scientific writing - master OU for student-show.ppsx

Know definition of scientific writing
Summarize of pillars of scientific writing
Discuss the characteristics of good scientific writing
Apply good scientific writing

1. Scientific writing of a
report/ paper
Miluda 2024
Prof. Miluda Rajab Elhamadi
Family and community medicine
department, UOT

2. Aims of presentation
•Know definition of scientific writing
•Summarize of pillars of scientific writing
•Discuss the characteristics of good
scientific writing
•Apply good scientific writing
Miluda 2024
At the end of the lecture, should be able to:

3. Research process
1.Selection of topic
2.Definition of research problem
3.Literature review
4.Formulation of research problem
5.Construction of the study tool
6.Writing of the methodology
7.Writing of the proposal
8.Data collection and management
9.Analysis of data
10.Writing the report [ paper, thesis]
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4. •Scientific writing is a technical form of writing that is
designed to communicate scientific information
(facts, figures, methods, results) to appropriate
target audiences (such as: Healthcare professionals,
Regulators , Patients, General public) to achieve
certain objectives
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Scientific writing

5. •Sharing the knowledge
•Improve the thinking
•Enhance the productivity
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Importance of medical writing

6. 1-Clarity: حوضولا
2-Coherence: كسامتلا(يقطنملا طبارتلا )
3-Conciseness: زاجيلاا
4-Accuracy: ةقدلا
5-Credibility: ةيقادصملا
6-Ethical considerations: ةيقلاخلاا تارابتعلاا
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Pillars of writing

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1-Clarity
•It means the readers can understand the writing and what
the author is trying to say to a reasonable degree.
keep the writing simple, use short familiar words and
eliminating unnecessary details
Avoid vague, jargon and confusing sentence structure
Be specific
Clear transition
Use active voice

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2-Coherence
Coherencein writing is the logical bridge between
words, sentences, and paragraphs.
Coherence can be created by:
Parallel structure: using similar grammatical constructions
between words in sentences.
Between sentences through repetition and transitional
devices to help ideas flow more smoothly.
Between paragraphs by using transitional words and
consistent paragraph construction (Topic sentences,
supporting sentences, concluding sentences)

9. Avoid unnecessarily long sentences. When possible,
reduce clauses to phrases, and phrases to words.
Change passive voice to active voice
Use short words (utilize, use; subsequently, next)
Eliminate redundancy
Eliminate or replace wordy introductory phrases
words
Do not overuse intensifier such as most, very,
especially
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3-Conciseness
Communicating complete information about a topic
or idea in a few words.
Accuracy is more important than brevity

10. Its the reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the
content
Add Text
•ability to use the
necessary vocabulary,
grammar and
punctuation correctly
•concerns the
careful use of
language to
express meaning
•refers to the
proper coverage
of your topic in
appropriate
detail
1-Document accuracy2-Stylistic accuracy3-Technical accuracy
4-Accuracy
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11. Provide evidence, cite the source
Clearly describe the methods and results, and
discuss how those results support their conclusions.
Avoid errors
Ensure that any words you substitute have the same
meaning
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5-Credibility
The quality of being trusted and believed

12. Avoid language that attempt to evade
responsibility.
Avoid words with more than one meaning to
circumvent the truth
Avoid fabrication, falsification, plagiarism and
duplication
Authorship
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6-Ethical consideration

13. Overall
structure
-Divide longer texts into chapters
or sections with clear headings.
-Make sure information is
presented in a logical order.
Good scientific writing:
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14. Paragraph
structure
-Start a new paragraph when you
move onto a new idea.
-Use a topic sentence at the start of
each paragraph to indicate what it’s
about, and make clear transitions
between paragraphs.
-Make sure every paragraph is
relevant to your objective or question.
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Good scientific writing

15. Sentence
structure
-Use transition words to express the
connections between different ideas
within and between sentences.
-Use appropriate punctuationtoavoid
sentence fragments
-Use a variety of sentence lengths and
structures.
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Good scientific writing

16. Avoid
1.Long complicated sentences
2.Repetition
3.Meaningless phrases
4.Irrelevant material
5.Cluttering a paragraph
6.Citing too many references
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17. Avoid repetition:
•Discussion in the Results section
•Results in the Discussion section
•Information can be in the Introduction or Discussion
–not in both
•Repetition of information in Tables, Figures and in
the Text
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18. Before Starting to Write report/ Paper:
•Record your results
•Make tables
•Draw graphs
•Keep file to record summaries of results
•Date the files
•Revise your readings, you may need to repeat an
experiment while you still have the materials.
•Write ideas when ever they come to you
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19. 1. Materials and methods
2. Results
3. Discussion
4. Conclusion
5. Introduction
6. References
7. Abstract/summary
8. Keywords
9. Title page
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Suggested order of writing:

20. •In this section you explain clearly how you carried
out your study .
•Must be clear, precise and concise, so that it can be
reproducible
•Organize the methods under subheadings, with
related methods described together
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1. Materials and methods section:

