, photographs, drawings, or impressions. As in the charts the title in each figure must be brief, simple, and catchy to indicate what you mean to inform through it, they are located below the figure. The maps and drawings must include a scale according to the International Unit System. Keep in mind the contrast, quality and clarity of the resolution of the pictures. As stated in the charts, too, remember to include only those figures that are relevant in your study and remember to identify them through Arabic numerals according to their appearance in the research article. Also, these figures are the ones cited in the text (SIC-UES, 2017). Text Justify your text and use Arial Normal, letter size 12, double space. The left margin must be 3.0 cm; the right upper margin and lower margin 2.5 cm. The page number goes in the right lower side. Numbers from zero to nine are written in letters if they do not represent any unit of measurement. The maximum number of pages permitted in a scientific article is 20. The bibliographical references go alone APA style. Appendix or annex are not used in this type of writing (SIC-UES, 2017). Publish your article Now you are ready to send and publish your scientific article. You may communicate with Ing. Carlos Alfredo Estrada Faggioli Editor Director of Minerva magazine (E-mail:
[email protected]). Send him an e-mail as soon as possible and you may also send an e-mail to SIC-UES
[email protected] or call: 503 2225-8434. Good luck. BIBLIOGRAPHY Columbia. edu. (nd.). Writing a Scientific Research Article. Retribed from Writing a Scientific Research Article: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/ug/research/paper.html Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. (1994). Guidelines for Writing a Scientific Article. Obtenido de Guidelines for Writing a Scientific Article: http://www.csic.cornell.edu/201/paperguidelines.html SIC-UES. (2017). Estructura del Artículo en la Revista Minerva de la Universidad de El Salvador. San Salvador: UES. 5