Hello Reader,

Here we are after another week of regular posting on the topic of science writing.

This week I also mentored two very capable bachelor students through writing a paper-style internship report and wrote a pre-proposal for a funding call that required the project abstract to be written in 250 characters (no, not words, potentiel

I hope you enjoy this round-up of the week’s posts. Please let me know what you think and share any topics you would like to see covered.

A problems vs. tasks framework that could help relieve common paper-writing struggles

Don’t know why you are struggling to finish writing your paper?

​Cathy Mazak proposes separating writing problems from writing tasks as a way to streamline your process.

Writing problems require thinking deeply and making decisions.

• What is the story of the paper?
• What figures do I need to tell the story?
• How should I structure the outline to tell the story?

Answering them is what Cathy Mazak describes as « scholarly work ». Writing problems could, and probably should, be answered away from the computer, and may take an unpredictably long time.

Writing tasks require executing a pre-determined plan.

• Writing an abstract.
• Constructing publication-ready figures.
• Writing text starting from a detailed outline.

Executing tasks requires less deep thinking and more widget-grinding. Writing tasks usually require a computer, and the time they take is more predictable.

Writers get into trouble by conflating problems with tasks.

Try separating them next time you have some writing to do.

A simple Q&A framework for early-career researchers to nail the structure of papers out of the gate

One of the problems I encounter most often in drafts of papers written by masters and doctoral students is poor structure. If you have ever struggled with putting the right information in the right place, here is a framework that should simplify matters.

Question and answer framework for a standard paper

Each section of the paper answers its own set of questions:

• Introduction: Why did the authors carry out the study? What is the central problem/question of this study?
• Geological or Geographical Context (if relevant): Where was the study based and why?
• Data & Methods: How was the study carried out?
• Results: What did the study find?
• Discussion: So what? How do the results respond to the introduction? What insights or further questions have emerged?
• Conclusion: What is the take-home message?

And the abstract? It simply answers all of these questions in the same sequence, with one or two sentences each.

Try using these questions next time you have to outline a paper.

4 Essential skills early-career researchers should master to present data effectively in scientific papers

In may scientific fields, the most relevant information is not carried by the text, however well-written, but by the figures.

Presenting and visualizing data in a clear and sincere manner are skills as important as writing the supporting text. The overarching principle is always the same: it’s the writer’s job to make the reader’s job easy. But how does this break down in the context of data visualisation?

You need to develop the following skills:

1. Becoming proficient in data visualisation tools and software. If your data visualisation abilities are limited, your figures will be limited too.
2. Selecting the most relevant and impactful data. There is a fine line between cherry-picking data and showering the reader with irrelevant data. Learn to find and walk this line, or stay just on the right side of it.
3. Creating clear and informative graphs and charts. Once you have selected the data you want to show, present them in the clearest way possible to help the reader form their own conclusions from your data.
4. Writing clear and informative figure captions. Use the caption to explain everything the reader needs to know about the data to understand the figure without needing to reference the main text.

Practice developing these skills with every figure you create.

The app I can’t live without for documenting research and outlining drafts

When it comes to keeping a research journal, connecting ideas, and outlining drafts, there is one app I can't live without:

Obsidian

Here's why:

1. It’s a multi-media note-taking system that allows linking between notes, so it works for complex webs of information.
2. It has plugins for everything you might want to do, e.g., drawing (Excalidraw) or interfacing with your Zotero library.
3. It stores all your files on your computer or mobile device for maximum data security.
4. It has no lock-in mechanism. Your notes are simple markdown files that can be read with any text-capable app (markdown can handle LaTeX commands for equations too).
5. It’s free — you will need to upgrade to a paid version only if you want to sync large databases over multiple devices.

If you want a flexible, configurable, and robust place to keep all your research notes and find them quickly, try Obsidian.

Other content published this week

• ​Start writing as late as possible: the single best tip for writing papers and proposals with fewer drafts, no complete rewrites, and minimal aggravation​
• ​2 Great quotes early-career researchers should memorize to write scientific articles that are shorter, stronger, and bolder​
• ​A simple challenge for Earth Science students and journalists to see how well they know the terminology of natural hazards and risk​