When to spell out numbers in scientific writing
When to spell out numbers in scientific writing can be tricky, and how/when to do this is one of the most common questions I get. And I get it…sometimes they are numerals and sometimes they are spelled out, and this can seem both arbitrary and not worth your time to figure out. If you […]
How to write a cover letter for a scientific journal
There is a lot of great stuff for you in this post on how to write a cover letter for a scientific journal, so if you are skipping around, make sure you don’t miss: How to write a cover letter for a scientific journal Your FREE Word template for writing a cover letter A helpful […]
What NOT to do in a cover letter for scientific manuscript submission
Do you make this key mistake when writing a cover letter for scientific manuscript submission to a journal? There is a persistent assumption in science that the results speak for themselves and that if we throw enough results at someone, we will increase the value of what we are bringing by showing how much we […]
How to choose a journal for publication
We talk a lot on this site about writing your scientific manuscript, but not yet about how to choose a journal for publication after your manuscript is written. Just like writing a manuscript, selecting where to submit that manuscript is something that is rarely covered for graduate students, and picking a good place to submit […]
Breaking down an Ideal Scientific Abstract
Since the post on breaking down an ideal discussion section was one of the most popular ones we’ve had on the site, we’re going to do that again with ABSTRACTS! YAY! So in this post, you’ll find the breakdown of an ideal scientific abstract and its corresponding video, adapted from my Blank Page to Manuscript Draft online […]
Scientific paper structure: get started with this quick and easy guide
Why the scientific paper structure? It mimics the research process! Science can be daunting enough – the scientific paper structure doesn’t have to be, too! In fact, the structure of a scientific paper is meant to be anything but daunting, as it is designed to mimic how science actually progresses. Don’t believe me? Think about […]
Readers are busy – how to capture their interest with a compelling story
I’ve had an especially high number of papers from newer, less experienced authors recently – pandemic-induced paper writing! My post today is inspired by one comment that I’ve been making to these authors over and over – missing the opportunity to make a compelling story by forgetting what I call storyline sentences. Storyline sentences, forming […]
Simple text box technique to insert a figure in Word
The ability to insert a figure in Word is the bane of most people’s existence, and I’ve known many a science writer who switched to LaTeX just for the simplicity of inserting figures. BUT, inserting figures in Word doesn’t have to be complicated, and once you know how the figures work in Word, it doesn’t […]
Breakdown of an ideal discussion of scientific research paper
Since every one is home now and (trying to be) writing, I’ve started getting requests for breakdowns of different sections of scientific research papers like I present in my workshops. Because the discussion section is one of the trickier ones, that’s where we are starting! So without further ado…here is your breakdown of a discussion […]
Working from home? How I made the switch.
Now that most of the world is going to be switching to remote work for a time, there is going to be an adjustment period for many. Though it has ended up being one of the best changes for my personal work productivity and work/life balance, it wasn’t (and still isn’t!) always easy. I spent […]