Wha t’ s Yo ur Pro b le m; Wha t’ s Yo ur Po int? An E a rly-Ca re e r Wo rksho p o n Writing Sc ho la rly Pa pe rs GSA 2019 Annua l Me e ting , Pho e nix, AZ na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Ag e nda • De fining yo ur pro b le m a nd pre pa ring the ma nusc ript (Na nc y Rig g s) • Sub mitting a ma nusc ript a nd the re vie w pro c e ss (Ro na dh Co x) • PL E ASE sto p us a t a ny time with a q ue stio n – try to ke e p q ue stio ns g e ne ra l (wo uld so me o ne e lse like ly ha ve yo ur q ue stio n ? ) – we wo uld like to he a r yo ur pe rso na l q ue stio ns a t the e nd o f the se ssio n na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Pa rt I : Be fo re yo u b e g in a nd a s yo u a re writing Na nc y Rig g s, fo rme r GSA Bulle tin c o -e dito r; Asso c ia te E dito r fo r (g ulp) 20+ ye a rs… B na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du - e ma il me ! na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
F ro m the b e g inning • Yo u’ re finishing up yo ur re se a rc h a nd thrille d a b o ut yo ur re sults • Yo u ha ve a no ve l ide a tha t a ppa re ntly ha sn’ t b e e n disc usse d b e fo re • Yo u ha ve a n e no rmo us pile o f ma ps / se ismic / a na lyse s / vide o fo o ta g e / re mo te ima g e ry a nd synthe sis o f the m IT ’S T IM E T O PUBLISH! na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
F ro m the b e g inning • Cho o se the mo st a ppro pria te jo urna l – who is yo ur a udie nc e ? • T hink a b o ut the prima ry ide a yo u wa nt to c o nve y • T hink a b o ut who yo ur c o -a utho rs sho uld b e (if a ny) na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Whic h jo urna l? (GSA e xa mple ) Quic k de sc riptio ns o f e a c h jo urna l na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Whic h jo urna l? (GSA e xa mple ) na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Whic h jo urna l? (GSA e xa mple ) E a c h jo urna l ha s a uniq ue nic he : whic h is b e st fo r yo ur wo rk? na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Whic h jo urna l? E a c h jo urna l ha s a uniq ue nic he : whic h is b e st fo r yo ur wo rk? na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
ro m the b e g inning na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du F • Write !
Use the jo urna l na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Use the jo urna l • Mo de l ho w yo u c o nstruc t the ma nusc ript o n a pub lishe d pa pe r (struc ture , fo rma tting , dia g ra ms, ta b le s, e tc .) na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Ge tting the e dito r inte re ste d in yo ur ma nusc ript Ro na dh will disc uss this – suffic e to sa y tha t the e dito r is the g a te ke e pe r na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Wha t is impo rta nt? • Mo st ide a s ha ve va lue • F ra me yo ur ide a in a wa y tha t yo ur o ffic e ma te / pa rtne r / c o lle a g ue c a n se e its va lue : why wo uld so me o ne re a d a b o ut this? • One (we ll-de ve lo pe d) ide a pe r pa pe r ma y b e e no ug h na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Wha t is impo rta nt? • One (we ll-de ve lo pe d) ide a pe r pa pe r ma y b e e no ug h – yo ur wo rk wa s o n de trita l zirc o n in a T ria ssic unit – yo ur MS stude nt wo rke d o n the pe tro lo g y o f vo lc a nic c o b b le s in tha t unit – is this o ne pa pe r a b o ut pro ve na nc e o r o ne a b o ut pro ve na nc e a nd o ne a b o ut pe tro lo g y o f the a rc tha t wa s the so urc e ? • Ho w c a n a g e o sc ie ntist o n the o the r side o f the wo rld use yo ur ide a ? na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Who a re yo ur c o -a utho rs? • E ve ryo ne who ha d a sub sta ntia l c o ntrib utio n in fra ming the pro b le m a nd its re so lutio n. – a ll a utho rs must c o ntrib ute to writing the pa pe r, whe the r lite ra lly o r thro ug h ide a s – ma ny jo urna ls re q uire c o nfirma tio n na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
“g e t re a dy” to write • Who is yo ur a udie nc e – ke e p in mind tha t if yo u a re writing fo r a “g e ne ra l” jo urna l, yo u must a ssume re la tive ly little infe rre d kno wle dg e (yo ur re a de r kno ws muc h le ss a b o ut yo ur to pic tha n yo u do …) na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Write ! • Ho urg la ss struc ture • I MRAD (intro duc tio n, me tho ds, re sults, a nd disc ussio n) na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Ho urg la ss struc ture introduction BIG concepts & context findings (background, the ‘meat’ methods, data, results, comparisons... ) discussion, relevance, synthesis, implications, wrap up predictions — more broad context % impact % impact