Title
A good titles relates to the content in the fewest words. Articles with short, catchy titles are often better cited.
It should identify the main issue of a paper, begin with the subject of the paper, be as short as possible, be unambiguous, specific, no rarely used abbreviations and preferably intrigue the reader. Remember readers are the potential authors who will cite your article.
Abstract
Is your chance to hook your reader. Should be short and precise. An abstract sets out what you are going to talk about in your article, tells the reader what you did and your findings. . It is explaining to the reader why they should take the time to read this. Writing the abstract should be the last step in writing the article.
Keywords
These are really important as this is how readers will find your article online. They should not be too general bringing back too many results or too narrow which can make the article hard to find. Think of the keywords your colleagues would use. Look at keywords in articles that have similar subjects to yours and test them out to see if they perform the way you would like.
Introduction
The introduction sets the scene or the context of the work. It should answer questions such as what is the problem? is there a solution already?, which one is best? are there limitations? and what will you contribute to the discussion? Leave the introduction to the end as it is only through the writing that your thoughts will be clear.
Main text and Results
Is the body of the article. State your methods and materials. Remember to always reference your source material. Talk about the how and why of what you have done. List the main finding but not all of them (you need those for the conclusions). Highlight any findings that were different or unexpected. Give the reader every assistance in assessing the quality of your work. If you have statistical analysis remember figures and tables can be the most efficient way to present results but keep their use controlled.
Discussion
This is the most important section of your article. Many papers are rejected because the discussion is weak.
Here check for the following:·How do your results relate to the original question or objectives outlined in the Introduction section?;·Do you provide interpretation for each of your results presented?; Are your results consistent with what other investigators have reported? Or are there any differences? Why?;·Are there any limitations?;Does the discussion logically lead to your conclusion?
Never make statement that go beyond what the results can support nor do you suddenly introduce new ideas here.
The conclusion wraps the whole thing up. Present global and specific conclusions, indicated uses and extensions if appropriate. Suggest future experiments and indicate whether they are underway. Do not summarise the paper that is for the abstract. Avoid judgement about impact as you have no evidence for that however you can suggest some ways your findings might inform future research. Do not make statement like my research will inform global policy only time will tell if that happens.
References
You really need to get this right. Find out the journals preferred reference style and use. It is your responsibility not the editor’s to format the references correctly. Make sure your citation details are correct. If possible avoid citing personal communications, unpublished observations, manuscripts not yet accepted for publications. Make sure your web links work, librarians can help. Editors may looks for these to evaluate their quality.
Acknowledgements is where you recognise and thank those who helped in the research but who do not qualify as authors. These can be advisors, funders, proof readers, librarians etc. Choose to be nice as you need their help in the future.
Data
Increasingly publishers look for the underlying data. This is important for research integrity and for validation of your research. Lodge your data in Arrow@TU Dublin so you can link to it. Remember data can also be cited and you can acquire a reputation for producing good quality datasets.