Scientific Paper Writing Checklist

Title page:

• The title should be brief and explicit and describe your study
• Include author(s) name, affiliation (Biology Dept., Kenyon College), address, email
• Up to 5 keywords (at least 2)
• This should be a separate page

Abstract:

• This is a brief (< 250 words) informative summary of the general question, methods, major results and conclusion of the paper.
• This should tell the story of your work in a single paragraph.
• It should include:
  • State the hypothesis you tested Include a sentence or two describing how you tested it
  • State your main results in sentence form State your main conclusions and how your results relate to your hypothesis test
  • The abstract is often written LAST, after you have written the rest of the paper. Once that is done, you can use what you've written in the main part of your paper to write the Abstract.
  • The abstract should be on a separate page and have a heading of "Abstract"

Introduction:

• This is a clear statement of the problem and an explanation of its relevance in ecology.
• Start with the big, general ideas that sparked this study. Briefly review previous theoretical and empirical research on the problem from the primary literature.
• Briefly state the goals (but not the results) of the study.
• At the end of the Introduction, you should clearly state what hypothesis you are testing. If appropriate, you should state the specific predictions that will be tested.
• Two to four paragraphs should suffice.
• Introduction Checklist
  • Does the section start with a heading "Introduction"?
  • Is there sufficient (and relevant) theoretical background? Is the problem/hypothesis stated clearly?
  • Are you using references from the literature to back up your statments and are they cited correctly?
  • Whenever you make a statement of fact that is not simply common knowledge, you should cite the literature to back up your statement. Statements of fact included in your paper but not based on data presented in the paper (e.g., “Species richness decreases with latitude (Wilson 1988).”) require a citation
  • Follow the format of your Animal Behaviour () for how to cite references
  • In general, proper scientific format is (Author Name(s) Year), for example (Mauck and Grubb 1998)

Methods:

• The main idea here is that you must describe the work in sufficient detail that a reader can completely understand what you did and when you did it. After reading your methods, the reader should be able to duplicate your study.
• Two to six paragraphs will usually be enough, unless you have a particularly complex study.
• Methods Checklist
  • Does the section start with a heading "Methods"?
  • Did you describe the species of animal you studied, including enough background to give the reader context?
  • Are dates and locations given?
  • Is the international system of dates and times used?
  • Could you repeat this study using the methods described?
  • Did you explain all the steps in the study?
  • Did you explain the logic of the experimental design?
  • Are all numbers in metric format?

Results:

• The section should start with the heading "Results"
• This is a presentation of the main results of your study.
• It is in paragraph form
• Clearly state the result of each test
• Use figures or table to present the details of your results
• Refer to those figures or tables in the text of your Results section For example, "Cabbage White butterflies chose purple flowers more than 10 times more often than all other flower colors combined (Figure 1, P<0.005)"
• Report comparisons between the experimental groups.
• Tell the reader the results of your statistical tests that compared those groups.
• When you mention a mean value for a group (i.e. handling time for large or small mealworms), you should include: Mean Standard Deviation a label with the units used (s for seconds, g for grams, etc.) Sample size Example: "Handling time for large mealworms (38.2 ± 14.5s, N= 35) was significantly greater (two-tailed t-test, T = 2.65, P < 0.005) than for small mealworms (8.6 ± 6.5s, N= 28) ."
• When you mention a comparison, you should tell all the relevant information - Type of test, Sample siz,e Test statistic value (i.e. for a T-test, it is a T statistic) P value
  • alternate example from above: "Handling time for large mealworms was significantly greater than for small mealworms (Table 1, two-tailed t-test, T = 2.65, P < 0.005) ." In this case, Table 1 is a table full of handling times for each bird and for all birds combined. Another alternate example from above: "Handling time for large mealworms was significantly greater than for small mealworms (Table 1, Figure 1) ."
  • In this case, Table 1 is a table full of handling times for each bird and for all birds combined. In this case, Figure 1 is a bar chart comparing handling times between large and small. The legend in the table includes the information about the T-test and the P-value, etc.
• Your data presentation should follow the general order of the predictions or hypotheses in the Introduction.
• You may use subheadings to clarify the logical subdivisions.
• Refer to publications in the primary literature for appropriate format.
• Present statistical analyses and succinct, relevant summaries, graphs, and tables, where appropriate.
• Each figure or table should be referred to in the text.
• Avoid presenting the same data in both figures and tables.

