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How To Write Tech Papers
How To Write Tech Papers
PUBLISH A SCIENTIFIC
PAPER
It may be defined as the fewest possible words that adequately describe the contents of
the paper
LENGTH OF THE TITLE
Title should neither be too long nor too short. Waste words should be avoided for
example studies on , observation on , investigations on, etc. Also the opening A, AN and
THE fall in the category of waste word.
THE TITLE AS A LABLE
The title of the paper is a label, not a sentence. Since it is not a sentence with the
usual subject- verb- object arrangement, it is really simpler than a sentence.
ABBREVIATIONS AND JARGONS
Title should almost never contain abbreviations and jargons.
HOW TO PREPARE THE ABSTRACT?
An abstract should be viewed as a version of the paper. The abstract should
provide a brief summary of the main sections of the paper: introduction, methods, results
and discussions.
Abstract
scope of the investigations. It should state what the investigation is about, why
was it necessitated and what it aims at.
2. Methods:
work on the project. The description of the methods renders the findings
trustworthy and hence more valuable.
3. Results:
is most interested in this outcome. It is this part that enables the reader to form his
opinion about the importance of the whole paper.
4. Conclusion: It is the last touch to the abstract and it highlights the significance
of the results discovered.
The importance of the conclusion is indicated by the fact that it is often given three
times: once in the abstract, then in the introduction and finally in the discussion (probably
in more detail)
The abstract must be written in past tense, because it refers to the work done. The
abstract should never give any information or conclusion that is not stated in the paper.
When writing the abstract, remember that it will be published by itself, so it should be
self contained. It is preferable to write the paper before the abstract. An abstract should
generally consist of about two hundred words.
1. Experienced writers prepare their title and abstract after the paper is written. While
writing the paper, you must have in mind a provisional title and an outline of the paper
that you propose to write.
2. It is wise policy to begin writing the paper while the work is still in progress so that
no important details are left out.
3. It is very important to consider the audience you are writing for because your style of
writing and the inclusion of details etc will change with the change in the level and type
of the audience.
The purpose of introduction should be to supply sufficient background
information to allow the reader to understand and evaluate the results of the present
study, without needing to refer to the previous publications on the topic. It should also
provide the rationale for the present study. Above all you should briefly and clearly state
your purpose in writing the paper.
Much of the introduction should be written in the present tense.
The results of the investigation lead to one or more important conclusions. This
part should state only the principal conclusion suggested by the results as it evaluates
the whole process and sums up the introduction.
Note: The last two rules act as a capstone of the introduction. This road map from
problem to solution is so important that a bit of redundancy with the abstract is
often desirable.
Abbreviations
Keep in mind that your paper may well be read by people outside your narrow
specialty. Therefore, the introduction is the proper place to define any specialized terms
or abbreviations that you intend to use.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
Introduction
Solar energy systems for residential use are at present economical only in certain
geographical use areas that have consistent solar radiation. Current efforts at cost
reduction of solar heating systems are generally devoted to the development of low-cost
components and to the improvement of thermal efficiency.
Advances in component design have been mostly in the area of collector panel
arrays. The pioneering efforts of Heath [1] in the invention of the parabolic trough
collector array, and of Sonnenschein [2] in its further development, have shown that a
combination of incident and reflected light will increase the efficiency of solar panels by
42 %. The initial cost of such collector, however, has limited their use and practical
systems.
This paper gives the theory of dual concentrate collector array and reports on its
application in the design of prototype model of a high efficiency solar heating system.
Unlike the parabolic concentrator, the new collector array uses a combination of mirrors
and Fresnel lenses to provide successive concentration of solar energy on the surfaces of
the absorber combination of solar energy on the surfaces of the absorber combination.
The lens configuration occupies one-half the spatial volume required by the
hyperbolic mirror design reported by Perrrier (3), (4) for successive light concentration.
The energy gain of the new collector reported here was determined from the Holmes
modification (5) of the Hottel- Whillier-Bliss equation(6).
A second contribution to the understanding of system efficiency is analytic study
of transport fluids which yielded an optimum ratio obtained in heat transfer from the
collector to the storage tank.
As shown recently by Arras (7) static performance data for solar systems is not
directly related to dynamic performance. Therefore a comparative study was made in
Phoenix, Arizona of your prototype model and the operational Soltherm system, which
was described in this Journal by Holtzman. The data give comparisons of cost efficiency,
as well as thermal performance.
Material
For materials, the inclusion of exact technical specifications, quantities and source
or method of preparation is of utmost importance. The use of generic or chemical names
instead of trade names is usually preferable.
Measurement and Analysis
This section calls for being precise. Methods are like cookbook recipes. If a
reaction mixture is heated, the temperature must be given. Questions like how and
how much should be precisely answered and not left for the reviewer or the reader to
puzzle over.
Statistical analyses are often necessary but you should feature and discuss the
data, not the statistics.
Need for References
CONCLUSION
What does the conclusion identify ?
The conclusion in fact, conveys how you have responded to the problem stated at
the start of the introduction and identifies what your investigation, test and analyses
show. The most effective conclusion serves as candid critique of your own work in which
you point out what is important and why the results are valid. In a way, it projects and
solidifies the impact of the investigation process and its results.
Should the negative aspects also be included in the conclusion ?
The inclusion of some negative aspects, showing the gaps in your work and the
limitations of your findings or your design etc adds credibility to the manuscript and
makes it more convincing.
Should it also refer to future applications ?
Many development papers also point out directions for future work and
applications because, after all, research is considered valuable if it has relevance to the
practical life.