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.
56
questions
3
votes
1answer
75 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, ...
6
votes
1answer
87 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" ...
4
votes
3answers
157 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
1answer
56 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 (...
13
votes
1answer
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 ...
6
votes
5answers
85 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 ...
1
vote
2answers
47 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If a post-graduate student has three unpublished studies, one of which is expected to have a high impact index, and the rest low impact, what should the student reserve his/her best work for, in order ...
2
votes
2answers
66 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 (...
2
votes
2answers
79 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 ...
3
votes
0answers
117 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 ...
3
votes
2answers
163 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 ...
3
votes
4answers
97 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 ...
6
votes
1answer
68 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
1answer
56 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
39 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
74 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
53 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.
3
votes
2answers
83 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 ...
4
votes
1answer
74 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
331 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 ...
3
votes
2answers
210 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
57 views
presenting a plethora of technical parameters in a thesis
I'm writing my masters thesis at the moment. The topic of my thesis is the evaluation of one classification algorithm. Due to its technical nature I have to give a lot of context for each experimental ...
4
votes
2answers
52 views
Are citations the same as references in IEEE?
It appears that the word citation and references are use interchangeably. Are they the same thing?
https://www.ieee.org/documents/ieeecitationref.pdf
6
votes
3answers
2k views
Single author scientific paper, 'we' or 'I'?
I am authoring a single author paper. Usually when referring to oneself in a paper, 'we' is used. In single author papers I found both 'we' and 'I' (e.g., 'here we/I report xyz').
Which one is ...
10
votes
3answers
3k views
For publishing negotations I would like to know what a publishing company makes in profit?
I did a little research but blogs are never enough. I would like expert advice or even sample contracts which spell out everything if possible.
0
votes
3answers
64 views
Overusing “with the aim of…” in a scientific paper
I'm currently writing a scientific report and repeatedly found myself sneaking sentences like "with the aim of..." or "with the purpose of" in my text. Despite how trivial this problem may seem, it ...
3
votes
2answers
149 views
Bachelor thesis indentation
Are there any rules for proper indentation in thesis?
I am physicist so my thesis includes number of images and equations.
Now I think you should not indent first paragraph after:
Title of chapter,...
1
vote
2answers
7k views
What is the image size in scientific paper if indicated as “a single, 1.5 or 2-column fitting image”?
I would like to submit my manuscript in ecology, containing Figures. However, in Author guidelines, I found that I have to
Indicate per figure if it is a single, 1.5 or 2-column fitting image.
...
5
votes
1answer
965 views
Writing a scientific name in an italized phrase?
If I use a scientific name (Python regius) in a phrase that is already in italics, should the scientific name then be written normally or underlined? Does anybody know the rule?
1
vote
1answer
2k views
Gracefully state novelty of a thesis in the introduction
I'm being asked to 'clearly state the novelty' in my thesis. I suspect my supervisor would love to actually have a section titled 'Novelty' in big, black letters.
Personally, I think this is against ...
0
votes
1answer
58 views
What are the appropriate first steps to writing a scientific paper concerning a physical constant? [closed]
We are looking to write a scientific paper in the topic of measurement physics, that includes experimental data and dimensional analysis. How do we begin the process of writing a paper for a journal, ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views
Master's Thesis Structure: Separate-Page Chapters or Same-Page Sections?
I start my master's thesis the coming fall, and I have started planning how to structure and set up the document (in LaTeX). My thesis is in essence one large laboratory experiment (as analytical ...
1
vote
1answer
80 views
“In order to” vs “To”
Can I always replace "In order to" with the shorter "To" in scientific writing?
Example
In order to prevent corrupting the data, regular updates are required.
To prevent corrupting the data, regular ...
3
votes
1answer
674 views
Preventing units from being “broken” to the next line
I'm having trouble with keeping "units" on the same line, or together. For example, g C m-2 (grams of carbon per square meter) often gets broken between the "-" and "2". I realize it's possible to use ...
6
votes
3answers
13k views
When should I use italics in scientific writing?
I noticed that proper nouns, such as names of theorems or techniques are often set in italics in scientific writing but not always. Are there rules about it, for example each proper noun should be set ...
0
votes
1answer
61 views
Should programmers/DBAs be co-authored on papers for their contributions?
I'm taking a CITI course and one of the sections dealt with authoring on manuscripts. The gist is that you don't add authors when no work has been done (such as adding a notable person for their ...
0
votes
3answers
850 views
Citing authors already cited in a paper
I am writing my undergraduate thesis paper on a topic in which a lot of work has been done. So, it is important to maintain the flow of progress of my subject of interest through out the years. As, a ...
2
votes
1answer
69 views
State the method of how random data are produced in scientific paper?
For my research I produced random normally distributed data. The data is necessary for a statistical analysis which I describe in my paper. Is it recommended to state in the paper what tool I used to ...
1
vote
1answer
52 views
Order of references
Suppose I have the following references to literature:
Miller, H. (1999): … Referred to as: Miller
(1999)
Miller, F., & Smith, J. (2002): … Referred to as: ...
2
votes
1answer
78 views
Which sections to cover for my graduation thesis on BSS?
I'm not sure if I'm on right place to ask a simple suggestion, so please be kind and don't downvote my question. I'm not asking someone to do it for me, I just need short guidance how should I proceed....
5
votes
4answers
430 views
How can I consistently distinguish among tables, fields, and records in a database?
I am describing a database for a scientific publication. The database has many tables, and each table has fields (spreadsheet columns) and records (rows).
I spend a lot of time discussing tables and ...
1
vote
1answer
186 views
combining sentences
I want to say couple of this within one sentence. so my sub sentences would be:
We removed the vertical features from the classification process.
The removal of vertical features enhances the ...
0
votes
3answers
2k views
figures and tables always on top of the page?
I have to write a scientific paper for a university course. As far as I know, and as far as I have ever seen, tables and figures are always inserted at the top of a page, instead of at the exact ...
2
votes
1answer
156 views
How to combine a visual and textual outline
I am a Ph.D. student in engineering, so most of my writing fits into a fairly strict idiom: the IMRaD (Introduction, Methodology, Results, and Discussion). In general, I like to use an outline to help ...
2
votes
1answer
353 views
Where and how to give an overview of each chapter in scientific writing?
Since I find it quite helpful for readers (e.g., of my dissertation) to get an overview of what they are going to read, I want to do this in each chapter.
Where should I locate these overviews?
How ...
7
votes
2answers
979 views
How can I publish a translation of a book?
I'm in the process of translating a book (scientific publication) for private use. If I ever decide to publish it: what is the procedure? Who is the right person to ask for publishing rights and ...
2
votes
1answer
252 views
How to publish my Research Publication
I do have little research experience on "Web Security" and I made some inventions in that. I have patented my inventions and now when I was trying to apply for Masters by Research in Information ...
3
votes
1answer
77 views
What sections of the frontmatter are listed in the table of contents?
There is a question about the correct order for thesis front matter. If I have those sections and some order, what of them is usually placed into the table of contents? While the main chapters surely ...
7
votes
4answers
2k views
Should I prefer long or short sentences in scientific writing?
Currently, I am writing papers with rather short sentences: About half of them contain around 20 words, about 10% to 20% even less. I am doing this for three reasons:
I find short sentences easier ...
1
vote
4answers
163 views
Scientific Citation
Is there a standard for the fields which are required to be included for a reference in scientific journal/conference papers? For instance BibTeX has a lot of fields for an @article entry, but which ...