Discussion:

• This is a thoughtful summary and interpretation of the results in relation to the hypotheses presented in the Introduction.
• This section also presents an opportunity to advance your own hypotheses, speculate on what it all means, explain what went wrong, and recommend what could be done better next time. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of your design.
• Discussion Checklist
  • Does the section start with a heading "Discussion"?
  • Start with a paragraph that summarizes the most important results of your study and how they relate to the hypothesis you have tested.
    • Do they support or reject your hypothesis? Why?
  • Give wider context to your results by comparing your results to other studies and how your results either agree or disagree with other studies, or how your results give a new insight on the hypotheses tested.
  • If there are other results that are worth discussing, deal with these results.
  • Consider how your experiment might have been influenced by other factors.
    • Are there uncontrolled variables (for example, in the flower choice experiment, we did the study in the fall -- does that affect what flowers are available, etc.?) that must be considere?
    • How would those factors (or your design) affect the results?
    • Could they have given biased results? If so, how? If not, why not?
    • Could the study be done differently?
  • Finish with a paragraph summarizing how your results related to the tested hypothesis.
    • Does it lead to other studies, other questions that might be done in the future?
    • NOTE: You must use references from the literature to back up your statments and are cite them correctly. Whenever you make a statement of fact that is not simply common knowledge, you should cite the literature to back up your statement. Statements of fact included in your paper but not based on data presented in the paper (e.g., “Species richness decreases with latitude (Wilson 1988).”) require a citation. Follow the format of your target journal (or your professor) In general, proper scientific format is (Author Name(s) Year), for example (Mauck and Grubb 1998)

Acknowledgements:

• This section is optional, but usually is included in most papers.
• The section should start with the heading "Acknowledgements"?
• It is used to acknowledge substantial contributions by others (reviewers, field assistants, property owners, or those who offered unpublished data, ideas, statistical analyses, etc. For class/lab work, you should acknowledge your lab partner).

Literature Cited:

• This is an alphabetical list (by the last name of the first author) of authors, dates, titles, and journal citations of references referred to in the text of your paper.
• The section should start with the heading "Literature Cited" Scientific format differs from that of other fields.
• Remember that statements of fact included in your paper but not based on data presented in the paper require a citation and should be included in this section of your paper.
• Scientific papers read but not cited in your text should not be listed as Literature Cited.
• The format will be dictated by your professor (for a class) or by the target journal you to which this work might be submitted. It is often a good idea to refer to publications in the primary literature for appropriate format (for example, the journal Animal Behavior for BIOL 261/2)
• Literature Cited Checklist:
  • Do you have at least 5 references (preferably more)?
  • Are all citations used in the text?
  • Are all citations in the text included in the Literature Cited?
  • Have you followed the proper format for citations?

Tables and Figures:

• Tables and Figures should be numbered separately (Table1, 2, 3... and Figure 1, 2, 3...) in the order that they are mentioned int he text
• Are both axes labeled correctly (if appropriate)?
• Have you included error bars in your figures (if appropriate)?
• Tables and figures should have legends that let the reader know enough information to interpret what she sees Include a statement of what the Table or Figure illustrates
• If you have more than one symbol / color, etc. that represents different groups, explain which is which in the legend.
• In your legend, you should explain what the error bars represent (Standard Deviation or Standard Error, usually).
• Are the tables and figures at the end of your paper? These will be the last pages of your finished report.
• There should be a separate page for each figure.
• There should be a separate page for each table.
• Tables appear after the figures.

Some Common Problems and General Suggestions:

• Instead of telling your reader that “the results were interesting,” let your writing, data analyses and interpretations speak for themselves. If they are truly interesting, the reader will figure it out without being told.
• Be explicit. Say what you mean. Cut excess verbiage. Instead of writing “the reason being that,” try “because.” Avoid the passive voice.
• Use the past tense for observations that took place in the past; reserve the present tense for generalizations. Be consistent in your use of tenses.
• Avoid relying on direct quotations. Instead, summarize the main points, and give citations. Credit ideas and data derived from other sources by using the following format: “McCauley (1980) suggested that ..." or “Several studies on beetle behavior (McCauley 1980; Woodhead 1981)..." or “Warm temperatures persist in Gambier through October (R.A. Mauck, pers. comm.).” (“Pers. comm.” is short for “personal communication.”)
• Proofread for errors in grammar, spelling, and analysis. Make use of a spell-checker, a roommate, anything.
• Use metric measurements (hectares instead of acres, kilometers instead of miles, etc.). You may abbreviate (ha, km, etc.).
• Use the international system of dates (20 March 1994) and time of day (1430 h).
• Identify species by their scientific names. The first time you refer to the common name of any organism (plants or insects as well as birds), you should identify it by noting the scientific name in parentheses as in the following examples: Pennsylvania soldier beetle (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus) and Goldenrod (Solidago spp). For the rest of the paper, you should only use scientific or common names.
• Use scientific names properly. Remember, the name of the genus is always capitalized, the species name never. Both must be italicized or, preferably, underlined. The names of taxonomic orders and family are capitalized but not italicized or underlined.
• Remember, a hypothesis is “tested,” “supported,” etc. (not “proven,” validated,” etc.)
• Refer to “figures” instead of “graphs” or “charts,” and avoid making statements such as “Figure 1 shows...” Instead, state “Elytra lengths of male beetles were positively correlated with female elytra lengths (Fig. 1).”
• A pair of picky points: “data” is a plural noun (“datum” is singular) and requires a plural verb; avoid splitting infinitives (e.g., “to quickly run”).
• If in doubt about format, consult a paper in Animal Behaviour, Behavioral Ecology, or the Biology 109 Resource Page.
• If you can, read (or reread) The Elements of Style by E.B.White.