na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Write ! • T hink ve ry se rio usly a b o ut writing a n o utline first… • Ma ke a list o f like ly fig ure s a nd inse rt the m in the o utline na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Write the I ntro duc tio n • F o llo w the sc ie ntific me tho d – wha t is kno wn – wha t is no t kno wn / po o rly unde rsto o d / c o ntra dic to ry to the pre vio us ide a s: Wha t is the pro b le m? ! – why yo u use d the me tho d / fie ld site / ima g e s yo u did – ho w it/ the y a re T HE wa y to so lve the pro b – a b it a b o ut yo ur c o nc lusio ns na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Write the I ntro duc tio n • T he I ntro ne e ds to sho w tha t yo u a re a wa re o f the pe rtine nt lite ra ture • Be BRI E F – the I ntro duc tio n is c ritic a l b ut sho uld no t b e mo re tha n ~2 do ub le -spa c e d pa g e s (fa r le ss fo r Ge o lo g y) – b e sure a ll the ma in po ints a re c o ve re d witho ut e xc e ssive de ta il • T he I ntro duc tio n se ts the sta g e … na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
T he o the r pa rts • Me tho ds – suffic ie ntly de sc riptive tha t the y c a n b e re plic a te d • F ig ure s a nd ta b le s tha t sta nd a lo ne a nd suppo rt the pa pe r • Da ta (re sults): – a ll yo ur re sults whe the r the y suppo rt yo ur ide a s o r no t – no b ia s, no inte rpre ta tio n a t this po int na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
T he o the r pa rts • Disc ussio n – do NOT intro duc e ne w da ta in this se c tio n – disc uss yo ur ide a s a nd inte rpre ta tio ns – ho w do yo ur da ta a nd ide a s me sh with o the r pre vio us wo rk • Co nc lusio n • T he title (!!) (write this la st) – why wo uld so me o ne c ho o se to re a d yo ur pa pe r? – b e de sc riptive a nd spe c ific na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Othe r tips fo r pre pa ring the ma nusc ript: the do ’ s • Write to yo ur fig ure s – “a pic ture pa ints a tho usa nd wo rds…” (wha t wo rds a re yo u re pla c ing )? – ho w do e s a fig ure suppo rt the te xt? – a fig ure c a ptio n sho uld hig hlig ht the ta ke - a wa y po ints a nd no t b e pa g e s lo ng … • Write , put the ma nusc ript do wn fo r thre e da ys, a nd re write na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Othe r tips fo r pre pa ring the ma nusc ript: the do ’ s • Put yo ur c o -a utho rs to wo rk! Ma ke the m re a d a dra ft. • Whe n using c o ntrib utio ns fro m c o - a utho rs, do n’ t he sita te to re write in yo ur o wn vo ic e na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Othe r tips fo r pre pa ring the ma nusc ript: the do n’ ts •a b stra c t o r intro to o lo ng •no ide a o f the purpo se •we ird fo rma tting (e .g ., ma rg ins) •sing le line spa c ing •no line numb e rs •o b tuse writing •“pre a c hy” •re fe re nc e s no t GSA fo rma t •no summa ry o r c o nc lusio ns na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
T he e dito r will… • lo o k fo r tha t ho o k – will yo ur pa pe r a ppe a l to mo re tha n the 25 g e o sc ie ntists in yo ur sub disc ipline ? • lo o k a t the ma tc h with the jo urna l – inno va tive ? da ta -ric h? SO • b e sure to lo o k a t a jo urna l’ s missio n sta te me nt • e sta b lish c o nne c tio ns b e twe e n yo ur wo rk a nd b ro a de r pro b le ms • PL E ASE re me mb e r tha t the e dito r is g a te - ke e pe r first a nd is no t o b lig e d to se nd yo ur ma nusc ript o ut fo r re vie w… na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
L a st b ut no t le a st • Ne ve r sta rt yo ur pa pe r (Ab stra c t o r I ntro duc tio n) with “We ”. T he pa pe r is a b o ut ro c ks o r te c hniq ue s o r ma ny o the r thing s, b ut no t a b o ut yo u. • Do n’ t write to b e unde rsto o d, write so tha t yo u c a nno t b e misunde rsto o d na nc y.rig g s@ na u.e du
Submission and Review Rónadh Cox Williams College Former Editor of GEOLOGY What’s yo ur pro ble m, What’s yo ur po int? GS A Natio nal Me e ting, I ndianapo lis 2018 rcox@williams.edu
As a member of the research community you interact with the review process in two ways (1) As a writer (2) As a reviewer rcox@williams.edu Racetalkblog Forensic Science Society
Submission and Review Process Data, Authors Choose results, frame target ideas paper journal Editor declines paper Editor chooses Reviewers Authors write and Reviewers reviewers review Reviewers submit paper review review Editor analyses and Reject summarises reviews, makes decision Revise Authors revise Editor and submit Final decision evaluates detailed list of revisions changes rcox@williams.edu
rcox@williams.edu
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