Questions tagged [scientific-publishing]
This tag should be used for style guides, ethics and common practices relating to publishing of papers in a scientific context.
85
questions
1
vote
1
answer
55
views
"we say x is a variable ... " vs "we say that x is a variable ..."?
I am writing a mathematical paper and many definitions include statements like "we say that c is a constant ... "
My question: Is "that" really necessary here?
- 111
2
votes
1
answer
89
views
Do scientific papers use "minus N" or "add -N"?
Imagine scientific papers written in English. Is it common in this field to express the subtraction of values as "add -N"?
So for example instead of writing "Patient weight minus 2"...
- 123
5
votes
1
answer
324
views
How do you write a scientific genus name in an already italicized text?
I am currently working on finishing up a thesis about my research in the field of biochemistry. The text that I am using to describe the figures is italicized. My question is: when I am trying to ...
- 51
4
votes
2
answers
56
views
Correct authorship attribution for online resource published under usernames
I am currently writing my PhD thesis and found a very helpful illustration of the human brain which is distributed under a CC license. I made some minor changes to the image, but of course I still ...
- 143
0
votes
0
answers
44
views
How to detect if a research team is outsourcing writing to increase paper publishing?
I have suspicions of a situation where a Computational Science research group is using paid writing services (outsourcing, using AI or human services) to increase their publication ratio in scientific ...
- 101
0
votes
1
answer
84
views
Is scientific writing equal to research paper writing? [closed]
I am just not sure if scientific writing is same as research paper writing.
0
votes
1
answer
461
views
How do I write a synopsis for a scientific article? publication?
I want to submit an article under the "Analysis" of a journal. Their website says that authors are required to submit a synopsis first.
I know that synopsis is like a summary of article, but ...
- 31
1
vote
1
answer
29
views
Referencing Two Works Together
I am reviewing a research paper. In the reference section of the paper, the authors have mentioned two previous works that are based on the same topic:
Author X, Author Y, Author Z, "Topic_Name&...
- 113
1
vote
1
answer
191
views
What is the preferred way of writing small numbers in academic writing?
I need to represent small numbers in multiple tables. I am wondering which is the preferred way:
1.235e-3, or 1.235x10^-3?
The issue is that the latter requires more width than the former. Hence, most ...
- 113
3
votes
1
answer
50
views
When writing a scientific report, is it better to define every letter each time an equation is introduced or only for the new letters?
Of the two examples, which is better:
(A)
a = b + c, (1)
where a is ..., b is ..., and c is ...
[some paragraphs]
d = a / e (2)
where d is ...,...
- 131
0
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Capitalize "million" when using as a unit
When you write "1 Million", should it be "1 Million" or "1 million"?
I would assume capital based on the symbol for mega being 'M'.
- 103
0
votes
1
answer
49
views
Should there be a space between quantitative units?
I understand that the SI standard for units is to have a space between the number and unit:
Unit of measurement and formatting
https://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/checklist.html
But, does this apply ...
- 103
1
vote
1
answer
73
views
How to write less like a student and more like a researcher?
I'm writing my first academic paper, and the feedback I got from my supervisors was that my writing sounds more like a student report than a scientific paper.
What advice would you give a student when ...
- 113
1
vote
2
answers
374
views
When to use simple past or present perfect in scientific papers?
What are the best rules for scientific papers to decide whether to put a sentence in simple past or present perfect tense?
Example
Shapiro et al. (2012) use present perfect in the following sentence:
...
- 111
0
votes
1
answer
61
views
Citing sources within table and figure legends
I have a figure and a table within my results section that contains data I used software to collect. I have already cited this software within my paper, but to allow my figures to stand on their own I ...
- 27
1
vote
1
answer
50
views
Separating two separate bits of information in parenthesis
I have this excerpt of text from a scientific paper:
... such as mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA; maternally inherited) or non-recombining regions of Y-chromosomal DNA (paternally inherited), ...
Where I ...
- 27
2
votes
1
answer
54
views
List of symbols in dissertation with wide range of topics
Currently, I am writing a dissertation in computer science, which covers a relatively wide range of topics.