21. •When patient included = Patients and methods or
subjects and methods
•The term Material is used only if inanimate
specimens have been used
•Avoid the use of trade names of chemicals, generic
or chemical names are preferred.
•Do not mix some of the Results in this section
•Write in the past tense
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1. Materials and methods

22. It includes the following:
•Study design:
a)Descriptive: ( case report, case series, cross sectional and
longitudinal)
b)Analytical: analytical cross-sectional, case control, cohort)
c)Experimental: RCT, non RCT
d)Prospective or Retrospective
e)Hospital based or community based
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1. Materials and methods

23. •Study setting:
Mention where the study was conducted, brief
description of the place
•Study duration:
When the study was conducted, by duration and exact
time (day, month , year)
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1. Materials and methods

24. •Study population:
Describe your subjects(Who), including and excluding
criteria
•Sample size and sampling methods:
Describe how sample size was calculated, and
sampling method that used
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1. Materials and methods

25. •Data collection:
•Describe the tool used for data collection (
questionnaire, check list, case sheet, master sheet),
mention all variables included
•Describe method of data collection: interview , self
administered, review file records, etc.,
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1. Materials and methods

26. •Study procedures and measurement:
•Established procedures should be referenced but no
description is needed
•For published but not well known procedures, should be
referenced with brief description
•New or modified procedure should be clearly described,
with clarity of reason and limitation
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1. Materials and methods

27. •Data management:
Describe the overall process that used for
management of collected data as editing, coding, and
software program that has been used (SPSS) for data
analysis.
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1. Materials and methods

28. •Data analysis:
Describe all statistical methods used.
•Descriptive statistics: frequency, %, mean, median,
mode, SD.
•Inferential statistics: hypothesis tests, confidence
intervals, and regression analysis
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1. Materials and methods

29. Ethical consideration:
Permissions
An ethical approval
informed consent
Confidentiality of data
Security of data
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1. Materials and methods

30. •The function of the Results section is to present your
key results, without interpretation, in an orderly and
logical sequence using both text and illustrative
materials (Tables and Figures).
•Avoidlong sentences
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2-Results section:

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Data presenting:
•Directly in the text
•In a table
•In a figure
All figures and tables must be accompanied by a
textual presentation of the key findings
Never have a table or figure that is not mentioned
in the text
2-Results section:

32. •Tables are appropriate for large or complicated data
sets that would be difficult to explain clearly in text.
•Figures (graphs)are appropriate for data sets that
exhibit trends, patterns, or relationships that are
best conveyed visually.
•Any table or figure must be sufficiently described by
its title and caption or legend, to be understandable
without reading the main text of the results section.
•Do not include both a table and a figure showing the
same information
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2-Results section:

33. •Objectives of the table are to detail the content
without reading the text
•Provide comprehensible results at a glance.
•It should supply maximum of information with
minimum of words.
•Provide additional information not present in the
text, to avoid redundancy.
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2-Results: Tables

34. •To design a clear table, the data should be arranged
in the correct order
•Tables should be carefully designed to avoid any
repetition of headings
•Simple, clear, not confusing, and easy to follow.
•Tables must be condensed, avoiding the splitting of
similar data, so that all possible relevant information
is presented together in one table.
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2-Results: Tables

35. •Use clear, concise titles, written above the table.
•It must have a title without abbreviations.
•Each table must stand on its own and not require
reference to the text to explain it
•Leave space between rows and between columns
•Use footnotes as needed to clarify
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2-Results: Tables

36. Results showed that the main causes of fever were upper respiratory tract
infection (48%) and acute gastroenteritis (20%). (Table 2)
Table 2: Underlying illness causing fever among cases, (Tripoli Children Hospital, 2015).
Underlying illness No. %
URTI 48 48%
Acute gastroenteritis 20 20%
UTI 15 15%
Chest infection 9 9%
Otitis media 5 5%
Others 3 3%
Total 100 100%URTI:Upper respiratory tract infection; UTI: Urinary tract infection
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37. •The purpose of the illustration is not to beautify the
paper, but to convey clear information (introduce,
explain or summarize).
•Illustrations are: figure, map, photo.
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2-Results: illustration

38. •Good illustration must be simple.
•Avoid sophistication and secondary details.
•Avoid using the unnecessary features common in
graphics packages like three-dimensional bars or pie
charts.
•There should be no repetition and no contradiction
to the information mentioned in the text or tables.
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2-Results: illustration

39. •Use clear, concise titles, written below it
•The title, should be informative, concise
•Leave sufficient space between figure descriptions
•Consider that potentially good reproduction on
photocopying by not using light colourslike yellow,
light green or light orange.
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2-Results: Graph

40. •Avoid clutter (too many numbers or symbols)
•Should provide a clear statistical message
•Good way to show overall patterns in the data
•The axes should be labeled clearly.
•Label all important parts
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2-Results: Graph

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Example:

