Language for Scientific Articles for participants
Language for Scientific Articles
Faizah Sari
[email protected]
The presentation discusses four aspects to help you prepare your manuscript successfully:
1. How to state the research problem.
2. How to create a strong thesis statement.
3. How to paraphrase
4. How to describe the visuals
1. A Statement of the Problem.
How$to$Write$Statement$of$The$Problem$
Connector:&
However,&
Unfortunately&
&
&
Connector:&&
Without&it,&
Thus,&
Ideal&
Reality&
Previous&
studies/
theories&
on&…&
Previous&
studies&
on&…&
Your&
contribu2on&
An Example of Statement of the Problem:
Statement 1
In order to accomplish their missions, public universities need motivated workforces.
Statement 2
There are, however, frequent and severe disciplinary actions, absenteeism, as well as various forms of
unrest in public universities which affect the accomplishment of the set missions. Our preliminary
investigation reveals that both non‐management and management staff are under motivated.
Statement 3
Without effective motivational packages and procedures, the said vices are likely to continue and
retard the achievement of the universities’ missions. Thus, there is a need to examine the public
universities’ motivation systems and procedures, which is the aim of the proposed research.
Previous studies on ___________ underlie the benefit of ________ __________________ due to _____________________,
which reflects the ______________________(Bryant, 2009; Smith, 2010; Bear, 2013)
However, such studies focused on _______________ rather than ____________________. In reality,
___________________ struggles with __________________, especially _________________ and ________________ (Parker,
2015; Swift, 2016; Dol & Gab, 2017). As far as ______________ are concerned, _________________ still require
_________________________ to _________________ ________________________.
Without _______________________________, such a ____________ and _________________________. Thus, an
investigation that ____________ is likely to reveal ___________ and further help ___________ understand more
about ________________.
2. Thesis Statement
The Thesis Statement is:
One central idea controlling your essay.
An expression of an idea/opinion/attitude about a topic.
A complete sentence.
A statement that needs to be proved.
Located in the introduction, after a statement of research gap and before methods.
Examples:
1.
2.
3.
There are many advantages and disadvantages to going to college.
The hazards of storing chemical wastes.
Universities in West Java should require more independent studies; they
should also have a writing center.
Despite its general excellence, the new health program should be run only
on an experimental basis for two or three years.
4.
✗ not specific, nothing to prove.
✗ not a complete sentence.
✗ has more than one central idea.
✔ not specific.
3. Paraphrasing
When you paraphrase you should:
Create your own words to match the ideas reflected in the original statement.
Use synonyms.
Use sentence variety and forms.
Always state the source.
An example:
Original sentence:
The airport is closed because of the bad weather conditions.
Inappropriate paraphrase:
The airport is closed because of the bad weather.
Appropriate paraphrase:
Since the weather is terrible, the airport is not open.
4. Description of a visual
If you have a graph in your manuscript, you should describe it clearly by:
introducing the graph: express what it is all about.
giving it an overview: capture the trends or what is significant about the graph.
giving the detail about the graph: explain the variables and timeframe, if any, using numbers,
ratio, or percentage.
An example:
number'of'*me'eaten'per'year'
Consump*on'of'Fast'Food'by'Australian'Teenagers'
hamburgers"
120"
pizza"
fish"and"chip"
32"
100"
100"
15"
20"
9"
45"
80"
85"
30"
80"
75"
+45"
60"
30"
+53"
40"
40"
20"
0"
+61"
20"
0"
0"
0"
0"
0"
0"
1975"
1980"
1985"
1990"
1995"
2000"
The line graph compares the fast food consumption of teenagers in
Australia between 1975 and 2000, a period of 25 years.
In 1975, the most popular fast food with Australian teenagers was
hamburgers, being eaten 100 times a year. This was far higher
than pizza and fish and chips, which were consumed
approximately 5 times a year. However, apart from a brief rise
again from 1980 to 1985, the consumption of hamburgers
gradually declined over the 25 year timescale to finish at just
under 40.
In sharp contrast to this, teenagers ate the other two fast food at
much higher levels. Pizza consumption increased gradually
until it overtook the consumptions of hamburgers in 1990. It then
levelled off from 1995 to 2000. The biggest rise was seen in
hamburgers as the occasions they were eaten increased sharply
throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s, exceeding that of hamburgers
in 1985. It finished at the same level that hamburgers began,
with consumption at 100 times a year.