When creating the List of symbols I have the problem that many symbols appear several times. ...
- 121
1
vote
1
answer
133
views
Can I publish both with Apple Books and Amazon?
I want to publish my book both through Apple Books and Amazon. Is this allowed? Or if I choose to provide my book through Apple, then I am obligated to not sell it through any other platform?
- 113
1
vote
4
answers
137
views
Why is writing so hard? Are there any self-help books for scientific writing? [closed]
Not to make this a post complaining about my inability to write, but I'd like to understand the universal challenges people face when writing and overcome some of these common challenges. Maybe ...
2
votes
2
answers
56
views
Does a glossary make sense in a computer science thesis
I am currently writing my master thesis in computer science, more specifically on voice activity detection, a sub-area of automatic speech recognition using neural networks. I asked my supervisor if I ...
- 21
2
votes
2
answers
27
views
Scientific report and capitalization
I'm writing a master's thesis in English, which is my second language. I have understood that I should capitalize Section, Chapter, Figure, etc., but should I also capitalize other elements that refer ...
- 21
3
votes
2
answers
173
views
How to include figures and images in body text
I am writing a text (following MHRA style if that makes a difference) that refers to several images throughout, but I am unsure how to include them in my body text in terms of writing style.
Does it ...
- 31
0
votes
1
answer
137
views
Is it appropriate to add a new reference in revising a manuscript?
Is it appropriate to add a new reference in the revised version of a manuscript?
user44161
0
votes
2
answers
215
views
Past or present tense when describing a well-known method in the description of an experiment?
I am describing an experiment for a scientific paper. In this experiment, I use a very well-known technique which I briefly describe, similar to the following variant (#1):
In this experiment, we ...
- 153
4
votes
1
answer
164
views
Should I re-introduce acronyms in important section and write them out in the section's title?
I am writing a paper about a super machine (SM). In the introduction section I am briefly introducing the concept and also the acronym. Then, later in the text, I have a full section which explains SM ...
- 153
2
votes
2
answers
117
views
Republishing a poem from a lost journal
I am not a professional poet. A few years a poem of mine was published and reviewed by the South Asian Ensemble journal. This journal no longer exists, I cannot find it online and neither in print. I ...
- 21
1
vote
1
answer
42
views
In an academic Paper, should you mention/reference stuff like Definitions or Theorems? Or are they part of the "text flow"?
I'm not sure if my question is entirely subjective or not. I'm asking because maybe there is a "standard" way of doing it. I haven't found anything about this because it's kind of difficult to search ...
- 111
1
vote
1
answer
103
views
Explicit scientific syntax for academic writing (like a programming language but for scientific reports and publishing)?
This is a project I am thinking of working on in the future.
Is anyone familiar with attempts to codify and create an explicit syntax for reporting science?
E.g. like you would have specific ...
4
votes
2
answers
635
views
Subfigures in a figure, how to label?
So if I later refer to figure 2 (i) or figure 2 (ii) would it be better for the figure to be labelled as is Figure 2: Figure (i) shows cycle C? or
Figure 2: (i) shows cycle C or
Figure 2: ...
- 151
3
votes
1
answer
105
views
Computer science academic conference paper using "randvar" instead of "random variable"
I am reviewing a computer science submission to an academic conference. The authors use "randvar" instead of "random variable" (as well as "logvar" instead of "logical variable").
I am wondering if, ...
- 133
6
votes
2
answers
143
views
In scientific writing, what is the protocol for shortening nouns?
I often see place or species names shortened in scientific journal articles and would like to know what the correct protocol is.
Can I shorten "Gough Island" to just "Gough"? Or "leatherback turtle" ...
- 63
4
votes
3
answers
238
views
Scientific Reports - Significant Figures
I'm currently writing a report where I have a table stating certain parameter values and their errors. Obviously I want the report to look nice, but since the errors of certain parameters vary by ...
5
votes
1
answer
90
views
en dash with space for non-integer?
I have a simple question. What's the correct writing style?
1.1–8.4%
or
1.1 – 8.4%
Without space around an en dash looks much better for my eyes. But I read somewhere that if it is a decimal number (...