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Bad figure

43. •Report P values (for example p=0.002 rather than
p<0.05)
•The word “significant” should only be used to
describe “statistically significant differences”
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2-Results:
Use the past tense to detail the results you obtained
Use Present tense to refer to figures, tables and graphs

44. Family history of seizure was positive among 30% of the cases
and 22% of controls. No significant statistical difference was
seen in regards to family history of febrile seizure between cases
and controls (P =0.259). (Table 5)
Family history of seizureCases
No. (%)
Controls
No. (%)
P Value
Yes 30 (30%)22 (22%)
0.259No 70 (70%)78 (78%)
Total 100 100
Table 5: Family history of febrile seizure in cases and controls, (Tripoli Children Hospital, 2015).
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Example:

45. Writing of discussion section includes:
1. An introduction to the discussion
2. Discussion of the results,
3. New findings provided by the study,
4. The limitations of the study,
5. Recommendations relevant to practice.
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3-Discussion:

46. •An introduction to the discussion
Introduction paragraph: It is preferable to start the
discussion with a short paragraph summarizing the
important findings from the results section.
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3-Discussion:

47. Discussion of the results:
•Each result obtained must be adequately discussed and
compared with similar previous studies in a respective,
logical and clear manner.
•If the results of the study differ from previous give
explanation.
•Each issue must be discussed in only one place
•Avoiding any repetition of ideas.
•Avoid opinion bias.
•Previous studies must be highlighted regardless of their
results
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3-Discussion:

48. 1.Relationship to findings of other research:
Similarities to previous studies’ findings
Differences from previous studies’ findings
Possible reasons for these similarities and
differences
2.Strengths of thestudy:
•For e.g., superior methods, extensivedata
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3-Discussion:

49. 3.Limitations of thestudy:
For e.g., small sample size, short follow-up,
incomplete data, possible sources of bias,
problems with experimental procedures.
It is always better to mention limitations of the
research study than for peer reviewers and readers
to think that you are unaware of them.
4.Implications of the research study
For e.g., possible uses of the findings (in clinical
practice, public policy, further researches etc.)
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3-Discussion:

50. •Focus on what the results mean
•Do not repeat detailed values
•Do not introduce new results
•Use subheads in a long discussion (then remove
from final draft)
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3-Discussion:
-Use Present tense to explain significance of results
-Use Past tense to summarize findings, with present
tense to interpret results

51. •An introduction provides the necessary context for
the topic and prepares the reader for what follows.
An introduction should include:
•Brief background information about research topic
•Clarification of terms or definition
•Review of relevant literature
•Rational (to filling gap knowledge)
•Thesis statement that clearly summarizes your main
point.
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4-introduction

52. •It should be short, relevance.
•Other published studies (up-to-date)
•Cite all sources
•Write in active voice
•Write concise sentences, clear and catchy
•Organize your thought from general to specific
•Do not mix introduction with results, discussion, and
conclusion or your data.
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4-introduction Tips
-Use present tense for background information
-Use Present perfect tense to report research

53. Introduction
Known
Unknown
Provide comprehensive and critical review of
the major findings in the area,
importance of topic
Relevant previous research
Gaps In knowledge
aim or objective
No plagiarism
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54. •Check the guide to ensure the proper format.
•Cite only relevant articles
•Cite every article mentioned in the paper
•Verify correct articles are cited in the text
•Abbreviations should conform with Index
abbreviations
•Never copy a reference from another paper
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5-References

55. •Each journal has its own style of references
•Read the instructions in guidelines and follow
•All references should be written in the same style
with the same arrangement
•Recent references are better than older ones
•Avoid personal communications, unpublished
observations and submitted manuscripts not yet
accepted
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5-References

56. •Book references are of the least significance.
•The integrity of the references is the responsibility of the
author only.
•Some journals have a maximum number of references
not exceeded.
•Check the Number of authors to include before using
“et al.”
•It is unacceptable to use too much information from
a single source
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5-References

57. Medical paper (Journal)
•Summarize the paper in
sections (background,
aim, methods, results
and conclusions
•Write your Abstract
using concise sentences
•Use the active voice
when possible
•Add keywords
Thesis/ dissertation
•Summarize the
research according to
the guideline
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6-Abstract
-Use the past tense

58. Acknowledge anyone who has helped you with the
study, (Persons who are not included among authors )
including:
•Advisors
•Financial supporters
•Proofreaders
•Typists
•Suppliers who may have given material
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7-Acknowledgement

59. Proof reading:يوغللا قيقدتلا
involves checking the text for even more local issues:
●Spelling errors
●Missing words
●Confused word choices
●Punctuation errors
●Missing or excess spaces
●Stylistic consistency (e.g. capitalization, formatting,
referencing)
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60. In summary :
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Writing process
Preparation
Research
Drafting
Revising
content and
organization
Editing and
Proofreading

62. •Layout
•Length
•Abbreviation
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Technical details
Follow the instruction of institution / Journal

63. ا.د .يدامحلا ةدوليم
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