More tips
Common Practices in writing a scientific paper in English:
When you introduce the rationale of your study, use the present tense.
When you present theoretical considerations, use the present tense. You may use the past
tense to highlight a chronological order.
When you present research methodology, use the past tense.
When you present findings, use the present tense. You may use the past tense to describe
specific issues taking place during the study.
When you conclude, use the present tense.
Some%Pointers%
instead(of(
✖!have,!need,!contain!
✖ is!of!the!opinion!!
✖ don’t,!isn’t!
✖ the!writer!
✖ before,!after!
✖ say!
✖ above,!below!
use(
! (none)&
! believes&
! have&no,&is&no&
longer&
! I,&me.&Or&use&
passive&voice&
! prior&to,&
subsequent&to&
! argue,&indicate&
! (none)!
!
Use(ac.on(verbs:((
generate,(characterize,(assert,(develop.((
Conclusion
The author is responsible for:
making sure that the reader see the important points in the text.
helping the reader get the correct interpretation of the research.
References
Academic Skills at The University of South Wales. Retrieved on Aug 19, 2016 from
https://student.unsw.edu.au/paraphrasing‐summarising‐and‐quoting
American Medical Association (brochure). (2008).Personalized Health Care Report 2008: Warfarin and Genetic Testing.
Retrieved from http://www.ama‐assn.org/resources/doc/genetics/warfarin‐brochure.pdf on May 12, 2012
Anson, C. M. et al. (2003). The Longman Pocket Writer’s Companion. New York: Longman.
Gopen, J. & Swan, J. (n.d.). The science of scientific writing. American Scientist.
Grounds for Argument. http://www.groundsforargument.org/drupal/style/stress/basic‐principle
Hacker, D. (2000). A Pocket Style Manual. Third Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Leonhard, B. H. (2002). Discoveries in Academic Writing. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
Maimon, E. P. et al. (2003). A Writer’s Resource: A Handbook for Writing and Research. New York: McGraw‐Hill.
Purdue Online Writing Lab. Retrieved on July 18, 2016 from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/600/01/
Smalley, R. et al. (2001). Refining Composition Skills: Rhetoric and Grammar 5th Edition. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
~ Good luck with your manuscript! ~
Faizah Sari
[email protected]
The presentation discusses four aspects to help you prepare your manuscript successfully:
1. How to state the research problem.
2. How to create a strong thesis statement.
3. How to paraphrase
4. How to describe the visuals
1. A Statement of the Problem.
How$to$Write$Statement$of$The$Problem$
Connector:&
However,&
Unfortunately&
&
&
Connector:&&
Without&it,&
Thus,&
Ideal&
Reality&
Previous&
studies/
theories&
on&…&
Previous&
studies&
on&…&
Your&
contribu2on&
An Example of Statement of the Problem:
Statement 1
In order to accomplish their missions, public universities need motivated workforces.
Statement 2
There are, however, frequent and severe disciplinary actions, absenteeism, as well as various forms of
unrest in public universities which affect the accomplishment of the set missions. Our preliminary
investigation reveals that both non‐management and management staff are under motivated.
Statement 3
Without effective motivational packages and procedures, the said vices are likely to continue and
retard the achievement of the universities’ missions. Thus, there is a need to examine the public
universities’ motivation systems and procedures, which is the aim of the proposed research.
Previous studies on ___________ underlie the benefit of ________ __________________ due to _____________________,
which reflects the ______________________(Bryant, 2009; Smith, 2010; Bear, 2013)
However, such studies focused on _______________ rather than ____________________. In reality,
___________________ struggles with __________________, especially _________________ and ________________ (Parker,
2015; Swift, 2016; Dol & Gab, 2017). As far as ______________ are concerned, _________________ still require
_________________________ to _________________ ________________________.
Without _______________________________, such a ____________ and _________________________. Thus, an
investigation that ____________ is likely to reveal ___________ and further help ___________ understand more
about ________________.
2. Thesis Statement
The Thesis Statement is:
One central idea controlling your essay.
An expression of an idea/opinion/attitude about a topic.
A complete sentence.
A statement that needs to be proved.
Located in the introduction, after a statement of research gap and before methods.
Examples:
1.
2.
3.
There are many advantages and disadvantages to going to college.
The hazards of storing chemical wastes.
Universities in West Java should require more independent studies; they
should also have a writing center.
