Writing an Article: How to Write a Successful Research Paper

A crucial aspect of your academic career is publishing an article addressing the findings of your study. You’ll be able to write a manuscript that is a perfect fit for the journal of your choice by paying attention to the advice and direction provided here.

Know who you’re writing the article for

Knowing which publication you want to publish your work in is crucial before you begin writing up your findings.

You should consider your intended journal guideline while writing your article to ensure the desired style, format, and guidelines. This increases the likelihood of your manuscript publication by assisting the editor in determining how it aligns with the scope of the journal. Before you begin writing, make sure you have studied the goals and scope of your target publication; this will inform you of the kinds of articles that are accepted.

In our section on selecting a journal, you’ll discover dozens of suggestions for picking the best publication for your study.

Read the instruction for the authors

You must be aware of the criteria the editor of your intended journal will use. You may draft your work to fulfill the publisher’s and the journal’s expectations.

Manuscript submission requires familiarizing yourself with the instructions for authors (IFAs) of your selected publication. The IFAs outline in detail what the journal’s editorial board wants to see, as well as the steps you must take to ensure there are no issues in case of your article approval.

Writing your manuscript

Every article is different, and the format you should use depends on your type of research.

Here is a handy step-by-step manual that will walk you through the typical parts that many researchers need to include when writing a paper, in the order that you would ordinarily write them.

• Create figures and tables (if required)

Read the journal’s instructions for authors before structuring your tables and figures since they may include information on color usage and layouts for artwork.

• The literature review should be written (if required)

Although literature review is not mandatory, this section frequently plays a significant role in papers in the humanities and social sciences. A literature review typically discusses what is already known about the subject of the article, identifies knowledge gaps, and presents your strategy for filling those gaps.

• Write the method

The reader may learn all the details of your study methodology in the technique section. You should see the instructions for writers in your chosen journal to write this section. Reviewing previously published articles in the journal or sample reports on the journal website is another smart move.

• Summarize your findings

What have you found? is the question you’re addressing in the results section. In this part, you should provide your findings; however, you shouldn’t analyze them or debate their ramifications.

• Write the discussion and conclusions

Your interpretation of the results should be in your discussion and conclusion. Discuss your primary findings from most important to least significant, and then restate them at the end.

• Write the introduction

Your introduction should provide the background information necessary to comprehend your study as well as the motivations for the trials you carried out. A clear description of your objectives and one or two sentences outlining the methodology of your study should come at the conclusion of your introduction. Although your article’s introduction comes first, you can plan how to compose it once the remainder of your paper is done.

Formatting your article

Many journals also permit the use of templates to assist with article formatting. Check the guidelines for authors to see if this applies to your preferred journal, then go to the formatting and templates page to obtain the downloaded template files and accompanying instructions.

Prior to article submission

Once you have the first finished draft of your paper, make sure to carefully revise it before its submission. Take a close look at your text to learn how to enhance your research report.

This preparation guide for your article will teach you how to write and edit your piece with assurance.

We have outlined below a few crucial issues that you should pay attention to because advice may differ per journal:

• Co-authors, corresponding authors, and affiliations are terms used to define authorship.
• The moral dilemmas that writers like you should be aware of.
• Expressing conflicting interests: Full disclosure of any competing interests sometimes referred to as a “conflict of interest,” is necessary when you submit your manuscript to a publication.
• You will require the participants’ written agreement if your research includes a medical or clinical investigation. All authors must adhere to the ICMJE guidelines for patient and study participant privacy and informed consent.

Improve your paper

Improve your paper

 Have you thought about making any optional improvements to your paper?

• A large audience can understand the importance of scientific study findings when presented in plain English using simple, uncomplicated terminology. Using a Plain Language Summary will increase public participation.

• A graphical abstract is a helpful tool that offers a succinct, visual representation of your article’s primary points. It may be a fantastic supplementary method for sharing your findings.
• You may convince people why they should read your study by producing a video abstract. They are becoming a more and more common method of encouraging people to interact with published research.