SUBJECT

Writing scientific papers in English

lecture

Doctoral

Faculty of Science

Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences

6

Semesters 1-4

Autumn/Spring semester

• Planning: deciding the subject of the paper (question of originality); choosing the target journal (topics and impact factor); deciding the form of the paper (types of scientific papers).

• Writing the paper: collecting material (how to use laboratory notes); writing the first draft (literature, most important results, final conclusion); obtaining instructions for the authors; designing tables, figures and other illustrations, copyright questions; how to write the chapters of a paper: Abstract, Introduction, Material and methods, Results, Discussion (their structures, specialities, grammar, expression to avoid); Reference list, Acknowledgements (contribution, technical assistance, financial support); deciding the final title, the running title, the keywords, and the authorship (questions of the authors’ order).

• Submitting (uploading) the manuscript, examples for covering letters;

• How to answer the remarks of referees;

• Correcting the proofs

• Open access –advantages and dangers – moral questions, plagiarism, ghost authors, human and animal rights, GMO-questions

• Preparing a “model manuscript” - optional.

• Michael Jay Katz: From Research to Manuscript. A Guide to Scientific Writing. Second edition, Springer 2009, ISBN: 978-1-4020-9466-8, e-ISBN: 978-14020-9467-5

• Rowena Murray: Writing for Academic Journals. Open University Press, 2005 ISBN: 0 335 21392 8

• Robert Barras: Scientists Must Write. A guide to better writing for scientists, engineers and studentsRoutledge Study Guide Taylor & Francis Group, second edition 2002, ISBN: 10: 0-415-26996-2 (978-0-41526996-4) http://www.sfedit.net/newsletters.htm