Despite its general excellence, the new health program should be run only
on an experimental basis for two or three years.
4.
✗ not specific, nothing to prove.
✗ not a complete sentence.
✗ has more than one central idea.
✔ not specific.
3. Paraphrasing
When you paraphrase you should:
Create your own words to match the ideas reflected in the original statement.
Use synonyms.
Use sentence variety and forms.
Always state the source.
An example:
Original sentence:
The airport is closed because of the bad weather conditions.
Inappropriate paraphrase:
The airport is closed because of the bad weather.
Appropriate paraphrase:
Since the weather is terrible, the airport is not open.
4. Description of a visual
If you have a graph in your manuscript, you should describe it clearly by:
introducing the graph: express what it is all about.
giving it an overview: capture the trends or what is significant about the graph.
giving the detail about the graph: explain the variables and timeframe, if any, using numbers,
ratio, or percentage.
An example:
number'of'*me'eaten'per'year'
Consump*on'of'Fast'Food'by'Australian'Teenagers'
hamburgers"
120"
pizza"
fish"and"chip"
32"
100"
100"
15"
20"
9"
45"
80"
85"
30"
80"
75"
+45"
60"
30"
+53"
40"
40"
20"
0"
+61"
20"
0"
0"
0"
0"
0"
0"
1975"
1980"
1985"
1990"
1995"
2000"
The line graph compares the fast food consumption of teenagers in
Australia between 1975 and 2000, a period of 25 years.
In 1975, the most popular fast food with Australian teenagers was
hamburgers, being eaten 100 times a year. This was far higher
than pizza and fish and chips, which were consumed
approximately 5 times a year. However, apart from a brief rise
again from 1980 to 1985, the consumption of hamburgers
gradually declined over the 25 year timescale to finish at just
under 40.
In sharp contrast to this, teenagers ate the other two fast food at
much higher levels. Pizza consumption increased gradually
until it overtook the consumptions of hamburgers in 1990. It then
levelled off from 1995 to 2000. The biggest rise was seen in
hamburgers as the occasions they were eaten increased sharply
throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s, exceeding that of hamburgers
in 1985. It finished at the same level that hamburgers began,
with consumption at 100 times a year.
More tips
Common Practices in writing a scientific paper in English:
When you introduce the rationale of your study, use the present tense.
When you present theoretical considerations, use the present tense. You may use the past
tense to highlight a chronological order.
When you present research methodology, use the past tense.
When you present findings, use the present tense. You may use the past tense to describe
specific issues taking place during the study.
When you conclude, use the present tense.
Some%Pointers%
instead(of(
✖!have,!need,!contain!
✖ is!of!the!opinion!!
✖ don’t,!isn’t!
✖ the!writer!
✖ before,!after!
✖ say!
✖ above,!below!
use(
! (none)&
! believes&
! have&no,&is&no&
longer&
! I,&me.&Or&use&
passive&voice&
! prior&to,&
subsequent&to&
! argue,&indicate&
! (none)!
!
Use(ac.on(verbs:((
generate,(characterize,(assert,(develop.((
Conclusion
The author is responsible for:
making sure that the reader see the important points in the text.
helping the reader get the correct interpretation of the research.
References
Academic Skills at The University of South Wales. Retrieved on Aug 19, 2016 from
https://student.unsw.edu.au/paraphrasing‐summarising‐and‐quoting
American Medical Association (brochure). (2008).Personalized Health Care Report 2008: Warfarin and Genetic Testing.
Retrieved from http://www.ama‐assn.org/resources/doc/genetics/warfarin‐brochure.pdf on May 12, 2012
Anson, C. M. et al. (2003). The Longman Pocket Writer’s Companion. New York: Longman.
Gopen, J. & Swan, J. (n.d.). The science of scientific writing. American Scientist.
Grounds for Argument. http://www.groundsforargument.org/drupal/style/stress/basic‐principle
Hacker, D. (2000). A Pocket Style Manual. Third Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Leonhard, B. H. (2002). Discoveries in Academic Writing. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
Maimon, E. P. et al. (2003). A Writer’s Resource: A Handbook for Writing and Research. New York: McGraw‐Hill.
Purdue Online Writing Lab. Retrieved on July 18, 2016 from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/600/01/
Smalley, R. et al. (2001). Refining Composition Skills: Rhetoric and Grammar 5th Edition. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
~ Good luck with your manuscript! ~