Scientific writing

1. Scientific writing A.H. Mehrparvar Occupational Medicine Department

2. Types of information • Raw data • Descriptive statistics • Analytical statistics

3. Structure of the results The Results include: • Principal results (answer to the study question) • secondary results • Supporting information • Any results that contradict the hypothesis

4. Beginning of results • Two methods: • give a general panorama of the study • Directly starting the results • Negative results

5. Results • Report data • Do not interpret data • Text • Tables • Figures • Images

6. Using text • We don’t have extensive or complicated data • When putting data into a table creates a table with 2 or fewer columns • Data is secondary or irrelevant to the main study findings

7. Text • Simple present tense: • Locate the data • Simple past tense: • To report data • Active or passive

8. Using table • To show many and precise numerical values and other specific data in a small space • To compare and contrast data values or characteristics among related items

9. Using a figure • To show trends, patterns, and relationships when general pattern is more important than the exact data values • To summarize research results • To present a visual explanation of a sequence of events, procedures

10. Tables and Figures • Should be self-explanatory • Refer in the text • Not repeat data in the text • Be consistent • Clear, informative titles • Journal guidelines

11. Guidelines for Tables • Combine repetitive tables • Large tables • Empty cells • Not to crowded • Highlight a relevant result • Abbreviations and symbols • Units

12. Guidelines for figures • Image clarity • Appropriate legends • Label important parts • Units

13. Referring to tables/figures in the text • The figure/table shows… • put the figure or table reference at the end of the sentence • Do not repeat the information that should already be contained in the table • Just point out the key result or trend

14. Frequent Mistakes • Failure to provide the data that is critical to answering the research question • Adding interpretation to the findings • Inadequate statistical evidences • Over presentation of unnecessary details • Present accidental findings • Repeating the data from tables and figures in the text • Repeating the statistical methods in the result section

15. Discussion

16. Structure of discussion • The relation between the question of the study and results • Comparison with other studies/consistency/agreement • personal interpretation of findings • other possible interpretations • limitations of the study • Confounding factors or other factors influencing the results

17. Discussion • Statement of principal findings • Strengths and weaknesses of the study • Strengths and weaknesses in relation to other studies: important differences in results • Meaning of the study: possible explanations and implications for clinicians and policymakers • Unanswered questions and future research

18. Beginning of discussion • Objectives of the study • Refer back to the questions (hypotheses, predictions etc.) that you posed in your Introduction • Refer back papers you cited in your Review of the Literature • Briefly restate the most important points from your Results

19. Comparisons • A general statement regarding the findings • Mention another author’s work that relates directly to the findings • Make a link between her/his work and your work • Clearly state how your work differs from her/his work • State the conclusions that can be drawn from your results in light of these considerations

20. Frequent mistakes • Over presentation of the results • Exaggeration of the importance of the findings • Conclusions that are not supported by the data • Refering to all published papers in the field

21. Conclusion • Not just a summary • Don’t merely repeat what you said in the Abstract and Introduction • A very brief revisit of the most important findings • A final judgment on the importance and significance those findings • Suggestions for improvements

22. Frequent mistakes • Repeat introduction • Present new data • Repeat data presentation • General statements • Broad claims and strong statements

23. Other parts • Conflict of Interest • Acknowledgement • Authors’ Contribution