WIP
Academic writing
Table of contents
Writing is the most important and challenging component in academia, simply because we rely on it to communicate our discoveries and to advance our knowledge. Typically, this is also the most time-comsuming acativity that you’re going to engage in throughout your academic life. Like every creative activity, writing is painful.
These are some writing guidelines that we follow in the lab. Specifically, we focus on two types of academic writing: manuscripts for peer-review journals and proposals for research funds. The fommer emphasizes the past (a finished study), and the latter looks into the future (somethings no one has done yet).
How to start writing?
It is typical that we put significant effort to avoid writing. “I’m not ready” is a typical mindset when we think about writing. How could we get started? Well, curve your expectations.
Start with something small
Finishing a 30-pages manuscript sounds too scary to accomplish. However, finishing a paper should never be the goal of your writing (just to reflect what do you mean by “finishing a paper”). I found it practical when I can set specific goals throughout the writing process. For example, after reading a few papers, writing down a few sentences of summary and thoughts could be the very frist steps of writing. Or, elaborating on an argument with evidence could be something to work on within a hour. You will be surprised by how much you’ve accomplished as you try to achive these mini goals.
Start with something rough
A good writing is usually achieved by continuous refinement of rough drafts. There is no reason to feel bad about your writing just because the grammar is not perfect or the transition remains abrupt. The most important thing is to put your thoughts down on the paper. Don’t bother to polish the sentences at this stage.
Block your writing hours
You won’t be able to write if you don’t have the time to. Block some slots on your calendar for only writing. During these writing hours, you should output texts as much as possible. Trust me, you really don’t need internet to write.
Re-writing is the key
Having a draft means a lot. But the real pain is about to start. I often use preparing a dinner as a metaphor of writing. Drafts are like food ingredience that you purchased from grocery stores. You need to wash vages, remove inedible parts, marinate meats, and many things to get the dinner ready. Havign a draft is like bringing the food back from grocery stores. There are many things to do before we bring guests to the table. Re-writing is one of the key steps, requiring you to reflect the significance of your study, to reorganize evidence, propose the arguments, and check the logical flow in the paper.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when you re-write your draft.
What are we writing about?
Thoughts or facts? Facts are used to support your thoughts.
Who are we writing to?
Think about the journal you’re about to submit to. Who are the authors, what do they care about.