- 211
13
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How to respond to overenthusiastic copy-editing
I was approached by a science magazine to write a long-form critical essay, and I gave them a 6000-word piece with extensive endnotes. After two months of being with the editorial team it comes back ...
- 233
6
votes
5
answers
97
views
Should I cite a source that cites an older source?
I am writing a scientific research paper and one of the sources I am using introduced a concept which I am using within the paper. The source I read (published in 1969) credits this concept as being ...
- 61
1
vote
2
answers
57
views
What means of publishing yields best reputation in scientific community?
If a post-graduate student has three unpublished studies, one of which is expected to have a high impact index, and the rest low impact, what should the student reserve his/her best work for, in order ...
- 13
2
votes
2
answers
77
views
Should an academic paper contain all text at the same structuring depth?
I'm not sure whether or not this is standard practice, but I've been taught that between two different-level headings, there shouldn't be any text. For example, the following would not be permitted (...
- 161
2
votes
2
answers
890
views
equation referencing in parentheses
My PhD examiners have asked me to refer to equations using Eq. (6) rather than Eq. 6. This seems simple enough, but often I have sentences of the form:
"This is a fact related to an equation you ...
- 121
3
votes
0
answers
122
views
How can I help a friend self-publish an incorrect scientific paper? [closed]
I have a friend who for various reasons does not have access to the Internet. We communicate by snail mail.
He has written a paper about a scientific topic. His paper claims that the mainstream view ...
- 131
3
votes
2
answers
215
views
Cite a book in general and then a chapter in particular
The question is in the context of a paper and a thesis in the area of computational science, computer science and chemistry. I manage my references with Mendeley, and import them into a LaTeX file ...
- 219
3
votes
4
answers
138
views
How to improve a "dry" scientific review article?
I am seeking suggestions to improve my "dry" writing style.
I recently submitted a manuscript that was intended to be a review article on a particular scientific topic in the field of biomedical ...
- 133
6
votes
1
answer
148
views
If I quote part of an article that itself contains a quote, what do I cite?
In an article I'm writing, for a conference in engineering education, I would like to quote the following:
They do so “freely, with a full sense of volition and without the necessity of
material ...
1
vote
1
answer
70
views
How do I express that others and I were unable to find literature about a topic?
Given this question of mine I wondered: If one wants to publish a new result which
one couldn't find any information where the result could have possibly been covered (and neither could one's ...
- 149
2
votes
1
answer
91
views
What is the best way to take a theorem from another paper?
I would like to include a theorem from a paper, say Alice et al. [12], in my own manuscript.
Which option is the most readable one?
Theorem 6 [[12]]. Every even number can be divided by two without
...
- 121
0
votes
1
answer
99
views
How to write a scientific journal?
For a long time I've been searching for some reference on how to write a scientific journal but failed to find one. I specifically want to write a scientific journal to be used as my personal ...
- 3
2
votes
1
answer
63
views
What is a DF manuscript? [closed]
I apologize if this is obvious, but what is a D.F. manuscript? See this link for an example of the term's use.
- 29
3
votes
2
answers
95
views
How do I include two prerequisite ideas without a non-sequitur?
This question is about scientific writing. Scientific projects often bring together a problem from one field and an approach from another. When it comes time for me to write about the project, the ...
- 133
4
votes
1
answer
148
views
Scientific article: How to say that with our result something could be done but hasn't
I am writing something similar to a review article about a scientific insight that connects and streamlines a number of seemingly different previous results.
In the introduction, I give an example of ...
- 193
0
votes
1
answer
345
views
Which citation format do I use when multiple style options apply to the same source?
I want to cite the following pdf in Turabian style, but I have no idea how to cite it because it is technically multiple things at once. It looks like a paper, but its extension is a pdf, and its ...
- 410
3
votes
2
answers
279
views
Is active or passive voice more common in scientific writing?
I am choosing between two sentences:
We display the values of X in Table 1.
The values of X are displayed in Table 1.
The first is more action-oriented, the second is more passive but focuses on the ...
- 133